First Big Break jmes in Bitter General Motors Strike
UNION, COMPANY
AGREE TO MEET
Weather
FORECAST: Cloudy to parlly
cloudy tonight and Wednes
day with mixed rain and
now tonight. Cooler tonight.
Temp.
Highest yesterday 42
Lowest tnii morning 31
Prec. to 4:30 a.m. today...... ,06
Tribune
EDFORD
United Prese Full Leased Win
United Press Full Leased Wire
Fortieth Year
MEDFORD, OREGON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1946
NO. 263.
Truck Drivers Settle Old
Walkout CIO Leader
Threatens New Walkout.
M
f
Construction work on Medford's new $231,027 city reservoir,
being built on the east side of the two present reservoirs, is shown
above. The structure, which will have a capacity of 8,200,000
gallons, is shown from the southeast corner of the present two
reservoir storage system.
BIG FIVE AGREE
I
London, Jan. 29 (U.R) The
Big Five have agreed to recom
mend Trygve Lie, Norwegian
foreign minister, to be the first
secretary general of the United
Nations organization, authorita
tive sources reported today.
The Big Five called an infor
mal meeting of the other six
members of the UNO security
council to inform them of their
agreement upon a candidate rep
resenting a compromise between
the Anglo-Americans and Rus
sians. Lie was reported authorita
tively to be the compromise can
didate. The Anglo Americans
had wanted Lester B. Pearson of
Canada and the Russians had de
sired an eastern European for
the key post in the peace organ
ization. The agreement was expected
to result in the unanimous en
dorsement of Lie announced
Lee) to the UNO assembly by the
security council. The approval
of seven of the 11 members of
the council, including all of the
Big Five permanent members,
is necessary for election.
NEW LEADS OPEN
IN DEGNAN CASE
Chicago. Jan. 29 U.R The
parents of Suzanne Degnan,
lix-year-otd girl who wai kid
naped and slain, received a
human ear in the mail today
police investigated a youth'i
tory that he knew the girl's
kidnapers.
Chicago. Jon. 2!) U.R) A
former reformatory inmate told
police today that Ms roommate
and another man were the ; id-
napers of six-'ear-old Suzanne
Degnan.
The informant was Theodore
Campbell, 22, who said he had
planned the kidnaping with the
two others but had not par
ticipated in it. Campbell named
Vincent Costello, 18. as one of
the two kidnapers, but Costcllo
denied it and police were skep
tical. The Degnan child was carried
sway from her home near Lake
Michigan earl" In the morning
of Jan. 7 by a kidnapper who
left a ransom note demanding
$20,000 but killed her and dis
membered her body without
trying to collect.
While police were inclined to
doubt Campbell's story, they
quickened their investigation
after both Campbell and Cos
tello admitted making telephone
rails to the Degnan horn on
the day of the slaying. Both
were held on open charges for
urther questioning.
STEEL DIVIDEND
New York, Jan. 29 AJ.R) Di
rectors of U. S. Steel Corp. to
day declared the regular quar
terly dividend of $1 share
on common stuck.
Construction Work Reaches Halfway Mark
On City's New 8,200,000 Gallon Reservoir
Construction work on Med
ford's new 8,200,000-gallon re
servoir on Capital Hill is about
50 per cent complete, according
to estimates from Robert A.
Duff, city water superintendent,
and M. E. Gibbons, project engi
neer. Completion date on' the
project, which will triple Med
ford's reservoir capacity, is
March 24. -
Building began last June.v-r.
Excavation in tough sandstone
has proved the hardest work,
those in charge say. Except for
trenching operations, however,
that portion of the job is done.
Approximately half of the work
on the reservoir walls is finished.
Pouring of concrete for the floor
is under way on the east side
and scaffolding for building the
P-.LA.Ti
To discuss remodeling, im
provement and enlargement of
the Medford Junior high school
building, a meeting of the Parent-Teacher
association of the
school will be held Friday at
8 p. m. at the school it was an
nounced this morning. Mrs. Ivan
Dnvies, president of the asso
ciation, urges all parents, and
especially fathers, to attend the
meeting.
It is stated that the school is
now attempting to care for ap
proximately 250 more students
than the building was designed
to handle, and incre.-sed enroll
ments are anticipated yearly.
Parents of new 7B students
are given an especial invitation
j to attend the meeting. These
students, who entered yesterday
with the opening or tne second
semester, number 51.
IS
FORES! PROPOSAL
Support has been pledged by
Senator Guy Cordon in the ef
forts of the Jackson County
Chamber of Commerce to have
appropriations made for im
provements and rehabilitation of
national forest recreational fa
cilities according to a wire from
i the senator to the local group.
A request for a deficiency ap
propriation for this matter was
turned down by the budget bu
reau lart fall.
Cordon stated 'that he had
been recently appointed mem
ber of the senate appropriations
committee and in that capacity
would do everything possible to
secure adequate funds for forest
recreational facilities. Cordon
further stated that he was equal-
j ly interested in appropriations
for the National park service.
five-and-one-half-inch thick con
crete slab roof is being erected
in the southeast corner. Con
struction of a 300-foot tunnel for
the 24-inch pipe which will con
nect the reservoir with the city
system at Valley View is in pro
gress. Cover Latest Method
Covering of the reservoir is
in line with modern practice
since it' prevents contamination
and precludes the development
of algae which thrive on sun
light. Water Superintendent Duff
states that construction esti
mated to cost $231,027 will be
paid out of accumulated water
department funds bolstered chief
ly by the Camp White contract.
Medford's water system will ex
pand in the near future to in
clude CentTal Point in addition
to Camp White and Oak Grove.
Added storage capacity of the
new reservoir will be more ade
quate to meet any emergency
situation which might be experi
enced by the enlarged system.
Duff points out that the 30 miles
of pipeline from the Butte creek
springs is 20 years old and that,
if the pipeline should fail, pat
rons might be out of water in
half a day under the present set
up. Peak use of Medford water
has amounted to nine and one
half million gallons in one day.
Sole purpose of the reservoirs is
for emergency storage as the
pipeline from the springs flows
directly into the city system.
20,000 Sacks Concrete
Duff states that the project is
taking about 3,000 cubic yards
or nearly 20,000 sacks of con
crete and that 352,000 pounds
of steel will be utilized.- Sixteen
inch pipe for drainage and over
flow will total 910 feet and 1,600
feet of six-inch pipe will be used
for undcr-drains. One thousand
feet of 24-inch pipe will be used
for intcr-connecting supply lines.
Perimeter of the structure is
pentagonal with sides extending
260 feet on the south, 180 on the
west, 90 on the north, 190 on
the northeast and 95 on the east.
Height of the reservoir from
floor to roof will be 28V4 feet
and water depth is planned as
27 'i feet.
The structure is being erected
on the east side of the present
two reservoirs which contain 2,-
Decline Noted In
List Of Diseases
During Past Week
A considerable decline in com
municable diseases was noted In
the county last week according
to reports to the county health
officer, Dr. A. E. Merkel, with
but 14 ca.es listed for the week
ending Jan. 25.
Five new cases of measles
were listed, all in Medford, and
four cases of scarlet fever, two
in Medford and one each in Lost
Creek and Central Point. One
case of chiekenpox was listed
from Medford and one from Tal
ent. One case each of tuberculosis
and trench mouth were listed
from Medford and one case of
influenza from Central Point.
Scaffolding for building the concrete slab roof may be seen
in the left center of the picture at right. Laying of the concrete
floor is in progress in the background of both photos. Steel rods
in the foreground are for pouring of concrete for the wall.
Dale Vincent Photo
000,000 gallons each. About 35
men are now employed on the
project according to Harold C.
Adlcr, one of the partners of the
Adler Construction company,
Seattle, in charge of the job. Al
B. McKinney is superintending
the work.
Medford has an exceptionally
pure water supply since the flow
from Butte springs, fed by the
melting snows of Ml. .McLaugh
lin, travels the distance to the
household tap unexposed to air
or sunlight.
E
FOR ESCAPE AIO
Doris Burtis, 28, plead guilty
and was sentenced to a term not
to exceed two years in the Ore
gon state penitentiary in circuit
court today. She was charged
with aiding and abetting a jail
escape when she smuggled hack
saw blades into the county Jail
here Jan. 5 permitting her
brother, Calvin Burtis, Bobby J.
Nelson, Roger Chapman and
William Mackey to escape. ,
Burtis and his sister wore ar
rested at Susanvillc, Calif., on
an armed robbery charRe. Bur
tis is being held by Lassen coun
ty authorities on the robbery
charge. Nelson, also believed to
be implicated in the robbery,
escaped arrest.
Chapman and Mackey, Neg
roes, were arrested soon after
their break for freedom.
Lee Owen Plympton, charged
with burglary not in a dwelling,
also was given a term of not
to exceed two years In the peni
tentiary. He and Miss Burtis
will be token to the institution
the latter part of the week.
Medical Building
Planned in Salem
Salem, Jan. 29 (U.R) A group
of Salem doctors headed by Dr.
Charles Campbell and Dr. Rob
ert F. Wulf plan to construct
an office building here exclusive
ly for medical men.
The building will be located
on the corner of center and
north 13th and will be designed
by Pietro Belluschi, Portland ar
chitect. CLINE GIVEN DELAY
IN THEFT HEARING
San Francisco. Jan. 29 (U.R)
Alfred L. Clinc's arraignment
on nine counts of forgery and
one of grand theft was post
poned until Feb. 8 today, as au
thorities of five states announc
ed they would conduct a joint
investigation of the one-time
choir singer's alleged connec
tion with the deaths or disap
pearances of 11 persons.
Cllnc was permitted a delay
in entering pleas because his at
torney, J. W, Ehrlich was out
out of town.
10 SEEK ALLIED
AIO FOR FRANCE
Paris. Jan. 29 (U.R) The
new French government ap
pointed former socialist premier
Leon Blum today as extraordi
nary ambassador to negotiate
allied assistance as Premier
Felix Gouln priipared to lay be
fore the assembly a four-point
program for solving the nation's
economic crisis.
The 73-year-old Blum, who
headed the French "New Deal
administration in 1936, was de
signated after an all night cab
inet meeting to negotiate flnan-
cial agreements and speed up
food deliveries.
Look To U. S. A.
His appointment stressed the
importance Gouin's government
attaches to forthcoming negotia
tions for a loan from the United
States.
The newspaper La Vie Fran-
caise published unconfirmed re
ports last night that a French
delegation would ieave for the
United States soon to negotiate
a loan of three billion francs
(approximately $25,000,000).
The newspaper also said it
was rumored that the resigna
tion of Gen. Charles De Gaulle
was provoked by American de
mands for Information on the
French financial situation as
prelude to the loan. The gov
ernment later officially denied
me rumor.
CARPENTERS GET
E
Portland. Jon. 29 (U.R) Ten
thousand building construction
workers In the Portland area are
due for a substantial wage In
crease immediately, according to
advices from Washington telling
of a wage adjustment board ap
proval of the wage hike.
The new wage agreement was
recently negotiated here between
the associated general contract
ors, building division, and the
Portland building and construc
tion trades council.
The new raises, from 10 to 20
cents an hour increase In dif
fering wage brackets, will go
Into effect in the Portland area
immediately and are retroactive
to January 7th.
' LITTLE NAVY TUG SAVES
! CREW OF WRECKED SHIP
I Adak, Aleutian Islands, Jan.
I 29 !U R) A small navy rescue
tug, battling howling Bering
Sea gales, has rescued the entire
40-man crew of the 5.100 ton
refrigerator ship "Crown Reef
er," wrecked off Amchitka
Island Sunday, the 17th naval
district announced today.
The refrigerator ship, loaded
with perishables for the army
at Kodiak, was hurled onto jag
ged rocks on Klrilof Point, Am-
jchitka, at the height of a wild
I winter storm.
Troops Deployed in Holy
Land for Roundup After
Brazen FJaid On RAF.
Jerusalem, Jan. 29 IU.PJ
British authorities threatened
death for every member of
Palestine's outlawed Jewish
armies today and deployed thous
ands of troops and police for a
wholesale roundup of terrorists
throughout the Holy Land.
Moving swiftly to forestall a
threatened terrorist outbreak
that veteran observers feared
might prove the bloodiest in the
mandate's history, the British in
voked what amounted to mili
tary law for all Palestine.
Execute On Spot
Army garrisons and police of
ficials everywhere were alerted
for a mass arrest of known and
suspected members of the illegal
Zionist organizations, British
military commanders were em
powered to try and execute the
outlaws on the spot.
The harsh counter-measures
were ordered In the wake of a
brazen raid on an RAF station
in south Palestine at noon yes
terday, when 15 bandits dis
guised as British fliers stole 200
machine guns, and a consider
able quantity of ammunition.
Shortly before midnight, it
was announced that British pat
rols had recovered all the ma
chine guns and were in close
pursuit of tho raiders, all be
lieved to be members of a
Jcvdsh outlaw gang, ., ,,.,
The raid occurred near the
Jewish colony of Rehovot and
apparently was part of a well
laid plot to seize British weapons
for a new terrorist outbreak.
Lane Co. Farmers
Ask Project Speed
Eugene, Jan. 29 (U.R) A res
olution asking that construction
of the Willamette Valley project
be completed as soon as possible
has been, passed by a conference
of Lane county formers.
A report on floods by a land
use committee says flood dam
age of over $6,000,000 occurring
less than three years after a for
mer major flood emphasizes the
great need for speedy construc
tion. SENATOR MORSE FAVORS
VOLUNTARY ARBITRATION
Chicago, Jan. 29 (U.R) Re
publican Senator Wayne Morse
of Oregon believes that volun
tary arbitration is a better solu
tion to labor-management dis
putes Hum compulsory arbltra
tion or fact-finding.
Senator Morse told delegates
to the 27th annual associated
equipment distributors assembly
here that fact finders find the
facts they want to bring in. And,
he added, under compulsory arbi
tration, the mediation tribunal
becomes the dictator of economic
policy. -
Morso added that union books
should be as open to public in
spection as those of any corpora
tion or business.
Harry Hopkins. Right-Hand Man of
President Roosevelt. Dies Aged 56
New York, Jan. 29 (U.R)
Harry Hopkins, who was the
confidant of presidents, prime
ministers and dictators through
out tho world, but never lost his
touch with the common man,
died today In Memorial hospi
tal. London. Jan. 29 (U.R) Mrs.
Eleanor Rooht.H, informed
today of the death of Harry
Hopkins, saldi
"I am deeply sorry to hear
the news. He really served
his country and my husband
very well. It Is a greet grief
to me and to every other
American.
Hopkins, plagued by ill health
since 1938, was 56 years old. He
had been under treatment here
for the last 11 weeks, but Dr.
Cornelius P. Hhoads, director of
the hospital, said the nature of
his ailment was "obscure."
The man who was constantly
at the aids of the late president.
Byrnes Confirms
Russia's Claim
Kuriles Promised
Washington, Jan. 29 vU.R)
Secretary of State James F.
Byrnes said today It was agreed
secretly at the Yalta conference
to give Russia permanent posses
sion of the Kurile Islands which
stretch northward from Japan to
ward the Aleutians.
He said the decision will be
formalized in the eventual al
lied peace treaty with Japan.
Byrnes thus confirmed Rus
sian claims of permanent pos
session of the Kuriles. Acting
secretary of state Dean Achcson
said last .week in Byrnes', ab
sence, that Russia's occupation of
the Kuriles was not final but
might well become so.
E
Enrollment in Medford schools
for the second semester, which
began yesterday, Is 2.903 pupils,
according to a report from the of
fice of the city school superin
tendent. The number includes:
Jackson school, 421; Lincoln,
263; Roosevelt, 302; Washington,
465; junior high, 745, and senior
high, 617.
"This represents an increase
of 272 pupils since January,
1945," according to City Supt.
E. H. Hcdrick, who added "It Is
also an Increase of 570 since
January, two years ago." The In
crease in this time has been
nearly 25 per cent, he said, and
has brought on crowded condi
tions. Congestion is worse in
Washington .and. Junior high
schools.
To alleviate the condition,
one class from Washington has
been moved to the senior high
building,' the superintendent
said, and in Junior high at least
three rooms are shared by more
than one teacher.
IS
Grants Pass, Jan. 29 Facing
a charge of forgery, Donald Le
Roy Tucker, 37, of Medford,
alias David Stone, alias D. L
Lucker, alias Harvey Cllne, is
held In the Josephine county
Jail hero in lieu of $2,500 bail
State police said the man ad
mitted cashing seven checks last
week at Grants Pass business
houses. The cheeks were pur
portedly issued by Paul C. How
ard of Gronts Pass, now believ
ed to be residing at Medford.
One of the Howard checks bore
a good forgery of Howard's sig
nature but tho others were ob
vious forgeries, police said.
State police here said Donald
L. Tucker, held on a bad check
charge at Grants Pass, has a
long record for forgery In Med
ford. A warrant had been Issued
for his arrest by the sheriff's
office some time ago. Prosccu
tion will be handled by Jose
phlne county authorities.
Franklin D. Roosevelt during his
more than three terms resigned
his $15,U00-a-yciir job last July
"to tnke a rest." He returned
later, however, to become a spe
cial adviser to President Tru
man.
Dr. Rhoads said that the na
ture of Hopkins' illness could not
be determined "until further
facts arc available." There was
no Immediate announcement as
to whether an autopsy would be
performed. The Memorial hos
pital specializes In cancer cases.
Funeral arrangements were to
be announced later.
- Hopkins, frail son of an Iowa
harness maker, was a social
worker in his earlier years. He
became a power in national and
International affairs as an assist
ant to President Roosevelt He
will also be remembered by the
nation which for a time was the
world's biggest employer as re
lief administrator In the depres
sion of the 1930'.
Pittsburgh. Jan 29 (U.R)
The Pittsburgh Press said to
day that reports reached labor
circles here but were not
confirmed by other sources
that "Big Steel" has agreed to
pay the ID'j-cent Increase
suggested by President Tru-
By United Press
The first major break came to
day in the bitter 70-day United
Automobile Workers (CIO) strike
against General Motors when
the union and company agreed
to meet with a federal labor
mediator in an effort to end the
stoppage.
Peoria. 111.. Jar.. 29 (U.R)
Seven thousand workers at the
Caterpillar Tractor company
struck in the middle of the
day shift today over a demand
for $50 monthly increases for
all workers.
Announcement of the sched
uled meeting was made after
James F. Dewey, special media
tor sent to Detroit by Secretary
of Labor Lewis B, Schwellcn
bach, met with each party
separately, , ,
Truckers Settle
Another break in the critical
strike situation came with tha
announcement by the Labor de
partment in Washington that tha
73-day-old strike of 7,300 mid
western truck drivers had been
settled.
1.600.000 Idle .
Strikes and shutdowns have
idled 1,600,000 American
workers.
In the major labor develop
mente: 1. Officials said that if Dewey
succeeds as special mediator in
the strike of 175,000 GM work
ers It will be the first acceptance
of mediation by the corporation
since the walkout began last'
Nov. 21.
2. President Philip Murray ot
the CIO Steel Workers and Ben
jamin F. Falrless of U. S. Steel
Corp. were in Washington, but
they denied reports that they
had agreed to resume wage
price conferences at tha Whlta
House.
3. CIO and AFL packing
house workers went back to government-seized
meat plimts, but
a CIO leader threatened a new
strike against Armour and Co.
The union accused the company
of delaying the return of work
ers to their Jobs.
4. Ford Motor Co. offered a
15 per cent pay increase to 19,
000 employes not covered by the
wage agreement reached with
the UAW Saturday.
Stocks Soar
Easing ot the labor crisis sent
stock market prices soaring to
their best level in more than 15
years yesterday. A rise In steels
reflected a feeling that the steel
strike might soon be over.
It was believed that wage
agreements reached Saturday
between Ford and Chrysler and
the UAW might provide a pat
tern for seizing the steel and
General Motors disputes. The
strike of 750,000 CIO steel
workers already has Idled 150.
000 workers in related Indus
tries. HELD UP BY RULE
New York, Jan. 29 (U.R)
More than 3,000,0(10 men's shirts
mado to sell at $3 and up are
held on factory shelves because
of OPA sales regulations, ths
National Association of Shirt
and Pajama Manufacturers said
todny.
Prices of the shirts have been
approved by the OPA. The ob
stacle to their sale is the lack
of low cost shirts. An OPA
order requires that manufactur
ers must keep the same balance
of low-cost shirt production that
they did in 1943. Because of a
shortage of low cost fabrics, shirt
makers say they have been un
able to make low cost shirts.
NEWCOMER HELD FOR
LARCENY HEARING
Carl C. Caraway is being held
In county jail under $300 bail
to await further hearing in Jus
tice court following appearance
In court yesterday on a charge
of larceny from a store building.
Caraway, who arrived In Med
ford last week, was arrested Sat
urday by city police.