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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1933)
edford Mail Tribttn The Weather Forecast Occasional rain tonight and Thursday; moderate tempera tun. Blihest yesterday " Lowest this morning 34 Paid-Up Circulation People who pay for their newspapers are the beat prospects for the adver tisers. A. B. C circulation is paid up circulation. This newspaper Is A. B. O. Twenty-eighth Year MEDFOKD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 3, 1933. Amazing Web of Banks Plots Bared in State's Opening Statement o No. 36. Comment on the Day's News By FRANK JENKINS. IN A LETTER addressed to news paper men. Karl A. Blckel, presl dent of the United Press, recently made this satement: "For the first time In the experi ence of present-day American news paper men. economic news haa a greater attention-compelling voltage than sex." MR. BICKEL, unfortunately, con ceals an Interesting thought In a fog of big words. So we might a well translate. What he means to ay la this: "In these days, people are reading business news more eagerly than they read SCANDAL." Had you stopped to think of thatv IT IS TRUE. If you want to prove It, checlc up on the front page of your favor ite newspaper. You will find It fined with stories of business what con gress la doing, how the markets are acting, the latest developments the Inflation program, eto. Tou will find a LITTLE crime and acandal, of course, but not much. THE NEWSPAPERS. In other words, print what INTERESTS PEOPLE MOST. In these days, when people are more Interested In business, and what la going to happen to It, than In anything else, the newspapers are filled chiefly with NEWS OP BUSI NESS. SPEAKING of 'news of business, most of us have, come to believe that we are suffering severely from over-production from great sur pluses piled up as a result of tre mendous Increases In productive ef ficiency per person. O. F. Warren, professor of agri cultural economic at Cornell Uni versity. DOESN'T think so. He says: "Total production of ALL com modities per capita In the United States Incressed for 78 years before the war at he rate of 1.73 per cent per year, but from 1915 to 1929 In creased at the rate of only .84 of one per cent per year." , Do you oet"that? What he means to that for three quarter of a century before the world war production per person Increased nearly THREE TIMES as fast as dur .Ing and since the war. That doesn't look like mounting ever-productlon, does It? fCITELL," you may say. "that may W be true of ALL commodities, but It certainly Isn't true of foods." Professor warren claims It IS true. He says: "For 78 years prior to the war, production of food and feed crops In the United States Increased at the compound rate of 3.02 per cent per yesr. From 1915 to 1929. the Increase ws only six-tenths of ONE PER CENT per year." WHAT he means Is that during and since the war production of food and feed crops In the United States has SLOWED DOWN instead of in creasing. If his figures are accurate, they are certainly amazing. FOR TEARS we have been telling ourselvea thst ability to produce ! Increasing fsster than ability to consume, with the terrifying result thst we are being swamped under growing surpluses of everything. We MAT hsve been wrong about that. We hsve been wrong about other things In the past THERE Is the theory, for example, which for years nearly everybody accepted, that the population of the world was Increasing faster than ability to produce food, so that In time we must all STARVE. We KNOW now that, this isn't true, because we have proved It by experience. The world hasn't learned yet how to enable evrybody to earn ; enough to buy all he wants, butj most assuredly It has learned that enough can be produced to feed every, body If a way could be found to make the supply go around. So, you eee. It may be equally true, as Professor Warren says, that over-production Isn't really bother- BROAD POWER TO Five-Point Program Already Adopted by Senate Re publicans Overwhelmed in Effort to Halt Move WASHINGTON, May 3. (AP) The senate today passed the Musrle Shoals-Tennessee Valley Development hill. It now goes to conference with the house. WASHINGTON. May 3. (AP) The house of representative., today ap proved the administration Inflation program as already passed by the senate. Comparing with the Impressive 64 to 31 senate vote last week, the representatives polled 307 in favor and 86 opposed to the broad curren cy powers to be vested in President Roosevelt. This completed congres sional action on the Inflation setup. The roll call followed Immediately on a voice vote to- differ with the senate on amendments made to the massive farm relief bill, sending the measure to conference with the other branch lor compromise on differ ences. Six hours of debate were concluded last night on the inflation proposal, opposed by the republican leadership. Democratic inflationists at every turn trounced the drastic effort of the republicans to defeat the propo sal, already adopted by the senate. The Inflation proposal gives Presi dent Roosevelt broad powers to ex pand credit and currency in a five point program as follows: Permits the federal reserve system s (Continued on Page. Three) - Mrs. Laura Blackburn, national president of the American Legion auxiliary who was a Medford visitor this morning, was accompanied to Roseburg by four cars of legionnaires and Legion Auxiliary members from Jackson county. Two were from Medford and two from Ashland. Among those from Medford who Joined the caravan were Mrs. SC. D. Ross, Mrs. Goodwin Humphries, Belva Aiken, Mrs. C. E. Kunz. Mrs. Tim Daley, and Mrs. Louise Cleaves. Ash landers were Mr. and Mrs. John En ders, Paul McDonald, Mrs. Sidney George, of Eugene, state president, Mrs. Guy Applewhite, Mrs. Frank, Rush and Perry Ashcraft. State Policeman William Ellens burg led the caravan to Grants Pass, where they were met by the Cave men. s OMAHA. Neb.. May 4. (UP) A Jury awarded Mrs. Iva Baltzly late yesterday $12,500 of the $25,000 ahe sought in an alienation of affections suit against Miss Gertrude Gruenlg. Mrs. Baltzly charged her husband, the Rev. Oliver D. Baltzly. formerly Lutheran pastor here, renounced his lifelong opposition to divorce and se cured a decree from her laet year in Arkansas as a result of Influence of Miss Gruenlg. Attorneys for Miss GruenU?. an at tractive divorcee and member of the church, announced they would ap peal the award to the supreme court if a motion for a new trial Is denied. CONSTITUTION TIE Late this afternoon word was re ceived from Crescent City that the exact time of the arrival of the Con stitution could not be determined on account of weather conditions In the Pacific ocean. The local Chamber of Commerce re quests those who wish to go to Cres cent City to ring the office early to morrow morning when It is hoped that complete information will be available. It 1. however, definitely sure that the ship will be at the California city some time tomorrow and those who so desire to see the ship, can rest assured that they will not be disap pointed. Gasoline-powered railroad engines are being use J widely on state rail ways by 4&ft Italian, ernmen Scenes at Banks Trial Openinjl M--, Mi. t ' i " sXV' 7 tr, li IMrll W fell To L. A. Hunks and his wife face Judge and prospective Jurors. Mid dleThe defense array of lawyers B. PIilpps, Tom Enrlght of Med ford. Frank Loner can of Portland and Charles Hardy of Eugene (Banks Is behind Phlpps). Joe Hammersly, an- other Portland lawyer, Is behind Lon crgan. Below The state's legal slece guns G cor Re Netlson, George A. Cod ding of Jackson county, Ralph Moodv mi cl WHIlam Levens-. special prose iutor,:,wbo died suddenlyyeiterdaiv. Reporter Jn foreground with back turned. STORM IN SENATE WAR DEBTS NOTE By PA IT MALLOV (Copyrighted by MoClure Newspaper fly nd teste.) WASHINGTON, May 1. The big storm will break when Mr. Roosevelt sends his war debt message to the senate. Professional rain-makers up there are covertly preparing to shower down on the administration with all the fervor they have been holding back so far. Nearly anything Mr. Roosevelt rec ommends will suit their purpose. Even sn Innocent request for author ity to negotiate would enable them to raise a public hullabaloo. They could amend it with embarrassing restrictions or perhaps kill it entirely. At least thnt Is what they have in mind. The existing congressional situation augurs well for their under taking. A rebellion against adjourning con gress will be hooked up with the movement. Mr. Roosevelt has whis pered to all recent visitors that he wants congress out of town by June L That would give him six months to work his new powers without con gress watching. The boys on Capitol Hill have been irked from the start about delegat ing legislative authority to the Presi dent. They have suppressed their emotions only because Mr. Roosevelt was too popular with the country. The people h ave backed hJ m on all the Issues for far inflation, the farm bill, banking legislation and whatnot. They figure it will be different on war debts. The Republicans would rally their full strength to this opposition call. Even the Roosevelt sympathizers in their ranks like Hiram Johnson will oppose- doing anything on the debts. How many Democrats they could count on for aid remains to be seen. The prospects are that Mr. Roose velt will win, but only after the hardest fight he has had yet. He (Continued on Page Se7en) Drill Taken From Blacksmith Shop Thieve last night broke Into the blacksmith shop of Walter Bergman, at the corner of Holly and Eighth, and stole 87 drill points and av drill. The drill points were from three-sixteenths to one Inch, and were con sidered valuable. Entrance was gained by opening a mVF?S- 1A. 1 rXf- 'l2 Banks Is Subdued Figure As Law's Wheels Travel Toward Fateful Decision Admiring Women Wait Opportunity for Chat With Accused Former Publisher In Murder Trial at Eugene By ARTHUR PERRY EUGENE, May 2. L. A. Banks, former editor snd orohardlst, now central figure in southern Oregon's most sensational murder trial, since the no torious D'Autremont trial of June, 1927; ts a subdued figure as he slta, listening with something more than passing Interest, to the grim me chanics of the law revolve, to decide his fate. At infrequent times there are flashes of his old fire but always he returns very soon to an atti tude of deep meditation. In his seat, flanked on three sides. by lawyers ajid friends, he is barely visible to Jurors and spectators. At times, Tuesday, Banks had to crane his neck to see the Jury-box over the heads of his own counsel. He wore a suit of dark material with pin stripes. On one side, between the two de fendants and next to Mrs. Banks, sits Charles P. Moran of Cleveland, Ohio. Banks' brother-in-law. On the other side, at arm's length, alts Attorney Thomas J. Enright, with whom he frequently confers. Directly in front, at a table Jointly occupied by the state, sit Attorneys Hammers'.y, Longeran and Hardy all masters of legal crsft. Banks shows no visible signs of nervousness In the courtroom, but there is a slight change In his man ner whenever his counsel mentions "persecution to the point of despera tion." Outside the courtroom he ia calm and respectfully pleasant. He came to court Tuesday morning under escort of the sheriff, a few minute a after the arrival of Mrs. Banks and the matron. Banks spoke cheerily to the gath ering of lawyers, officers and news papermen in the anteroom. During the morning recess, he conversed ani matedly with Mrs. Ariel B. Pomeroy, who was later Joined by her hus band. He spent half of the 10-mln-ute recess in the anteroom smoking, and shook hands with a Medford newspaperman attending the trial. (Continued on Page Four) EASTERN OREGON WOOL IS DOUBLED IN VALUE BAKER, May 3. (AP) -George Spiropoloa of Huntington has sold his wool clip of 30.000 pounds to Rosen thal brothers of Boston for 17 cents. Ths nrlos was announced as more than twice what Bplropoioa receireo last year. This Is the first Important j taif nd.$ hero UUt fp"gr 1 f u Sh Mr 9 4Cl J J TAX TO BE PAID Total taxes collected Tuesday amounted to $54,340. according to totals taken at the close of the day at the tax collector's office, which brings the total collected for the year to 134.878.30. The check for the California-Oregon Power company, which will be $53,246.20, has not been received. The total collected at a correspond ing dats last year was $206,787.45, or $71,109.16 more than this year. Cop cos check had not been received at this date last year, which would indi cate that unless payments Increase definitely that this yesr's payments will be around 70 thousand dollars short of last year, officials said. The California Oregon Power com pany will make Its tax payment of $52,246.20 Prlday, according to Jack Thompson, local manager, and will also pay taxes In Josephine county amounting to $16,604.65.' Total tax payments In Oregon will amount to $342,785.53, Thompson said. WASHINGTON Mny 3. (AP) The government has said that It Intends to proceed against gold hoarders, but It has yet to reveal its course of ac tion. Indications are that many hoarders are waiting for treasury of ficials to show their hand. The time. limit for returning gold expired Monday and It Is understood that the treasury Is checking a list of hoarders compiled by banks. Last week there was approximately $700.' w.vw in u.u un wu mtw.v. still out. the bulk of It believed to be In biding In this oountr& Cold Blooded Murderer Proud of Deed, Declares Prosecuting Attorney STREET PROPOSED AT Formal Petition for Modern izing Thoroughfare From Front Street to Bear Creek Bridge Presented Widening of Et Main street from Front to Bear Creek bridge, sewage disposal, bond refunding and atray doga comprised the high apota of the city council meeting at the city hall last night. A formal petition, presented by A O. Hubbard, chairman of a property owners' committee, asking for tne widening and lighting of Eaat Main street from Front street to the east end ,of Bear creek bridge approncn, was presented to the council. The petition waa referred to the atrocts and roads committee. Several renters have moved from East Main street locations recently, because . of restricted parking space and the narrowness of the street, they reported, and a movement has been - underway- for many months to have the atroet improved. More than 30 names of owners of business property appeared on the petition. Annate Finance Possible. Ben E. Harder, who la working with the city finance committee on a plan for refunding city bonds due Janu ary 1, 1034, reported little progress, due to legal tochnlcalltlea. Harder also reported that It would be pos sible, at this time, to construct sewsge disposal plant on R. F. O. funds, provided the city could re fund part of the water bonda due in 1038 and take IS cent monthly from water rentals to liquidate the in debtedness Incurred in sewage con struction, without raising water rents. Recently enacted laws have made It possible for the city council to Issue refunding bonds, to be trsded to bondholders for city bonds coming due, without referring the Issue to tha votrs. Harder said. Bond at- (Contlnued on Page Eight) MOSCOW, May 8. (AP I 1 y a Ivanovitch Ivanhov, Soviet professor of experimental biology, has died without having obtained any positive results in his efforts to Interbreed apes with the human species. It was learned here today. The eminent scientist, who had sought by his racial experiment to establish the "missing link" In the origin of the human race,, died of natural causes four months ago at Tashkent, aged 60. Pew details of the scientist's Inter breeding experiments are known, ex cept that two of his subject were female chimpanzees. Ivanov was widely known as an authority on artificial recurvation, upon which he published two trea tises. 4 IN SALEM FRIDAY SALEM, May S. (AP) Funeral services for William 8. Levens, 60, who died at Eugene yesterday, will be held here Friday afternoon st 2:30 o'clock. The chapel services will be con ducted under auspices of the Chris tian Science church and will be held at the Clough-Barrlck funeral parlor. Surviving are: Hit wife, Mrs. Leoda M. Levens; brothers. H. W. Levens of San Francisco and Le Roy .Levens of Sslem: sistera Mrs. Stanley Pike of Oakland. CVilf., and Mrs. L. L. Foster of Tucson, Arts., and three nieces, Mrs. R. D. Wood row of Sslem. Mrs. Walter Monroe of Sbsstopol, Calif.. and Mrs. Oraos Smith of Los Angeles, .CalU, EUGENE. Ore.. May 3 (AP) With the stale claiming It can prove L. li. Banks shot Constable (Irorce I'rescott as the culminating crime in a series of cleverly dramatized political ploti, the trial of the rv-Mrdford publisher and his wife got under way,this iirtrrnoon. BANKS DEFENSE WITNESSES ASK SPEED FOR FEES By AUTnrh PERRY FIUOWNB, May 3. Twelve witnesses for the defense all more or less ac tive In the activities of the "Good Government Congress," became pub tic Tuesday, when they applied to the clerk of Lane county for mileage fees. Circuit Judge George F. Sklpworth directed the Jackson county district attorney to approve their mileage, following the filing of a request for same by Defense Counsel Thomas J. Enright. The defense wltneses are: J. Arthur LaDleu, former business manager for Banka morning news paper, and at liberty under $7500 bonds for ballot theft. Mrse. Henrietta B. Martin, presi dent of the "Good Government Con gress," catspaw of Banks, In the tu multuous days of January and Feb ruary, and at liberty on $2500 bonds for "riotous conduct" 'In connection with the buggy-whipping of Leonard A. Hall, editor of the Jacksonville Miner, .p Walter Jones, mayor of Rogue River, on liberty on $7500 bonds for ballot theft, and one of the leading figures in several of the courthouse "d e m onstratlons . L. O. VanWegan, long-time resl dent of Jackson county, asserted aide of Mrs. Martin In her street lashing effort, reputed "congressman," and at liberty on $1500 bonds for "riot ous conduct." Amos W. Walker, deputy sheriff named by County Judge Esrl H. Fehl, at hla home4 on the morning suspended Sheriff Gordon L. Scher merhorn waa sworn into office. Wal ker was deposed s probation officer for the county court, upon the rec ommendation of the grand Jury. Mrs. Ariel B. Pomeroy. Intimate friend of Mr. and Mrs. Banks, and active In "Oood Government con gress" activities. May Powell, Jackson county resi dent and bondswoman for some of those Indicted for ballot theft. P. M. Morrison of the Ashland dis trict, close friend of Thomas L. Bre cheen, held In the county Jail await ing long deferred bonds for ballot theft. - - Mrs. Mae Murray. Effle Iewls, John Wheeler and B. A. Boyce, all resi dents of Jackson county, are the re maining defense witnesses. According to state officials, a num ber of the defense witnesses as above listed have secured apartments i block away from the courthouse. Attorney William E. Phlpps of Metl ford, of the defense counsel, said Tuesday that "fifteen or sixteen wit nesses maybe more would be called In Banks' behalf." Attorney Phlpps thought the trial would be conclud ed by the end of the week. Besides the above, the following Medford snd Jackson county people are attending the trial, as witnesses or apectators: Mr. and Mrs. Henry Fluhrer. The Fluhrer plane landed here Sunday on a return trip from Portland, and is undergoing slight mechanical repairs and waiting for the weather to clear, before taking off for home. George Hilton of Grants Pass, for mer Medford resident, and Tom H. Pankey of Central Point, County En gineer Paul B. Rynnlng. Henry W. Goger, former coroner, W. J. Looker, court reporter, engaged In taking stenographic notes; Ssm Carey, clerk and former ad solicitor of the Banks paper; Virgil Edlngton, Oold Hill high school boy; Sheriff-Appointee Walter J. Olmscheld. Attorney E. E Kelly, Chief of Police Clatous Mc Credle, County Clerk George R. Car ter, County Physician C. I. Drum mond and former County PhyslcUn B. c. Wilson. BASEBALL Nat I on at Cincinnati ..... Boston -. Lucas and Lombard 1; Cantwell, Betts and Hogsn. American. R. 6 H. E. 8 1 Boston St. Louis 3 6 1 Batteries; Andrews and Shea; H ad ley. Hcbert and FerrelL The first order of procedure follow ing the reading of the indictment waa the "opening statements." The formal declaration of what each side seeks to prove. Testimony taking comes next. Ralph E. Moody, taking the place of William S. Lovens (who died suddenly yesterday) painted startling ,icture of the chief defend ant aa ."anatlcal roguo. More Surprl.cs. For the defense, Joe Hammersly opened some more of the promised nag or surprises" by meetlne the state's charges head-on with the statement that the defense would be able to disprove every one of them and show thnt Banka In defending his home against assnult, put no per sonal malice against Prescott behind his bullets. The aged Moody, former assistant United States attorney general, en tered the courtroom Wednesday after noon armed with papera from Gov ernor Meier appointing him assistant state attorney general. He was aworn in Wednesday morning by Judge O. F. Sklpworth of the circuit court and will be the state'a chief prosecutor In the case. Speaking without a prepared atate- ment and taking each of the state'a proposed proofs In their order, he told the Jury that Ltowellyn A. Banks and his wife. Edith R. 'Banks, know ingly and willfully killed the Med ford constable, Banks by pulling the trigger of the ride and Mrs. Banka by holding the door part way open Mrs. Banks Unmoved. Mrs, Banka appeared unmoved ae the state's case was mapped out, but Banks drummed nervouslv on the arm of his chslr with hla fingers. 11,1 Jury or sis' men and sir women. picked yesterday afternoon and Iso-. lated from their friends and rela tives until the case Is over, leaned forward in the box as the state opened c- rne packed courtroom, from which many spectators had been turned away, waa likewise tense w Moody, still visibly shaken bv the death of his friend and colleague, dramatically presented the states opening chsrges. Insanity will not be the defense plea. This wsa Indicated by Ham mersly as he opened the defere statement. The defense will seek to prove that the shooting waa the de fenalve gesture of a "cornered crea ture In the defense of his home." "Mrs. Banks? She la lust a wife and mother who hod no part In the affair. Hor presence here would be ridiculous If It were not pathetic." Banks was pictured by the state as a cold-blooded murderer, proud of his deed, and Mrs. Banks as his will ing accomplice. (Continued on Page Five) WILL ROGER? NEW YORK, May 2 Every body was happy here in New York lust night. The market went up yesterday. Spirits here just go up or down ac cording; to that day's market. They think the whole United States depends on what pocket the little white ball rolled into on the exchange roulette table that day. But our country has got' so that each one of us have to live up liy a "racket" of some kind und none of us must be too critical of tho other fel low's "racket." When you fig ure it right down, none of us are in a really essential busi ness but the farmer and he raises so much that oven his business is partly non-essential. But wo got to he tolerant, for these New Yorkers are likeable rascals, even when they are skinning you. Yours, S'fV"-
