THE WEATHER HERE
PARTLY CLOUDY with scat-'
tered snow flurries tonight,
Tuesday. Continued cold. Low
est temperature tonight, IS;
highest Tuesday, 28.
Maximum reilcrdar, S5 minimum to
day, 10. Total 24-honr precipitation: .OS;
for month: .lit normal, .SO. Seaion preci
pitation, ls.10; normal, 17.60. (Report by
U.S. Weather Bureau.)
Capital.
HOME
EDITION
1
62nd Year, No. 1
Jtntered u ond el is
matter t Bilem, Oregon
Salem, Oregon, Monday, January 2, 1950
(18 Pages)
Price 5c
al
1949 Another
Big Building
Year in Salem
Permits Total $6,972,-
908 with Many Hous
ing Units Included
Salem building permits for
1949, shown by records at the
office of the building inspector,
totaled $6,972,908.
That was $940,155 short of the
- 1948 figure of $7,913,063, which
was an all-time high, leaving
V the 1949 total second highest in
' me cny s nisiory. it. was uie
L third consecutive year that
" building permits in Salem have
. passed the $6,000,000 mark.
Of the 1949 total $6,161,758
was for new construction and
$ttll,lou " lor alterations, ror
new dwellings the figure was
$2,104,977.
By months the 1949 figures
were:
January, $256,466.65; Feb
ruary, $103,765; March, $392,
600; April, $1,278,734.69; May,
$395,473; June, $504,734; July,
$257,662; August, $356,400; Sep
tember, $298,050; October $1,
021,759.75; November, $1,792,
355; December, $315,778.
Pacific Mutual Active
During the year most of the
construction was completed at
Capitol Shopping Center, where
Pacific Mutual Life Insurance
company has spent millions in
the erection of major buildings
and leased them to large con
cerns. Some of the building is
still under way. Pacific Mutual
permits for the year totaled
$482,000.
The biggest permit of the year
was to the state of Oregon for
the highway department office
building, $1,599,931.
Among the more important
building projects of the year
were:
In March, the W. R. Grasle
cannery on Wilber street, $30,
000. .
April, two of the Pacific Mu
tual buildings, $250,000 and
I church project, $85,000. First
' Christian church, $265,000. Sa
lem school district, $206,079.
In May, the Golden mortuary
on South Commercial, $22,240.
John Steenblock and Joe Kit
zke courts at 1175-1177 Court
street, $70,000. Pacific Mutual,
$60,000.
In June, Court Street Chris
tian church, $61,000.
In August, Pacific Mutual,
$30,000.
In September, Knights of Co
lumbus building on North Cot-
fcage, $47,500.
(Concluded on Page 5, Column 7)
Control Tower
'49 Operations
Since re-establishment of the
CAA control tower at McNary
Jeld February 28, 1949, the
field has had a grand total of
54,501 operations.
Year-end statistics compiled
Monday by the tower showed
local civil planes had the great
est number of operations dur
ing that period with a total of
41,134.
Other year-end totals are air
carriers, 3,120; -itinerant air
, force, 414; itinerant navy; 417;
' -'inerant civilian, 8,004; local
fsir force, 114; local navy, 1,268.
W Month with the lowest total
1 operations was December, when
bad weather conditions cut op
h erations to 158 below that of
November, the previous low
' month.
December operations broken
down show: Air carriers, 242;
itinerant air force, 24; itinerant
navy, 19; itinerant civilian, 262;
local air force, 0; local navy,
324; and local civilian, 2c 38.
It was in August that the con
trol tower had its biggest month
with a total of 6,829 operations.
During that month air carriers
had 370 operations; itinerant civ
ilian planes, 1,161; itinerant air
force, 66; itinerant navy, 142;
local air force, 74; local navy,
24; and local civilian, 4992.
Fire Routs Guests
At Danmoore Hotel
Portland, Jan. 2 VP) A fire
routed scores of guests from the
Danmoore hotel today, but the
fire was extinguished within a
half hour.
The fire began in a second
floor room about 10 a.m. and
most of the 150 guests regis
tered in the hotel fled down the
stairs and the fire escapes.
. The hotel has 135 rooms on
the second and third stories of a
brick building. The lower story
15 occupied by shops.
Truman Fights
Military Aid to
Formosa Island
Continued Economic
And Political Support
Favored by President
Washington, Jan. 2 VP) Pres
ident Truman is reported stand
ing pat against any use of Am
erican troops to try to block
communists from the island of
Formosa.
It is understood, however,
that such a decision would not
preclude continued economic
help and political support, as
well as advisory assistance, to
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek
in his fight against expected
communist attempts to take over
the island stronghold of the
Chinese nationalists.
Mir. Truman's reaffirmation
of his stand against the use of
American troops in Formosa is
said to have been made during
a meeting of the national secur
ity council. Mr. Truman presid
ed over the meeting at the
White House.
Favored by Congress
Responsible informants said
the council made no change in
the American attitude toward
Formosa despite many demands
from members of congress that
the United Stales should in ef
fect place the island under the
protection of American forces.
There were rumors that some
congressment had proposed that
the president seek a deal with
Chiang whereby Amaricans
would take over air bases on
the island in exchange for lim
ited U. S. military aid.
(Concluded on Page 5, Column 5)
Mao Says Red
Pact in Force
Moscow, Jan. 2 VP) Commun
ist China's Mao Tze-Tung re
vealed today that the Chinese-
Soviet friendship alliance of
1945 still is in force.
Answering a question from
a correspondent of the Russian
news agency Tass, the head of
communist China's government
said one of the main reasons
he presently is visiting Moscow
is the "existing treaty of friend
ship and alliance between China
and the U. S. S. R."
Mao, as quoted in a Moscow
radio broadcast, did not say
what he planned .to do about
the 30-year treaty signed in
Aug., 1945 by the Russians and
Chiang Kai-Shek's nationalist
government, which the Soviets
no longer recognize.
The broadcast quoted the
Chinese communist leader as
saying other matters to be set
tled during his visit were So
viet credits for his People's
Republic of China and "the
question of trade and a trade
agreement between our coun
tries." Mao arrived in Moscow Dec.
15 on his first known trip out
side China. His trip already has
aroused speculation that the vis
it would result in a friendship
treaty between the two com
munist governments.
Moscow radio said Mao's
statements were in answer to
questions put to him by Tass.
Collins Retiring, But
F zeping Home in Salem
By JAMES D. OLSON
Harry V. Collins, district manager in the Willamette vallev for
the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph company, will retire on
February 1, thus concluding 40 years service with the company,
of which 20 years have been spent in Salem.
Collins, who came to Salem in 1930 at his own request, will
continue to make tnis city his
home. His successor as district
manager has not yet been an
nounced.
Beginning his long career
with the telephone company in
Anacortes, Wash., on April 1,
1910, as a telephone repairman,
Collins advanced rapidly. Just
five years later he was named
manager of the Aberdeen and
Hoquiam offices and on October
21, 1927, he was sent to Seattle
as assistant manager.
The following year he went
to Portland in a similar posi
tion and two years later came to
Salem as local manager. Just a
year later in 1931, he was made
district manager in a district em
bracing Marion, Polk, Linn, Ben
ton and Lincoln counties.
During his 40 year tenure with
the company, Collins has had
direct or indirect supervision of
more than 40 offices.
"In retiring from active busi-
ness I intend to continue my
interest in the development of
aaiem ana tne Willamette val-
ley," Collins said. "I am grate-1
iiESsit.33?5 . . taste
5.45 Inches Rain
In December
Both the rainfall for Decem
ber and for the entire year were
below normal, according to the
U. S. weather bureau at Ma
Nary field. Precipitation for De
cember was 5.45 inches, or 1.1
inches below normal for the
month while 1949 had 15.10
inches or 2.30 inches less than
normal.
Eighteen December days had
a tenth oi an inch or more ot
rainfall, the greatest in any 24
hour period being .94 inches on
the 22nd-23rd. There were no
clear days during the month with
five partly cloudy and the re
maining 26 cloudy.
Greatest rainfall for any De
cember was 17.54 inches in 1933
followed by 14.03 inches in 1917
and 13.60 inches in 1937. Other
of the exceptionally wet months
were 1942 with 11.70 inches;
1895 with 11.16 inches; 1928
with 11.09 inches; 1931 with
10.98 inches; 1922 with 10.41
inches and 1939. with 10.32
inches.
December in the main has
been a month of fairly constant
precipitation and only once has
the rainfall dropped below the
two-inch mark. The driest was
1.95 inches reported for 1903.
Composer's Life to Be Filmed
Vienna, Jan. 2 VP) The life of
Austrian Composer Franz Lehar
will be filmed as a joint Austrian-American
production. Bo
ris Morros, an American produc
er, has signed a contract to make
the film with Viennese Producer
Willy Forst, in both English and
German versions. Lehar, whose
best known work was "The Mer
ry Widow," died in Bad Ischl,
Austria, last year.
Harry Collins
f ul to the people of this city and
I in the valley for the constant
cooperation given me in carrying
out my work '
(Concluded on Pare 5, Column 8)
State Building Damaged Fire Sunday afternoon seriously
damaged this building that housed the Keep Oregon Green
and the rehabilitation division of the state forestry depart
ment. A defective switch is believed to have caused the fire.
Forestry Building
Damaged hy Flames
The second floor of an office building of the state forestry
department on East State street was destroyed and the roof
badly damaged by fire Sunday afternoon.
The building, a small one, housed the offices of the Keep Ore
gon Green association and also the rehabilitation division of the
Soviet Planes
Fly Over Ryykye
Tokyo, Jan. 2 (fl Unidenti
fied reconnaissance planes be
lieved to be Russian fly over
the Ryukyu islands almost daily
but disappear before American
interceptors can take after them,
a Red Cross man said today.
Ferdinand Micklautz, special
field representative of the Amer
ican Red Cross, said "it is gen
eral knowledge" that the recon
naissance planes operate prac
tically without interference over
Okinawa. He recently returned
to Tokyo after seven weeks on
the big American base island.
An air force duty officer said
he was not at liberty to comment
on Micklautz' report and could
make no statement except
through public information of
fice channels. Top officers were
unavailable for comment, but
in the past reports that Russian
planes have been seen over Oki
nawa brought prompt denials.
Micklautz said:
"You can see vapor trails in
the sky about 40,000 feet up.
The interceptors take off after
them but they are gone before
the interceptors can got off the
ground. Shanghai is only 400
miles from Naha, you know."
Naha is the capital of Oki
nawa, main U. S. base m the
Ryukyus which curve like a gi
ant scimitar from southern Japan
toward Formosa and the Chinese
communist mainland.
Find Bodies of Four
Killed in Basement
Grand Island, Neb., Jan. 2 UP)
The bodies of four persons, all
shot to death, were found in the
basement of a home here last
night.
County Attorney Donald Wea
ver said it apparently was a tri
ple slaying and suicide.
Victims were D. H. Johnson,
55, a railroad employe, at whose
home the bodies were found; his
wife, Lucille, 51; their son,
Mercer, 20, and Johnson's fath
er, C. W. Mercer, 87.
Weaver said apparently D. H.
Johnson, shot the others, then
himself. No motives for the
shootings had been established,
he said.
Neighbors described Johnson
and his family as "steady, hard
working and highly respected."
New Syrian Commander
Damascus, Syria, Jan. 2 (P)
Col. Anwar Bannoud was ap
pointed acting chief of staff of
the Syrian army today. He suc
ceeds Gen. Saml Hennawi, who
was imprisoned by a group of
his fellow officers on Dec. 19,
accused of conspiring against
tne regime he established.
'forestry department. State For
estry George Spaur estimated
the loss at about $18,000,
The fire was caused by a de
fective electric switch, firemen
believed. The flames were dis
covered about 1:30 p.m. by
Mary Jane Bolmeier, secretary
to Albert Wesendanger, execu
tive secretary of Keep Oregon
Green.
When firemen arrived . the
flames were through the roof
and soon gutted the upper part
of the small dwelling-type build
ing. State Forester Spaur said
files of both departments were
lost, including maps and charts
that had been prepared during
the summer by the rehabilitation
division. No other valuable
equipment was destroyed, he
said.
The lower part of the building
was damaged by fire and smoke,
but not seriously. Spaur said
both the Keep Oregon Green as
sociation and the rehabilitation
division would set up quarters in
other buildings. The rehabilita
tion is headed by R. M. Kallan-
der.
The two departments employ
ed eight persons in the build
ing. None was present Sunday
except Miss Bolmeier, who was
working at the office mail.
Morse Favors
1948 Platform
Washington, Jan. 2 (I')
Senator Morse (R-Ore.) today
urged his GOP colleagues to
turn back to the 1948 republi
can platform in their search for
a statement of party principles.
Republican senators, caucus
ing tomorrow, will discuss a
move by GOP National Chair
man Guy G. Gabrielson to get
such a statement drafted for
use in this year's congressional
campaign.
Senator Millikin of Colorado,
who heads the senate republi
can group, said he had no ob
jection to the plan. Senator Taft
of Ohio, chairman of the GOP
senate policy committee, was
expected to voice his views at a
news conference later in the
day (4 p.m., EST).
Morse, often a balky horse in
the republican camp, told a
reporter he thinks any state
ment of principles in which his
party takes a specific stand on
specific issues "is bound to be
a step forward."
"At the present time," he said,
"there is no official republican
program because so many re
publicans in contircss have by
their actions repudiated the fine
program that was offered in the
1948 platform."
Labor Minister Dies
Sydney, Jan. 2 VP) James
Dooley, 73, labor prime minister
of New South Wales in 1921-22,
died tonight,
15 New Year's
Babies Born in
Salem Area
Only 4 Born in City
Total of 19 Infants
In Long Week End
Propagation of the human
species increased the population
of the mid-Willamette valley by
19 over the long week-end but
with 15 of these having a January
1 birthday only four of them
had Salem as a birthplace.
Silverton headed the baby
parade with a boy, named Brent
Stephen, born to Mr. and Mrs.
Jack Sherman at the Silverton
hospital at 1:10 o'clock, a full
half hour before the first Salem
baby arrived. The mother is the
former Jessie Winstead and
grandparents are Mr. and Mrs.
Murray Winstead and Mr. and
Mrs. William Sherman, all of
Silverton. Silverton's first baby
born weighed 7 lbs. and 7 Mi
ounces. He has a crib-mate, a
girl born to Mr. and Mrs. Virgil
Stuchlik at 7:40 o'clock in the
morning,
Salem's First 1950 Infant
Salem's first 1950 citizen is
an 8-pound one-ounce boy born
to Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Manning,
Geivais, who arrived at the Sa
lem General hospital at 1:43
o'clock in the morning, follow
ed by another boy, Craig Allen,
botn to Mr. and Mrs. Howard D.
Price, 1655 Berry, at the same
hospital at 2 o'clock.
The first girl was born to
Mr. and Mrs. John Nichols, 1015
Terrace Drive, at the Salem
Memorial hospital at 8:13 o'clock
Sunday morning and has not
been named. She weighed 5 lbs.
15 ounces. Another girl was
born at the Salem General hos
pital at 9:38 o'clock in the
morning to complete the list.
She has been named Jane Marie
and was born to Mr. and Mrs.
Ralph Klopp, 2895 Roger Lane,
and weighed 6 lbs. 7 ounces.
(Concluded on Pago 5, Column 6)
Oldest Working
R . R. in Last Run
Mount Airy, Md., Jan. 2 (P)
When 1949 passed into history,
the nation's oldest operating
railroad run went along with it.
The run was the Baltimore
and Ohio's train No. 47 between
Baltimore and Mount Airy, a
town in Frederick county.
The B. and O. had started
commercial passage on the route
in January, 1830, with horse
drawn carriages.
The run has now been discon
tinued because the railroad says
there was not enough traffic for
economic operation. For most
trips in recent years, there were
only about 25 passengers on
board.-
But on New Year's eve when
old No. 47 made its last jour
ney, more than 200 crowded
iboard for the historic ride. The
strain proved too much for the
gasoline motor which had drawn
the local for the past 20 years.
It broke down. A steam engine
had to be hitched to the three
cars to complete the trip.
First New Year Baby Brings Gifts to Parents This baby
son, weighing 8 pounds and 1 ounce, was the first New
Year baby born within the city limits of Salem, and for that
reason his parents will receive a variety of gifts from Sa
lem business houses with the cooperation of the Capital Jour
nal. The parents are Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Manning of Ger
vais, but they qualify for the prizes because the baby was
born at Salem General hospital. Time of birth was 1:43
Sunday morning. Mrs. Manning is shown with her son at
the hospital.
Few Accidents
Despite Icy
Salem Streets
Ice glazed streets of Salem and
the Willamette valley forced
travel to a snail pace Sunday
night and Monday morning and
few serious accidents were re
ported despite the hazardous
conditions.
The greatest inconvenience to
Salem as a result of the snow
and freeze came at approximate
ly 8:43 a.m. Monday when a
trailer truck driven by George
Dacich of Portland sideswiped a
power pole on Portland road
near the Silverton road inter
section. The ten-ton truck jackknifed
when the driver attempted to
stop when the signal lights flash
ed against him. He was driving
south on Portland road at the
time of the accident.
The streets in the vicinity of
the power break had been sand
ed Sunday night, but the grit had
sifted downward and been cov
ered by additional snow.
(Concluded on Pa?c 5, Column 6)
Egyptians to
Vote on Tuesday
Cairo, Jan. 2 VP) Approxi
mately five million Egyptians
will vote Tuesday in the Nile
kingdom's first general election
in five years.
One fourth of Egypt's popula
tion is expected to cast ballots
for the new chamber of depu
ties. Women do not have the
right to vote.
Five parties and an important
group of organized independents
are contesting for 319 seats.
The parties are the wafdists,
led by wartime Premier Nahas
Pasha; the saadists, under ex-
Premier Abdel Hadi Pasha; the
liberal constitutionalists under
Hussein Keikal Pasha, also has
led Egyptian delegations to the
United Nations; the kotla party
under ex-Finance Minister fcb
eid Pasha, and the nationalists,
headed by cx-Minister of Justice
Ramadan Pasha.
The independents have a loose
organization headed by Abdel
Hamid Abdel Khak Pasha, for
mer minister of commerce.
By American or European
standards all the parties arc
rightist.
The electoral campaign has
been marked by bitter antagon
ism, particularly between the
wafdists and saadists. But Pre
mier Sirry Pasha, who heads the
neutral caretaker cabinet that is
running the election, is confident
violence can be avoided tomor
row.
Dog Rouses Family,
Then Dies in Flames
Portland, Jan. 2 VP) A bark
ing dog aroused a family of three
early yesterday as flames of their
dwelling-store fire ate into the
sleeping rooms. The dog per
ished.
Mrs. Robert Robinson said her
husband and son weren't able to
locate the dog before fleeing out
a rear entrance. Damngo was
estimated at $15,000.
Snowfall and
Biting Cold
Welcome 1950
Thermometer Drops
To 19, Lowest of Year
With Icy Streets
The New Year's weather of
fering for Salem as for all Ore
gon was a new blast of biting
winter cold that sent thermom
eters down to new seasonal lows
as well as bringing the first
"stay on" snow for the valley
regions.
And more is to come.
At Salem the mercury drop
ped to 19 Monday morning, the
coldest morning here since last
January 28 when the mark was
17 degrees.
Forecast is for a minimum of
15 degrees tonight and scatter
ed snow flurries tonight and
Tuesday.
Snow Starts Early Sunday
Local weather bureau offic
ials said the snowfall coming
Sunday measured an even inch
here, higher elevations having
greater depths.
The snow started falling be
fore dawn Sunday and several
flurries during the day kept
the ground covered throughout
tile city. Freezing temperatures
starting in the late afternoon
and evening, glazed over the
snow, making travel a slow and
hazardous business.
Children greeted the snow
with gleeful cheers and soon had
snow men on their lawns after
awaking to find the white stuff
scattered about. To them the
snowfall was perfect to end the
holiday period preceding open
ing of school on Tuesday.
23 Inches at Timberline
Press reports stated 23 inches
of new snow were dumped on
Timberline lodge in the New
Year's day storm and all moun
tain passes were listed with two
to three feet of new snow. All
eastern Oregon also received
new batches of snow, Klamath
Falls reporting nine inches, Ba
ker three.
Snow covered the Pacific
northwest coast to depths reach
ing half a foot and the thermo
meter this morning was making
a weak effort to climb from a
spill to 4 above zero at Belling
ham and 19 at Seattle.
Inland the mercury dropped
to 2 above at Omak and Ellens
burg. Sharp Wind Blows
A wind as harsh as an old
fashioned ice-saw hit 65 miles
an hour in gusts at Bcllingham,
overturning five small planes at
the airport. The city had four
inches of snow, Seattle 3 to 6
inches, Eugene, Ore., 2 inches.
Whirled up by the biting wind,
the powdery stuff stung the fa
ces of the few people who ven
tured out.
Cascade mountain passes in
Washington were open but the
state patrol warned that chains
were necessary. Airlines and
railroads were operating nor
mally. Only Democrats
Census Takers
Washington, Jan. 2 W) The
man in charge of the U.S. cen
sus this year s.iys its an old po-
itical custom for the census tak
ers to be members of the party
in power.
Philip M. Hauscr, acting di
rector of the census bureau, was
asked whether there was any
justification for the charge (by
republicans) that the 150,000
census jobs could be used for po
litical (democratic) patronage
in an election year.
The question was posed in an
interview with XIauscr by the
Gannett newspapers for a broad
cast. Ifauser replied:
The honest answer to that
question is that there is com
plete justification. Both political
parties have in turn given pref
erence in appointments for tem
porary census jobs to persons
recommended by the majority
members in congress.
"The democratic and republi
can parties in turn have follow
ed this practice, in keeping with
the American democratic pro
cess and the American political
party system."
10 Percent Drop in
Oregon '49 Harvest
Portland, Jan. 2 VP) Oregon
harvested about 10 percent less
farm crops in 1949 than in the
record year of 1948, the U.S.
department of agriculture said
today.
Acreage of the state's chief
crops was about the same in
both years, hut the yield was
slightly down.