4$tafe Buildings To Cosl Total Of $8,022,667 Contracts Let for All Structures Except 3 Due in Spring The estimated cost of build ings for which contracts have keen let by the state of Oregon through the board of control plus three buildings for which contracts will be let In the pring, is $0,ud,tti. The funds came partly from legislative appropriations and partly from the slate building una approved By vote of the eople. Of $6,000,000 allocated o the board from the building ii nd, there has been allocated to uildings already contracted $4,625,156. The balance of the 86,000,000 will be required to complete the buildings yet to be f ontracted, and any shortage will fop,, met by money from the 1947 pprupnauuii. t State Hospital At Oregon State hospital has nen authorized construction for ie total sum of $3,609,951 follows: J ..i'it (1) Ward building at cottage 4 - farm, with 340 capacity. Cost tf $688,542. (2) Treatment hospital, with i ' 300 capacity. Cost, $1,583,637. I j (3) Ward building 46-47, with 300 capacity. Cost, $778,761. ..; (4) Dormitory for nurses, V' w 1th 100 capacity. Cost, $378, ; 360. t 1 (5) Tunnel to serve above buildings. Cost, $180,651. Eastern Oregon Hospital i At the Eastern Oregon Stale Hospital a contract was let last 'year for. the nurses' home and it -was completed and occupied about July 1 of this year. The admission hospital is under con struction. jj The program at Pendleton is divided as follows: i t' (1) Dormitory for nurses, with i! 4 capacity, uost, siso.uuu. k (2) Admission hospital, with ?' 114 capacity. Cost, $1,030,489. J Total improvements at this in stitution amount to $1,186,489. (Concluded on Page 9. Column. 6) Solve Robberies At Aumsville With arrest of Erwin Speers, Aumsville, and Blaine Ogle, Sa lem, both 19 years, Sheriff Den ver Young reported that four burglaries in Aumsville during December had been cleared up and that the boys admitted par gticipation in all of them, i Three of the burglaries were during the early morning of De- cember 27 in Mickev's garage. 'f Aumsville Lumber company and jb. the Gentzler garage. I i In the Mickey garage burglary H. L. Mickey, proprietor, lost ' among other things the first dol f, lar bill he'd ever earned which j he had tacked on the side of the V garage as an inspiration. It's doubtful if he'll get it back. Tak l7 en there also was $10 in cash, X a table model radio, a Ford con- I denser and a sport light. At the f Gentzler garage, W. W. Bradley, i manager, two fog lights were f taken, a Yankee sealed beam I light, a Schick double head razor V and an electric toaster. At the Aumsville Lumber company S plant operated by three broth I ers. C. W., S. H. and Luther I. Wright, $30 in cash was taken, $60 in another drawer being ov- I. erlooked and also from that place an electric razor was taken I: The fourth burfilary admitted geby the youths was at the Aums ville school December 17 when $67 in cash was taken including receipts from sale of meal tickets f una aiSO irom sale ox uaan-ctumi Vlckets for a game the night be If fdre the burglary. Checks total inV $22 were taken and burned Sheriff Young stated that 13 .3 toys were quizzed in the search lor the culprits. 1 80 Percent of Tax h WnU I I1IIHIIHI1 ?i Tax collections against the "current 1947-48 roll nave mounted to $2,371,772.04 against a roll of little less than $3,000, 000 or about 80 percent of the roll or better, and there are still some of the statements mail ed in to get out. Harold Do- j 'Jimgnlia, ucyuij am wioifit j. ..... I collection department, said there were probably between 500 and f 1000 receipts yet to be issued I that were received through the i ttiail before the delinquent dead- line and he hopes to have these f back to the taxpayers in a week or two. ) Out of a little over 37,700 i ttatements sent out the receipts have been issued on 29,825 of i them, and including those for s Which receipts have not yet been ' mailed out, it shows there are f still about 7000 taxpayers in the : county who have as yet made no ; payments on their taxes. The deputy figures that the collec tfjpns are just slightly behind lose of last year at this point, C apital 59th Year, No. 2 Guerrillas Flee From Konitsa Info Albania Athens, Jan. 2 (IP) Greek War Minister George Stratos said to day guerrilla forces were flee ing into the Grammos mountains after a "crushing defeat" inflict ed in the battle of Konitsa, where a week-long siege of the government garrison was lifted yesterday. The offensive against Konitsa was believed to have been aim ed at capture of a capital for a Greek communist government, existence of which was pro claimed in a Christmas eve broadcast by Insurgent Leader Markos Vafiades. 7-Day Battle Ends A general staff communique reviewing the seven-day battle said: "This is the first fruit which has been repeated by the bogus government of Slavo communists." The communique said one column of troops entered the town and relieved the Konitsa garrison yesterday, but that a second column was held up by fire aimed at the Bourozani bridge, 11 miles west of Konitsa. The communique disclosed that on the first day of the at tack the Konitsa garrison, con sisting 01 some sou men, was "completely isolated ... to a considerable depth" when a force of more than 3,000 guer rillas made a frontal assault. Some sources estimated that the rebel strength totaled 10,000 men. Cross into Albania Guerrillas forced their way into Konitsa the third day, the communique said, but were an nihilated. An authoritative source said the Konitsa siege was directed by a "Balkan staff" consisting of Russian, Yugoslav and Bulgar ian officers operating from Sko plje. Yugoslavia, 65 miles north of the Greek border. Stratos said some of the flee ing guerrilla units had crossed into Albania eight miles north of Konitsa, Military sources in Athens said a number of the guerrillas actually were trained in Albania and Yugoslavia and all their arms and ammunition came from those two countries. Pauley Asked For His Records Washington, Jan. 2 (U.B Ed win W. Pauly, special assistant to the secretary of army, today was given until Monday to turn over to senate investigators his personal records on commodity speculation. A senate source said that un less the millionaire California oil man voluntarily produces the requested information by that time, he may be served with a subpoena. The senate appropriations committee asked for the records December 12 after hearing Pauley testify that he had made "substantial" profits by specu lating in grain and other com modities. Two weeks later, Sen. Homer Ferguson (R., Mich.), who heads an appropriations subcommittee i n v e s t i gating speculation, wrote Pauley a hurry-up letter. The army department official replied from his Los Angeles home that "the information is being assembled and will be for warded to you as promptly as possible." Pauley pointed out that the senators "did not spe cify any particular deadline." The subcommittee, it was learned, has decided that Mon day would be an deadline. appropriate Bailey Steel Bridge Races Stork to Marooned Homes When the county bridge crew Friday morning started moving a Bailey steel bridge from the state highway shons nn in tin. Lumker bridge site on the little replace the old Lumker bridge,? demolished earlier in the week when a logging truck went through it into the river, it was incidentally putting Marion county in a race with the stork. Report has it that marooned in homes beyond the bridge are three expectant mothers who. the report further says, can't wait too long for outside aid to be at hand when needed. County Judge Grant Murphy stated Friday that the tempor ary Bailey bridge should be shoved across the creek and in readiness for use by Monday, but court members admitted it was a little problematical as no body in the crew has had expe rience with handling that kind of s structure. Cattrtd (teood eltu witter at Salem, Oreson France Plunged To New Crisis by Premier's Bill Paris, Jan. 2 (IP) Premier Robert Schuman presented a new anti-inflation bill to the French national assembly today and threatened to resign if any changes were voted in it. The bill was designed to raise about 120 billion francs a bil lion dollars. Schuman decided to withdraw a previous anti-inflation bill ap proved by the assembly. That measure gave Frenchmen a choice of paying 150 billion francs additional income tax or of investing the same amount in government bonds. It was de signed to help pay for a big re construction program and to drain off excess purchasing power. Amendments Cut Income Amendments in the chamber cut the expected income from the bill by about a third. Dep uties exempted several classes of French citizens from its pro visions. The premier said his new bill was a compromise and told the deputies he would accept no changes. The cabinet, at a meet ing earlier, authorized Schuman to demand a vote of confidence from the assembly "as often as necessary." Cabinet Stakes Existence Schuman told the deputies the new bill also was designed to "sponge up" excess purchasing power in France. The premier did not say whether the taxpay ers could avoid taxes by buying the equivalent amount of bonds. "The government will stake its existence on this new text," Schuman declared. "The government recognizes its responsibilities and wants to associate the assembly with them. We will not accept a di minished position either from a financial or political point of view. "The country must know the government has behind It a par liament with confidence in it," he said. Cable Workers Out on Strike New York, Jan. 2 (IP) Union overseas communication workers went on strike at four cable com panies today, tieing up an esti mated two-thirds of their facili ties for transmissions between the United States and the rest of the world. The walkout, which involved some 35U0 employes, began at 12:01 a.m. (EST) and came while federal conciliators still were attempting to bridge dif ferences between uion and com pany negotiations. The dispute stemmed from their failure to ag,-ee on provi sions of new contracts to replace those which expired last mid night. The companies are the cables division of the Western Union Telegraph company, Mackay Radio and Telegraph, Inc., the Commercial Cable company and AU-American Cables. The unions are the CIO Amer ican Communications association and the Independent All-Ameri ca Cables Employes' association whose members had voted to join the CIO union in strike action. " n The last-ditch effort to avert the tieup involved the ACA and Western Union with conciliation officials hoping that agreement between the company and the union would serve as a pattern for overall settlement. Negotia- tions with the other companies were broken off earlier. north fork of the Santiam to But, in the meantime, the tel ephones of the court members have been kept ringing by ex GIs who have had experience of one sort or another during their army career in the placing of such bridges. County Engineer Hcdda Swart stated that the bridge which is 150 feet long to be used for re placing the old 100-foot span of the wooden bridge, comes in units weighing 600 pounds each. The army he said, used six men on each side of a unit in putting it into place and he believes the bridge crew with the instruction books at hand, will be able to do a fairly quick job in placing the structure. jkJoiij Salem, Oregon, Friday, January 2, 1948 P' " i - J"W 1 Wjf i Home Demolished by Tornado in South A resident of Cotton Valley, La., looks at the remains of a small home which was leveled bv the tornado which struck the small town on New Year s eve. At least 10 persons were killed in the town by the storm. Storms swept five southern states. At least nine other persons were killed and 200 injured by the storms. (AP Wirephoto) Spectacular Gain in Salem Postal Receipts Salem post office receipts during 1947, consistent with other records made in the community, shot upward for a gain of $60, 706.51 over the receipts for 1946, figures furnished by the post office showed today. The 1947 total was $634,595.15, and the total for the previous year was $573,888.64. Total receiDts for the fourth Probe Reds in Canal Zone Washington, Jan. 2 (IP) Chair man Thomas (R-N.J.) announc ed today that the house commit tee on un-American activities will make an on the spot inves tigation late this month of "com munist infiltration" in the Pan ama. Canal Zone. t ' :.v . The Panama inquiry will be part of a five-point program the committee has outlined for im mediate consideration. This in cludes a resumption of the in vestigation of communist influ ences in Hollywood and hearings on attempts to steal atom bomb information, to Indoctrination of Negro groups with communism and the spread of fascism. Thomas said he will conduct the Panama investigation, assist ed by Robert E. Stripling, chief investigator. Whether other committee members will accom pany them to Panama has not been decided. 'We are going to investigate primary reports that communists are making headway in their program to infiltrate labor groups in the Panama Canal Zone," Thomas told a reporter. He declined to say whether he and Stripling will inquire also into the current controversy be tween the government of Pana ma and the United States over leasing of bomber bases to this country. 'One of the first things the committee will do when congress reconvenes next week." Thomas said, "is to hold public hearing to inquire into the spread of fascism in this country. We will question Gerald L. K. Smith during this hearing." 35 Visas Asked For Mihai Retinue Bucharest, Romania, Jan. 2 Wj The Romanian government asked today for 35 visas for for mer King Mihai, Queen Mother Helen and their retinue to enter Switzerland. Diplomatic passports were re quested for Mihai, who abdicat ed Tuesday, and his mother. A spokesman for the commu nist-dominated "popular demo cratic republic" which succeeded the monarchy, said the requests may reach Swiss federal officers in Bern tomorrow, but that a reply is not expected before late Monday or Tuesday, because Swiss offices close at noon on Saturday. The Weather (Released by United States Weather Bureau) Forecast for Salem and Vicin ity: Mostly cloudy with occasion al rain tonight. Showers Satur day. Lowest expected tempera ture tonight. 40 degrees: highest Saturday, SO degrees. Maximum yesterday 50. Minimum today 46. Mean temperature yesterday 47, which was 7 above normal. To tal 24-hours precipitation to 11:30 a.m. todav 1.24. Total precipita tion for the month 1.72. which is 1.42 inches above normal. Wil lamette river height at Salem, Friday mornin, 8.1 feet, rising. quarter of the year were $196, 206.53, a gain of $16,198.39, while the total for December. 1947, was $91,256.68, a gain of S8473.36 over December, 1946, figures of $82,722.11. The spectacular gain through out the last year averaged about $15,000 a quarter, it was said of ficially. An extra-long legislative ses sion at the beginning of the year and a prosperous Christmas sea son doubtless boosted the fig ures. Nevertheless the Salem post office has been showing gains consistently for over 10 years, the only exception being in 1939 when there was a slight drop. As the Christmas mail busi ness got under way at the end of 1947 it was necessary for the post office to arrange for a sub station in a large warehouse on Trade street. A sub-station had been necessary the previous year also, but not requiring so much space. Receipts by years for the last 11 years, for purposes of com parison, were: 1937. $325,883: 1938. 557; 1939, $354,463; 1940, 210; 1941, $393,648; 1942, 605; 1943, $432,512; 1944, 824; 1945, $528,664; 1946, 888.64; 1947, $634,595.15. $357,-$374,-$399,-S487,-$573,- Vet Insurance Policies Probed Washington, Jan. 2 (IP) Vet erans Administrator Carl C. Gray, Jr., said today former President Herbert Hoover is ar ranging for a committee of in surance experts to investigate the veterans insurance program. Franklin D'Olicr. chairman of the board of Prudential Insur ance company, will head the in surance men. Hoover is arranging for the study as chairman of a commit tee which congress established to survey the organization of the executive branch of the federal government and recommend steps to promote efficiency. Gray, who took office as suc cessor to Gen. Omar Bradley last Wednesday, said he has al ready received numerous com plaints about the insurance serv ice provided to war veterans. "I am determined the veter ans shall have the best possible insurance service," Gray told a news conference. Greeks Unified by Red Secession Athens, Jan. 2 'Pi Dwight P. Griswold, chief of the U. S. mili tary mission in Greece, declared today the proclamation of a com munist state in the north by Markos Vafiades unified the Greek people and ultimately will "have a good effect." Griswold said the seven-day battle for Konitsa, in which the guerrillas were repelled in a bid to establish a capital, had no effect on the American military aid program. "It gave me a greater respect for the Greek army, which seemingly put up a good fight and did its job," he said. mal IV JO aw" 5 Alarm Fire In New York New York, Jan. 2 (IP) A five- alarm office building lire which spread to two converted apart ment houses blanketed Man hattan's west side at Columbus Circle in dense smoke today. An undetermined number of persons, many clad in night gowns, were led down ladders and an 80-year-old woman leap ed to safety in a lifenct. Eight firemen were overcome by smoke in fighting the blaze which started in the office build ing in West 58lh street at 7:19 a. m. (EST) The rear wall of Hie four story loft building at 230 West 58th St., caved in shortly before 10 a. m., but no one was in jured. At that time fire officials said the front wall ui Ihe same building was weak and might also collapse. Shortly after 10 a. m., Frank Murphy, chief of operations of the fire depart ment, said the fire was under control. Launch Drive For Joe Martin Washington, Jan. 2 (IP) A one man drive to make House Speak er Joseph W. Martin the compro mise presidential nominee of the republican parly was launch ed today by Rep. Leo Allen (R- 111.). Allen appraised Marti n's chances of getting the nomina tion at "one in five." He said Ihe speaker knows of the cam paign now getting under way to "talk him up." "All he says." Allen told re porters, "is that he doesn't sec how anyone could refuse the nomination." The chairman of the influen tial house rules committee said he figures the republican con vention in Philadelphia this summer will supply an opening for Martin by following the pat tern of 1940. That was the year when Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of New York and Senator Robert A. Tatt of Ohio fought to a stand-off in the early rounds, allowing the late Wendell L. Willkic to snatch the nomination on the fifth ballot. Allen said it looks to him as if Dewey and Taft are in about the same positions mey occupied eight years ago and have about the same strength. Heavy Snow and Floods Hamper Highway Traffic Week-end travel in western Oregon and the mountains might be hampered by heavy snow and floods, the state highway com mission said today. The Pacific highway was in bad condition today in the Sis kiyou mountains of southern Oregon, as well as between Weed and Dunsmuir in Califor nia, unains are aDsoiuiciy necessary in both areas because of the heavy snowfall. The commission said the Wil lamette river at Eugene was ris ing one foot every three hours, and that highways would be flooded tonight if the rise con tinues during the day. The Wilson River highway was blocked by a fallen tree 19 miles east of Tillamook, but the commission said it expected to have traffic restored this after noon. The Bcllevue-Hopewcll high way was closed today by highisary. Sleet and Snow Storms Strike East to Seaboard Tornadoes Rip 5 South ern States Leaving Death Toll of 100 'Bv the AMwiatPd Winter's most damaging storms of ice and snow struck across the central slates and eastward into southern New England over the New Year's holiday after a series of tornadoes ripped through five southern slates Thc storm left a wide path of i destruction in their wake. The property damage was expeciea i to run into the millions. Thei death loll was near the 100 mark, not including the 20 per sons who were killed in the twisters which struck in Dixie. Over 80 Traffic Deaths More than 80 persons died in traffic accidents over the holi day period. Fourteen persons were killed in a crash of two Missouri Pacific passenger trains in a snow storm in Otlerville, Mo. The tornadoes which twisted through Louisiana. Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Ala bama injured 250, destroyed 240 homes and damaged 250 others. The freezing rain and snow, which yesterday centered near the Chicago area, continued to day in many parts of the storm bcit. The weather bureau said the freezing rains today exten ded over a narrow band from lower Michigan across Lake Erie to southern New England. Snow was expected lo follow. Snow in Mid-west Snow continued lo fall in parts of Illinois and Indiana and n Ohio and Pennsylvania mere was about lu incnes oi new snow on the ground at Milwau kee and from six to 10 inches throughout lower Michigan. The fall in northern Illinois, south eastern Iowa and parts of Mis souri measured from four lo six inches. Temperatures in the midwest, which yesterday hit a low of 25 below in Minnesota, moderated throughout the day and no sub zero marks were reported early today. Reports from the snow and ice storm areas were similar in con nection with the crippling ef fect on transportation, communi cations and property damage. Traffic Disrupted Traffic rail and air, was dis rupted and in some communities paralyzed. Sleet and freezing rain covering electric wires cut off telephone and light service Street cars in many cities were halted and radios were silenced due lo mechanical difficulties and wrecked towers Scores of communities in sev eral slates were isolated from telephone communication as the icy gales snapped lines. Hign ways in many midwest areas were impassable. Trains and buses operated far behind sche dule and all airline flights in and out of Chicago and other midwest cities were cancelled. The strong winds gusts reached as high as 60 miles an hour in some parts of the storm belt wrecked radio lowers in Chicago and broke store win dows and uprooted trees in many communities. Nine trans mitter towers toppled and three others were damaged in and near Chicago. Mechanical diffi culties interrupted broadcasts on many of the major stations. 2 Escaped Oregon Cons Recaptured Two slate prison convicts who escaped from the prison farm last September 23 have been caught in Los Angeles and Arizona, Prison Warden George Alexander was advised today. Eugene Hammond, who enter ed the prison Jan. 16, 1945, to serve five years for larceny, was captured in Los Angeles. Lcroy E. Thomas, who enter ed prison from Multnomah county Aug. 29, 1945, also to serve five years for larceny, was caught in a stolen car at Elroy, Ariz., which is north of Phoe nix, Alexander said. water a mile cast of Bcllevue. The Astoria-Mcglcr ferry across the Columbia river resumed op cation today as the gale force winds abated. Chains are required in moun tain passes. The 9 .m. road" report: Santiam junction 30 de grees, snowing. 14 inches new snow in past 36 hours, mostly slushy. Some packed snow across summit. 56 inches road side snow at summit, 18 inches at junction. Odcll lake. Willamette high way 34 degrees, snowing hard, 14 inches new snow at summit, packed snow throughout dis trict; chains absolutely neccs- Oregon Streams Rising As Result Of Heavy Rains Santiam at Flood Stage; Storm Damagt To Wire Systems New Year'i day rainstorms were bringing up river throughout the valley region, Friday, with flood stages fore cast for at least two points. The Santiam at Jefferson is due to reach 15 '.-4 feet early Friday evening, the U. .V weather bu- reau reports. Flood stage ther is 13 feeli No j.reat amount of dam8ge K predicted, Th wm.m.. ri The Willamette river is du to hit a crest of I.V2 feet at Harrisburg early Saturday morning. Flood stage there ii 12 feci. At Salem the Willamette read 8.1 feet at the local gauge Fri day morning, booming up near ly 5 feet in the 24-hour period ending this morning. Flood stage here is 20 feet. Heavy Rainfall Downpours of rain in the Sa lem area totaled 1.24 inches in the 24-hour period ending at 10:30 a.m. The two-day total for the new month stood at 1.72 inches Friday morning, or 1.42 inches above normal amount for the period. December's rainfall was below normal for that month. The heavy winds sweeping lh Salem region New Year's day hit a velocity up to 50 miles an hour in guests of less than a minute; while the wind of a minute's average were recorded at 41 miles. Near Cloudburst A shower of ' cloudburst" pro portions, accompanied by light ning and thunder, hit the Salem downtown area shortly after 11:30 a.m. Friday. Some sec tions did not report as severe a storm, including the area where located the weather bureau. The weather bureau said they saw the heavy shower and noted the lightning. The oddity of an electric storm in January was explained by weather bureau officials who said a "cold front" moved in about that time, the colder air coming in stirring up the at mosphere. New Year's day mean tem perature was seven above nor mal, the winter day being a mild one despite the wind and rain. Storm Damage in Valley The Portland General Electrie company reported scattered storm damage all over the Wil lamette valley division. Man ager Fred Slarrett said no seri ous damage occurred, but a re pair crew was kept busy throughout the night, and work ed about 12 hours before being relieved. (Concluded on Page 11, Column 4) 65 Mile Gales Rip Northwest (By Lhe AjAOciated Presj) Highway crews took to the arduous task of clearing Wash ington and Oregon highways to day after coastal regions of th two northwest states were lash ed yesterday by a high wind that reached a peak of 65 miles an hour at Tatoosh island and 58 miles an hour at Astoria, Ore. The blasts brought a deluge of rain that turned to snow in the mountain regions, halted shipping and ferry services at the mouth of the Columbia riv er, disrupted power service throughout western Oregon and left highways clogged with felled trees. The Great Northern railway'! Empire Builder No. 2 train was delayed several hours after it struck a small earth slide 12 miles south of Everett yesterday. The front pair of engine trucks was derailed but no injuries re sulted. The highway from Tillamook lo Otis was closed by trees in Oregon; one-way traffic was en forced along lhe Coast highway near Cannon Beach. The Astoria-Mcglcr ferry ser vice was halted and ships re fused to attempt to negotiate en trance and exit to the Columbia river. Falling branches cut telephone service to Salem and Astoria for two and one hours respectively. Highways at Snoqualmie Pass and Mount Rainier were block ed by snow, cutting short the year's initial ski trips of many persons. Residents of Tacoma and vi cinity were treated to the rare spectacle of a 20-minute Janu ary lightning storm beginning about 12:10 a.m. today. It was followed by very heavy hail and a deluge of rain: Ontario Loads Car Ontario, Ore., Jan. 2 U.F!l A freight car will be loaded with wheat, food and clothing here this week-end as the area's con tribution to the northwest Friendship Ship. J