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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 31, 1939)
The Weather Foracut Rain today and tomorrow; moderate teniperattim. Temperature Highest yestenrtny 56 Loneit yatprdny , 47 Check the Page By JI meant do not overlook the C la Ml fled page thli morn ing. One can never tell. The Tfry opportunity you have been looking for may be adver tised. Anyway, why not check the pager EDFORD WRIBUNE Full Associated Press Full United Press Thirty-fourth Year MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 19 No. 241. Mi Nl Ml BHB IN 01 M 1 AT AtHE NfplL. Washington, D. C, Dec. 30. Preview of "the troubled days which lie ahead of us" (Secre tary of State Hull's Christmas warning to the far-flung foreign service), indicates that one of the most important issues to the Pacific northwest is what atti tude congress will take with Japan. Maritime commerce, exports and imports, with the interest ing little people, is a matter of magnitude with Oregon and Washington. January 22 the commercial treaty with Japan expires. It is possible that an embargo may be declared will be if certain groups and mem bers of congress have their will. THIS trade treaty is being ab- rogated on orders of Presi dent Roosevelt in retaliation for Japan's treatment of Americans and American interests in China In the hinterland, which has practically no commerce or con tact with Japan, it would be popular if all business relations with Japan were severed, this sentiment being fomented by the invasion of China. Not so, however, in the Pacific north west where commerce bodies, exporters and other businessmen have been bombarding their senators to do something which will prevent an interruption of peaceful trade. While it is true that there are groups in those states which have demanded for the past year an embargo on scrap iron to Japan, those who realize the value of commerce and know what this commerce means to the northwest people are wor ried over the situation. EARNESTLY urging the state - department arrange some sort of trade treaty is Idaho's Borah, ranking Republican on the senate committee on foreign relations. Advocating severance with Japan is Nevada's Pittman, chairman of that committee. The whole problem will be threshed out before anything is done and meanwhile northwest commercial interests will be in a stew. WITH state department none too friendly toward Japan. It has recalled the ambassador to Germany would have recalled the ambassa dor to Russia but Is keeping him there as a listening post despite the contempt Russia Is displaying toward the president of the United States. ("Getting even", Mr. Roosevelt did not congratulate Hitler on his escape from being bombed; did not felici tate Stalin on his 60th birthday.) Relations are friendly In the west ern hemisphere except south of the border In Old Mexico. Coolness exists (Continued on Page Sight Northern California: Cloudy with rain Sunday, light snow over high mountains; no change in temperature; increasing southerly wind off coast, be coming strong above San Fran cisco. Washington and Oregon: Oc casional rain Sunday; snow over mountains; little change in tem perature; increasing southeast wind off coast. Outlook far western states, period Dec. 30-Jan. 2, inclusive: Considerable cloudiness with rain in the Pacific northwest and northern California Sun day; temperatures normal or slightly above normal. Ontario, Ore., Dec. 30. P Coroner R. A. Tacke said to- nicht an autoDsy had proved that Mrs. Clara Thomas, found dead in her ranch home Thurs day, died of acute alcoholism. WashinRton. Dec. 30. (IP) The agricultural marketing ser vice reported today that the general level of prices received by farmers on December 15 was one point lower than in mid November 1 ENERGETIC AS RADICAL VIEW Congress May Act, Com ment Divided; Coast La bor Turmoil Chief Gloats Over Favorable Ruling. Washington, Dec. 30. (P) The door to possible deporta tion of Harry Bridges, Australian-born west coast C.I.O. lead er, appeared tonight to have been closed by a trial exam iner's finding that he is not a Communist, but there were in dications that the decisions might have repercussions in congcess. The reaction of legislators already here for the session beginning next week was vari ed, but some were frankly in credulous that Dean James M Landis of Harvard law school, who sat as a special labor de partment examiner in the Bridges case, could have cleared him of any affiliation with the Communist party. Representative Dempsey (D. N.M.) commented that the house committee on un-American ac tivities had "rather conclusive' testimony that Bridges had been a Communist and should be de ported. But Senator Burke (D.-Neb., one of the group of lawmakers who have urged that Bridges be deported, said he was "rather surprised, but I must assume that Dean Landis examined the evidence very carefully in every way. Senator Capper (R.-Kas.), mmber of the senate immigra tion committee, said he would be "a little doubtful" of the Landis conclusion, but that he did not know whether it was of sufficient importance "for con gress to dig into it." No Deportation. It was accepted at the capi tal as a foregone conclusion that Secretary Perkins would not reject the findings of Lan dis in the absence of some de velopment indicating he had been misled during the lengthy hearings he conducted on the west coast. If Miss Perkins accepts the report, the deportation warrant issued against him in March, 1938, will be cancelled. The warrant was based on the alle gation that Bridges was a Com munist. In an 80,000-word report, Landis summed up his estimate of the "political beliefs and disbeliefs" of the west coast labor leader in these words: "That Bridges' alms are ener getically radical may be ad mitted, but the proof fails to establish that the methods he seeks to employ to realize them are other than those that the framework of democracy and (Continued on Page Three ) Medford. Business Ends Year On Optimistic Note As Pear Gift Box Sales Medford completed 1939 In a anything in a decade and in some instances shattered all previous records. Two great factors in the year-end upswing were the Christmas gift package business that has been developed here and the Yuletide shopping. The Christmas trade here was described as the best since 1929 and the wind-up of shopping on the final two days before the holiday was one of the most concentrated periods of buying witnessed in many a year. Cash Buying Flood As an indication of the pro portions of this year's Christmas buying, an authentic source estimated that on the last two business days before Christmas. Friday and Saturday December 22 and 23. merchants took In at least $70,000 in cash. This figure does not include checks. The Christmas trade was es timated at 10 per cent larger than it was last year. Mer- I chants generally were obviously Long Distance Challenge J; m Q l Iff c ?v 'W?' L I 1 ' If "" C n Julius Denes of New York, Hunqarian novclhst. uses his umbrella to demonstrate his duelling form after announcing he had challenged Dr. Kalman Rati, Hungarian Nazi, to a duel. He radioed the challenge to Budapest, His reason. Denes said, was a pamphlet by Dr. Kali attacking Hungarians of Jewish faith. AL SITU FLAYS THIRD TERI L New York, Dec. 30. (P) Al Smith, the "happy warrior" of yesteryear, was 66 today and in celebration of the occasion he presented his personal list of Democratic presidential possi bilities and threatened to "take another walk" if his party re endorsed the new deal headed by his one-time bosom friend. "If the (Democratic) platform comes out in full praise of the new deal, it'll be time to get my walking shoes out again," he said. Concerning a third term for Mr. Roosevelt, he said: "I think and always did think two terms were enough for any man. That's been sort of an un written part of our constitution since the days of Washington. It's kind of a tradition an American tradition." In his criticism of the new deal, Smith asserted that the "underlying theory of the whole new deal policy is to change the American idea of government," which he defined as the belief in "independence and absolute separation of the three branches of government and, secondly, in the rights of states. He added he did not believe the new deal had "kowtowed deliberately to communists," but said "a good many poli cies of the new deal are of com munist origin; the present at tempt to distribute wealth by taxation smacks of communism, whose theory is to have every body equal by nobody having anything." Hit New High business upsurge that surpassed encouraged over 1940 prospects by the 1939 wind-up. While the Christmas retail trade here was a large factor in closing the commercial year on a crescendo note, it was the gift package business that at tained phenomenal proportions. Although shippers will not dis close exact figures, authentic estimates of express shipments of gift packages run as high as 150,000 packages, including all classifications. Estimates of av erage value ranged from $2.25 per package to $3.85. Thus these estimates would give the gift package business this year a maximum value of $577,500. (Uoauniwa on Pap 1'veire) IN BRIDGES CASE Portland, Ore., Dec. 30. (IP) Dean James M. Landis' decision In the Harry Bridges hearing should be followed by removal of Portlands police detective Captain J. J. Keegan, the Mari time Federation of the Pacific declared today. It is up to the people of Port land to write the last chapter in the attempt to frame Harry Bridges, George Kcll. secre tary-treasurer of the federation's Columbia River district council No. 3, said in a statement. "The people of Portland must rid themselves of Keegan and nis nationally famous 'gestaoo Various reactions were given Dy immigration and police au thorities and others who parti cipated in the hearing: Keegan: "We expected noth ing else with the set-up. It is the opinion of those connected with the case that Landis was sent here for a whitewash." Roy J. Norene, Oregon im migration chief: "Any comment should come from Washington." He remarked it was "encourag ing" that Landis did not take issue with his testimony. Major Laurence A. Milnnr American Legionnaire and for mer national guard officer: "It was a whitewash." He said he wanted to make no other com- ment because he did not want to enter a controversy. John L. Leech, Portland dock commission employe: " I believe the case was white washed and that the decision was not reached on the evi dence. Also, I would welcome any investigation by any feder al court as- to my connection with the Portland police depart ment and with Captain Keeg an." SAFETY KEYNOTES NEW YEAR'S JDY By the Associated Preii An extraordinary record of safety marked the opening of the holiday weekend last night. Only 31 violent deaths in 23 states were reported for the day, a quasi-festive time In many places, as compared with 122 in 33 states during the same period of the comparable Christ mas week-end last week. Despite the fact that in many states highway traffic was made hazardous by snow and freez ing weather, only 18 traffic fa talities, including three deaths in train accidents, were reported in the early week-end holiday poll. During the three-day Christ mas week-end approximately 700 persons died violently, the majority in traffic accidents. COPCO PUNS TO IN VALLEY IRK Rebuilding Gold Ray Dam, New Transmission Line to Grants Pass Among Chief Projects. A construction program for the coming year, involving ex penditures in excess of a mil lion dollars, will be inaugurated early in 1940 by The California Oregon Power company, ac cording to announcement Sat urday by Hance H. Cleland, president of the company. The construction budget, which has just been approved, will affect every section of southern Ore gon and northern California served by Copco, and will total $1,014,000. The largest project to be in cluded in the 1940 construction program will be the building of a new transmission line from Medford to Grants Pass at an approximate cost of $150,000. Other major projects, which appear in the budget, include: rebuilding line 6 from Prospect to Gold Ray, $30,000; rebuilding Gold Ray dam on Rogue river, $38,000; erection of new switch ing stations for lines 5 and fl, near Klamath Falls, $64,000: re building line 5, Klamath Falls to Enterprise substation, $13, 000; installation of 3,100 feet of 12-inch new water main in the Klamath Falls water distri bution system, , $30,000; con struction of 'a "new east side reservoir in Klamath Falls, $20; 000; completion of the Alturas extension, $30,000; construction of a new line extension from Elkton to Scottsburg, $17,000, and the rebuilding of line 14 in northern- California, $13,000. In addition to these projects, construction work will be un dertaken on a smaller scale nt other points throughout the area served by The California Ore- pnn Pnwpr pnmnanv. extendinff 275 miles in length and 100 miles in width. This territory embraces 54 cities and com munities, whose economic wel fare will be affected by this sizeable program. The 1940 construction pro gram will also result in im proved facilities for serving ap proximately 33,000 electric cus tomers residing in this area. One of the most interesting phases of Copco's 1940 program will be the rebuilding of Gold Ray dam. This dam is situated on Rogue river, in southern Oregon, at a spot known to old timers as Gold Bar, and is a part of the historic Gold Ray plant, erected in 1903 by Dr. C. R. Ray and Colonel Frank Ray. The plant, still in opera- tion and an important unit in the Copco system, will become increasingly efficient with the rebuilding of this dam OREGON TOLD TO CLIP JAX RATES Portland, Dec. 30. (Sen ator Rufus C. Holman (R., Ore.) said tonight that Oregon must put its "taxation house in order" if It expects to obtain industries interested In Bonne ville dam power. Holman, who entrained to night for Washington for the opening of congress in January, demanded: "What's the use of getting your power costs down If taxes keep going up? What Industry wants to come to Portland when it has to pay over 6 percent on the assessed valuation before It turns a wheel?" An Important reason for the Aluminum Company of Amer ica's selection of Vancouver, Wash., as a plant site may have been Oregon taxes, Holman said. He predicted, however, that a steel mil! would locate soon in Columbia county, Ore gon. Portland, Dec. 30. P) Or mond R. Bean, state utilities commissioner, said today elcc trie rate reductions of $1,050, 306, affecting 218,647 users, were made in Oregon in 1939. E PERK1 ROILS A. F. L. HEAD Labor Secretary Sharply Criticized For Report to Congress Ask Quiz. Washington, Dec. 30. OP) . The American Federation of Labor accused Secretary Per kins tonight of misrepresenting the facts of the CIO-AFL dis pute In her annual report to j congress and suggested that a congressional committee sum mon the labor department head "and wring from her the truth she has suppressed. In a sharply critical state ment, President William Green of the AFL also took exception to Miss Perkins' references in her report to the numerical strength of the two labor or ganizations. "The statement of the secre tary of labor that the A.F.L. 'claims' four million members is misleading," he said. "We do not 'claim," we report four mil lion paid-up members. The fig ures are included in our an nual financial report and are subject to verification by ex pert accountants. "Our financial report is in the possession of Secretary Perkins. She had no such re port from the CIO because they issued none. Yet in the same breath that she stales we "claim four million members, she says the CIO also 'claims' four mil lion members. Thus she attempts to place both organizations in a position of parity when, as a matter of fact, the paid up mem bership of the A. F. of L. Is probably four times that of the CIO." In the course of her report, Miss Perkins reviewed the split in the labor movement and de scribed it as "hazardous to trade-unionism" as well "troublesome" to some employ- "s and to government agencies oeanng wim iBDor promems, She mentioned also President Roosevelt's and her own efforts to effect a union of the two warring groups. Green asserted that this por tion of the report was "thor oughly uniformed, misleading and untrue. CLEARED OF ICE Portland, Dec. 30. (IP) Ore gon's mountain highways were free of ice today, thanks to warm rains and rising tempera tures. The Oregon State Motor as sociation said all major roads were clear. Rains melted ice on the Blue Mountain highway between La Grande and Pendle ton. Heavy fog handicapped ship ping at the mouth of the Colum bia river. Three ships dropped anchor outside and three1 others re mained at Astoria awaiting more favorable conditions. Today's minimum tempera tures included Portland 40 de grees. Pendleton 33, Roscburg 47, Medford 47, Eugene 45, Al bany 45, Siskiyou Summit 36, Salem 45. SUICIDE PROBED Klamath Falls, Dec. 30. (Pi Federal authorities investigated tonight the fatal shooting of Geneva Riddle, 22-ycar-old In dian woman, on the Klamath reservation at Beatty. District Attorney Worth Sisc- more said he had been Inform ed by a witness that Miss Rid die committed suicide. He said Wilbur Hlxon, Carman Riddle and Mcrvin Duffy were in Hlx on ' home, where the shooting occurred. Ford For Farming Detroit, Dec. 30. (IP) Henry Ford pointed today to what he termed "the richest opportunity in our history" for American youth. On the last business day of 1939, the automobile man ufacturer made clear he did not support the belief that this country cannot find use ful places for the hundreds of thousands of youths who will finish their schooling in the new year. "If energetic and intelli gent young people," he said in an interview, "will stop thinking that they cannot get along without attaching themselves to a payroll and will get out on the land, they will find there is still plenty to do." Of prospects for 1940, Ford said: "Business ought to be good. Why not? People are losing their fear that Amer ica is going to get into trou ble overseas. Confidence is growing. Confidence In America with its new fron tier the land." BRITISH EXPECT IN EAIO SPRING Guess Conflict Will Last Six Months to Three Years- Editorial Warns of Pinch By J. C. Stark London, Dec. 30. VP) Brit ons looking Into the New Year today generally foresaw the be ginning of "real, war" with Ger many by early spring and guessed that the conflict would last from six months to three years or more. Four months of warfare took a heavy toll at sea, disrupted family life and business gener ally and brought hardships to the public. That the war won't continue in its present form much longer Is taken for granted here. The conflict to date has been totally different from what the average man expected. He counted on blitzkrieg-sharp blows and quick horrifying air raids. The absence of such large- scale attacks enabled Britain and France to organize their war program with comparative ly little Interference except to shipping. Britons are to become more keenly aware of the war before the New Year Is very old. Income and other taxes are going up. The first food rationing will start a week from Monday. Still more men will be called to the colors soon. The Dally Mail struck a key note in the British press in warn ing against excessive optimism about the war and said also that one of the illusions "of which we recently divested ourselves la that the United States is like ly to give us anything more than sympathy or goods for cash." It added: "There has been far too much moral and mental leaning on America during the past two decades. Many Britons predict Germ any will be forced by the allied blockade to try some big mili tary effort in early spring. 80 MILLIONS FOR STATE IN L Portland, Dec. 30. OP) The federal government gave Ore gon $80,810,094 In loans and outright expenditures in the 1939 fiscal year which ended last June 30, Edgar Freed, state director of government reports said today. Loans totaled $21,989,419 grants-in-aid and other expend! tures $58,821,575. In addition the federal housing admlnistra tion Insured $7,634,923 worth of housing Improvement notes and mortgages in the state FIGHTING FINNS E Murmansk Railroad Cut as Soviet Plans Major Of fensive No Air Raids. Helsinki, Dec. 30. (Fin land's warriors of the snows today flung a third Red Rus sian army back onto Soviet soil in full rout and faced the now year exultant In the strength they have shown to the world. (British accounts of the oper ations at the start of the second month of northern war went so far as to credit Finnish suicide patrols" of skiiers with cutting Russia's vital railway from Murmansk to Leningrad three places. These dis patches said there were reports of a food shortage in Murmansk s a result of the raids on the railway, which is the main sup ply line for the invading Rus slons.) Other Finnish armies stood fast against attacks on the Mannerheim line while this little capital, In contrast to the bloody aerial blitzkrieg of a month ago, had not a single air raid alarm all day. Soviet bombers, however, at tacked other towns both close to Helsinki and on the- Karelian Isthmus. Half a hundred bombs were dumped on Hanko, south western naval base, destroying a hospital and four other build ings and - injuring 10 patients. - Vaasa, in the capital area, was . bombed with three to five civil ian deaths; Slpoo, 30 miles east of Helsinki, was raided and a little girl was killed; there were civilian casualties in raids on Kakisalmi and other Isthmus towns. The third battle In which the attacking Russians were pushed back across the border took place near Kuhmo, about 50 miles north of Lieksa, in lower central Finland. The Finnish command charted the course of the Russian rout as southeast. past Kickki. Previously, the Reds had been forced back over the border at points east and southeast of Lieksa. The Finnish ski troops, moreover, nave been reported in dashes into Soviet territory near Salla, further north, in attempts to shear off the Soviet rail "life line." Finland's army command de tailed victorious Finnish stands on the Ice of Lake Suvanto, on (Continued on Page Three , FORESTRY CHIEF Salem, Dec. 30. (IP) Carl L. Davis of Marshfield has accept ed appointment of the state . board of forestry as state for ester on a temporary basis. Gov. Charles A. Sprague announced shortly before noon today, Davis was not an applicant for the position and "is accept ing a temporary position only," the governor said. Son of a logging Industry family, Davis has been engaged in the logging business at Marshfiald and for several years has served as secretary of the Coos Fire Patrol association. Davis will take up his posi tion as of January 1, effective date of the recent resignation of J. W. Ferguson as forester. Admits Taking Bribe Spokane, Dec. 30. (P) Lee C. Thomas, former Spokane county commissioner, pleaded guilty to a charge of soliciting a bribe when arraigned today before Superior Judge Fred Witt. Germany Weakened. Portland, Dec. 30. (IP) The decline in scientists and engi neers has undermined G e r many's military strength great ly, Dr. Arthur H. Compton, pro fessor of physics at the Univer ltv nf Chicago, declared during I a brief visit here today.
