Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, January 23, 1950, Image 1

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Medford mail tribune., January 23, 1950, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Textm MAM uu 1 . 0) i" Defense Denies Bridges Joined Communist Party Statement Made As Defense Opens Case San Francisco, Jan. 23 (U.R) A flat denial tht Harry Bridges ever joined the communist party was made today by the defense ai it opened its case in the perjury-conspiracy trial of the CIO longshore union president and two of his subordinates. . Attorney James Martin Mac Vnnis, in. an opening statement ' Siat took up most of the morn ing session of the 37th day of trial, said the defense would show "by the weight of evi dence" that Bridges never was a communist, held a membership card, paid dues or used the aliases of Rossi, Dorgan, Can field, Harvey or Quinn. Accused of Lying Bridges is accused by the gov ernment of lying at his 1945 nat- uralization hearing when he swore he was not and never had been' a communist. J. J. Robertson and Henry Schmidt, both officers in the CIO Inter national Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's union, are charged with conspiring to com mit perjury by backing up Bridges sworn statement. Quietly and without the var bal fireworks that character ized the preceding weeks of the trial, Maclnnis outlined tne de fense's strategy. Defendants To Testify He said all three defendants would take the stand in their own defense. They "insisted" on waiving their rights to abstain from testifying, Maclnnis said. Maclnnis described the gov ernment's case "in the most be nign sense as one filled with mistakes." "It is made ud of lies, fabri cation and insanity." Maclnnis said, echoing an earlier claim by Defense Attorney Vincent Halli nan that the prosecution of Bridges was a "gigantic govern ment conspiracy. Carlos Morris Named To Embalmers' Board Salem, Ore., Jan. 23 (U.R) Dov. Douglas McKay today ap pointed Carlos W. Morris of Med ford and Ben. O. Coleman of St. Carlos Morris Helens as members of the Ore gon state embalmers examining board. Each will serve a two- year term. Morris, of the Conger-Morris funeral home at Medford. will succeed Glen S. Macy of Mc Minnville. Coleman, of the Cole man funeral home at St. Helens. . will succeed W. L. Finley Jr. of Portland. Polio Fund Shy$2 After Work Of Thief A new meanest thief tale was related to city police here yes terday. Mrs. Denova SDenccr of the Blu-Ox cafe, 45 South Front j street, reportea mat tne marcn of Dimes contribution container at the store was stolen during the afternoon. It contained about $2. The empty container was later found. fW MMHF VI KM MHWMMMMI 'Bunch of Jerks' At Party Target of Guests Pistol Detroit. Jan. 23 (U.R) A woman guest lined up six persons at a party early today and fired wildly at them with a revolver, apparently because another guest insisted on dancing with her own husband. Mrs. Mary Shannon. 38, was beaten by two of the other guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. William Richards after she shot Mrs. William Williams in the leg. police said. Becomes Enraged Authorities said Mrs. Shan non became enraged when Mrs. Williams insisted that she want ed to dance with her husband. The two women argued violent ly for more than an hour, and the other guests had to pull them apart frequently. Finally Mrs. Shannon left and went home in a cab. Police said she got a revolver and returned to the Richards' party. Medford 44th Year 10 PAGES Hungry Guards Take Up Stand At Mine Entrances Rebel Forces Seek , To Upset Chief's Order Pittsburgh. Jan. 23 (U.R) Rebel United Mine Workers forces sent picket bands scout ing through the coal fields today to upset John L. Lewis' drive to end wildcat "no contract-no work" strikes in five states. Lewis sent orders to the 90.000 miners who quit work last week, directing them to return to the UMW's three-day week, but 57, 500 still refused to work. Pickets Hungry The rebel pickets, some of them admittedly hungry, gath ered at the mine entrances today turning back miners who had voted to work. The pickets per suaded them that only a full scale strike could break the dead locked contract dispute. The wildcat walkouts were the biggest protest against a Lewis work order since May. 1948, when more than 85,000 Pennsyl vania miners ignored Lewis' call for a two-week truce in the contract strike. However, many of the striking miners said they believed Lewis actually wanted a complete shutdown now. but did not call it because it might result in Taft-Hartley Injunc tion proceedings against him and the union. Refuse To Cross Lines Hardest hit was western Penn sylvania, where 25,000 of the dis trict's 50,000 workers were idle. An estimated 10,000 of Ohio's 16,000 soft coal miners refused to cross picket lines. About 15, 000 of West Virginia's 118,000 miners stayed out and 1,000 Ken tucky miners failed to report. Of Alabama's 20,000 miners, 6,500 were Idle. Biggest center of the rebellion against Lewis' three-day week strategy was UMW District 4, surrounding Uniontown, Pa. On ly two mines in the district worked. Willamette Runs At Flood Stage Portland, Ore., Jan. 23 (U.R) The main stem of the Willamette river ran at flood stage along its middle reaches today but the weather bureau said that cold er weather would check rising flood waters throughout the storm-stricken Pacific northwest by tomorrow. The Willamette surged two feet over its banks at Harris burg, Ore., 90 miles upstream from Portland, and crested two tenths of a foot above flood stage at Albany, Ore. Only lowlands were flooded and river forecasters said they expected the flooding, caused by warm rains thawing a big bliz zard's snowpack, to be minor. The Kilchis river near Tilla mook, Ore., also was flooding and coastal highway 101 was closed. Johnson creek went out of its banks in Southeast Port land. Snow mixed with rain was forecast for the Portland area tonight along with colder tem peratures. Stalin Receives China Red Foreign Minister Moscow, Jan. 23 U.R) Pre mier Josef Stalin received Chi nese Communist Foreign Minis ter Chou En-lai at the Kremlin last night, the Soviet news agency Tass announced today. Also present at the meeting were Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Vishinsky and Chinese Ambassador Wang Chia-hsiang. She burst in waving the gun and yelling at the top of her voice." Richards said. "First she shot into the floor and then she lined us up against the wall. While we were jumping around she shot again and I heard Mrs. Williams scream." Richards said that he and Wil liams overpowered Mrs. Shan non when she lowered the re volver and called police after subduing her. Neither Serious Mrs. Shannon and Mrs. Wil liams were taken to Receiving hospital. Neither was in serious condition. Police quoted Mrs. Shannon as saying that "all I wanted to do was go after them and scare them." "I wasn't planning to shoot anyone." she said. "They were all such a bunch of jerks, and ' they Jut got excited. MEDFORD, OREGON rmum at coal pits 'Acm Tttrphato) MOTHER NATURE TURNS LUMBERJACK w'nter' to brought this tree limb crashing down on an auto and across a street during a severe Ice and snow storm at Portland, Ore. The weeklong blizzard left 13 Inches of Ice and snow In Portland and cause! the death of 39 persons In Oregon, Washington and Northern California. Medford Teacher Honored For Work In Aiding Blind Miss Annette Gray, 808 Da kota avenue, an English teacher at the Medford junior high school, is one of 50 women throughout the United States be ing honored today for their vol unteer work in assisting the braille reading -of the-blind. The Braille club, a nation al organization for the promo tion of braille, is presenting gold honor award pins to women who have served voluntarily as braille teachers, binders or transcribers. The awards are be ing presented to those who can attend at a dinner in New York City tonight. Miss Gray was un able to make the trip east for the event. She first became Interested in transcribing books into braille about five years ago, with Mrs. John Gribble, another volun teer, assisting her in getting started. Her work is done for the Library of Congress, and she has transcribed about 2,500 pages in the years she has been doing the work "as a hobby," she said. The teacher is able to do one long or two short books each year. The work is done either with a braille typewriter, or with a slate and stylus, Miss Gray ex plained. She uses the latter method because braille type writers were unavailable during the war when she first began the work. The president of the Braille club, Bernard M. Krebs, who is blind librarian of the New York Guild for the Jewish Blind, will make the presentations at the banquet in New York tonight. Volunteers Praised In commenting on these awards, he said recently, "These volunteers have compiled so great a record of achievement that they are deserving of the highest praise. Modestly, quietly, yet diligently, they have in their several fields aided in broaden ing the educational and recre ational horizon of blind people, by providing a wealth of liter ary and technical material in braille which otherwise would have been inaccessible." Miss Gray is at present being visited by her brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Gray, of Illinois. Veteran Hollywood Actor Taken By Death Hollywood. Jan. 23 (U.R) Big, blustering Alan Hale, whose screen career stretched from si lent picture days to modern col ored films, died last night of a virus infection at Hollywood hos pital. He was 57. Dr. Victor Herman pronounced him dead at 8:10 p.m. of a liver ailment complicated by an in fection and pneumonia. At his bedside were Hale's wife. Gretchen, a son, Alan Jr., and a daughter Karen. The six foot two inch actor contracted a cold during a recent trip to Montana for the pre miere of a picture in which he appeared. His condition became worse after he returned home, and he developed pneumonia. He died less than 24 hours after entering the hospital. Hale was in the movies for nearly 40 years, surviving per iod? of ups and downs and jumps into other professions. ( MONDAY, JANUARY r 9 Building Given New Name, Changes Told In keeping with its new face and appearance, the Medford Center building today officially changed its name by filing a new business designation with the county clerk as "The Medi cal Center building." The certi ficate was signed by Hazel D. Crossman, owner. ' . Remodelling throughout the Railroad Resumes Cascade Service Klamath Falls, Ore., Jan. 23 (U.R) Crews cleared the wreck age of a Mallet engine and 21 freight cars from Southern Pa cific railroad tracks north of here today and normal service was resumed at 6 a. m. The freight engine plowed into two giant boulders on the Agona hill grade, 14 miles north of Klamath Falls, Saturday night. Fireman James H. White, 42, Klamath Falls, suffered a sprained back. Train passengers were being transported around the wreck age by bus. Both northbound and south bound Klamath trains, Nos. 19 and 20, were routed over the Siskiyou route through Ashland and Medford yesterday, due to the block at Modoc Point, ac cording to Robert Holmes, dis trict freight and passenger agent. Two extra freight trains, one in each direction, also were re routed through here. Holmes said. He was east of the moun tains yesterday assisting in the transfer of passengers around the roadblock on the SP's main line. Russ Border Guards Delay Train Traffic Berlin, Jan. 23 (U.R) Russian border guards delayed Ameri can army train traffic in and out of Berlin for seven hours early today but removed restrictions on truck traffic. A westbound U. S. military train running from Berlin to Frankfurt was halted at the So viet border Checmpoint of Mar ienborn and kept there seven hours while guards made a min ute inspection of travel permits carried by passengers. One American official said the Soviets. "particularly object ed" to the presence on the train of seven Brazilians and one Ger man. However, the train finally was permitted to proceed at 6:35 a.m. River Rises Slowly, Crest Seen Tonight The Rogue river was slowly rising today, the weather bureau here said, but it is expected to reach its crest tonight well be low the flood stage. At Grants Pass the river reading rose from 9.34 to 9.55 between 8 and 9 a. m. today, the bureau said. Flood stage is 15 feet. Colder weather in the moun tains will halt the runoff tonight and the river is expected to drop slowly tomorrow, the forecasters said. Bear creek so far has been able to handle all snow runoff without difficulty, and no flood ing ii anticipated. Tribune 23, 1950 No. 256 1 four-story structure has been In progress for months, and when the work is completed this sum mer the building will have been renovated from top to bottom and will present an entirely new appearance In the midst of the Medford business district. Work has proceeded piecemeal so far With no total figure yet avail- aaie that would show the total cost of the protect. New Units In Ui In reviewing the work done so far, Manager Alan C. Camer on said the relocated lobby, en trance, elevator, and stairwell are now in use at the southeast corner of the building. The interior finish in the lob by is still incomplete, but Cam erson said a wall covering af tan terra cotta tile will be in stalled within 60 days. A new and speedy semi-automatic Otis elevator is now in use and can be operated manually by an op erator or automatically by pas sengers. New quarters for Heath's pre scription counter are included in the 20 by 37-foot lobby and has been serving drug needs from the new location for sev eral days. Offices in the build ing are now reserved almost ex clusively for medical and dental prescriptions, as indicated by the new business name. The remainder of the first floor and most of the i basement will accommodate an F. W. Woolworth store three times its present size. Though plans and sketches for the expansion are still not complete, Contractor Frank Fairweather's crews have begun demolition work and hope to begin actual remodel ling with a few days, or as soon as final specifications arrive from San Francisco. Woolworths will probably be open for busi ness in their new quarters by the middle of the summer. By the time the work is fin ished the exterior of the Medi cal Center building will be com pletely re-faced with a terra cotta tile, making it one of the most modern office buildings in southern Oregon after the larg est remodelling projects under taken here in recent months. Press Could In Return of Vatican City, Jan. 23 (U.R) Pope Pius told 15 American newspaper editors and publishers today that the press could play a responsible part in the "great return of the world to God through Christ." The pope received the execu tives and two officials of the European cooperative adminis tration in private audience. He spoke with them in English. "This year," he said, "we fond ly hope and pray, will mark a great return of the world to God through Christ. And this return, if accomplished, Is going to be along the path of truth. "Can you advance this noble enterprise? Assuredly yes, be cause truth needs a voice. And the most potent voice reaching the general public today is still that of the press. "Who does not know that a journalist can deliberately falsi fy facts, or by lifting them out of their context can distort their true meaning, or can suppress truth that in Justice clamors to be heard? - WEATHER FORECAST; l'arllr cloudy with now thowrri In mount In i and a frw rain ihowrn In val ley tonight and Tuesday. Val ley fog Tuesday morning. Cooler. Temp. Highlit Yesterday -JO Lowest this Morning 40 Tree, to 4:30 A.M. Today 21 Atomic Materials Said Obtained By Russia In 1943 Un-American Committee Demands Inquiry Washington, Jan. 23 (U.R) An official of the atomic energy commission said today that Rus sia obtained atomic materials in 1943 from a firm which had agreed to reserve all Its supplies for the United States. That testimony from Law rence C. Burman, director of AEC's licensing division, drew a prompt demand from the house un-American activities commit tee for a thorough inquiry to determine whether the firm vio lated its wartime contract. Knew of Shipments Burman was rare metals pro curement officer for the Man hattan engineering project which made the atom bomb. He was called In the committee's r-newed effort to trace shlp- nts of uranium compounds and other atomic materials to Russia during the war years. Burman said he knew of three atomic shipments to the Rus sians during the war 420 pounds of uranium compounds in March, 1943: 1.000 pounds of compounds later that year, and 2.2 pounds of fused, worthless uranium metal the next year. Help Sought But the first was sent, Bur man said, only to prevent the Russians from learning that we attached great importance to It, and thereafter the Manhattan project tried to corral all sup plies, asking other government aeencles to heln. Burman told the committee United States officials thought they had blocked all shipments to Russia from any source. They learned four years later that, despite their efforts, a 1,000 pound shipment of uranium compounds from Canada went through the lend-lease pipeline to Russia in May or June, 1H43. Hiss7 Attorneys Preparing Appeal New York, Jan. 23 (U.R) At torneys for Alger Hiss today pre pared an appeal to higher courts in an effort to clear nis name as a 20th century Benedict Arnold. The former state department official and his wife Priscilla hid at the home of friends to await his next court appearance on Wednesday when Federal Judge Henry W. Goddard win pro nounce sentence. He faces a max imum of 10 years in prison and a $4,000 fine. Claude B. Cross, chief counsel for Hiss, said in Boston that he would appeal to the U. S. circuit court to reverse the decision of the jury which Saturday declar ed the former government career man guilty on two counts of per iurv. But he would not reveal on what grounds the action would be taken. The action could be taken to the supreme court, but Cross would not sav whether he woum carry the fight that far. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, he said. BURGLAR TAKES PEN A ball point pen apparently was the only item taken some time last night by a burglar who entered the J. W. Copcland lum ber yard. 1765 North Riverside avenue, Manager Ernest Rogers said today. The thief gained en try by making a hole in the wall. Play Big Role World to God "And the net result is that the masses are misled, human trag edy is incurred, and civil strife and even wars are engendered, simply because an unworthy member of your profession for one reason or another has been recreant to his grave rcsponsi bilities to truth." Ordinary Citizen Felt The responsibilities of the press, the pontiff said, have never been "more exacting than todav when communication has become so easy and far reaching., and the ordinary citizen is being felt more and more in the govern ments and nations." He praised the newsmen for making their European fact-finding tour, and added: "We are, then, happy to use this occasion to compliment your profession on many priceless benefits it has brought to the great human family, and to en courage each and every one of its members In the resolute pur pose to serve with unyielding loyalty the cause of truth and charity,' Message Proposes No Income Tax Changes Washington, Jan. 23 (UP) President T. man today called for tome excise tax reductions, coupled with higher levies on corporations, gifts and estates to give the government a net increase of $1,000,000,000 in revenue. Mr. Truman in a special tax message to congress proposed no changes in individual income taxes. He recommended a selective reduction in ex cises only to the extent that the loss in revenue can be made up by closing what he called "loopholes" in other tax laws. He said the corporation, gift and estate tax in crease, the exact amount of which he left to congress, snouia raise tne overall government revenue by about $i ,uuu,uuu,uuu a year. Summary Of Tax Recommendations To Congress Given Washington, Jan. 23 (U.R) A summary of President Tru man's tax recommendations to congress: Proposed: Changes in tax laws to yield a net gain of $1,000,000, 000 in revenue. No increase in individual income taxes. How? 1. Bv increasing corporation. gift and estate taxes to give the treasury $1,000,000,000 more. Cut Excite Taxes 2. By reducing excise taxes on such items as luggage, hand bags, toilet preparations and on transportation of property ana persons, long-distance telephone calls and telegrams. 3. The excise tax cut must De onlv to the extent" that the loss of revenue is made up by clos ing loopholes in present tax laws. Loopholes to be plugged: 1. The "excessive" dedetlon exemptions granted oil and min ing interests. Mr. Truman saia the depletion exemotion goes on year after year although the original Investment has been many times recovered.. It is "shocking," he said. O TKo rlm.lrta Yv whlfVt TJnllv- wood oroducers and stars avoid high taxes by creating tempo rnrv cornnrntions which are dis solved after making one film. The 25 per cent capital gains tax, therefore, is assessea in stead of high Individual Income taxes. i Tnv evomntlons e r a n t e d some educational and charitable organizations. 4. The tax law wnicn - unin tentionally" has relieved life in surance companies ot income taxes since 1946. To Add To Revenue T.nnnhnle salvage: Mr. Truman estimated that plugging these loopholes would add '"several hundred million dollars" to revenue. Excise taxes thus could be cut by mat mucn, he said. Onr narki.ee tax: Mr. Truman indicated he wanted a "one-package" tax re duction-tax increase bill. Un der present conditions," he said "we pannot afford to reduce ex pisn taxes first, in the hope that action will be taken later to make up for the loss in reve nue. Pnrnnratlnn taxes: 1. A "moderate" Increase In taxes of corporations with more than $50,000 income. 2. A reduction in tax rate of corporations with Income be tween $25,000 and $50,000 to the same as those above $50,000. Corporations between $25,000 and $50,000, he said, now arc taxed at the "excessively high 'notch' rate" of 53 per cent. 3. Loss carry-forward: Recom mended that this provision for marking off losses in bad years against profits of subsequent years be extended from the present to five years. Foreiqn Income 4. Foreign income: Postpone Ihe tax on corporate income abroad until the Income is brought home: extend and gen eralize the present credit for taxes paid abroad, and liberal ize foreign residence require ment for exemption of income earned abroad. Gift and estate taxes: Yield is too low due to the rcoublican 80th congress' one third cut in rates, excessive ex emptions and loopholes which leave great wealth beyond the reach of tax laws. Exemptions should be reduced and rates revised. Balanced budget: None foreseen for several years. He said "nothing could be more foolhardy" than an at tempt to balance the budget In 1951 by measures that would make "Impossible" balanced budgets In future years. Deficit blame: "Due largely" to the tax re duction voted by the 80th con gress and the "present neces sity" for huge funds for nation al security and world peace. Ukiah. Calif., Jan. 23 (U.R) The body of a man identified as Lloyd Laird, 55, of Bandon, Ore., was found in an automobile parked on a lonely road near here Saturday. Manila, Philippines, Jan. 23 (U.R) Roving U. S. Ambassador Philip Jessup conferred tonight witn Acting foreign uecretary Felino Neri. The president once more crit. iclzed the 80th coneress for what he called "short-sighted tax re duction" on individuals as well as some other cuts. Mr. Truman said "drastic in creases in tax rates . . . might prove to be self-defeating-." But. he said, he was recommending adjustment "to reduce present inequities, to stimulate business activity and to yield about $1,000,000,00 in net additional revenue." Cut Not Disclosed He did not say precisely how much he thought excise taxes should be reduced. I believe that reductions am most urgently needed in the ex cise taxes on transportation of property, transportation of per sons, long-distance telephone and leiegrapn communications, and the entire group of retail ex cises, Including such Item. n toilet oreDaration. lnocuro nfirf handbags," he said. Ihe present exclsa tnv nn toilet preparations, luggage, nandbags and similar items are 20 per cent, compared with pre war rates generally of 10 per cent. The present transportation tax on persons is 15 per cent and tht freight tax three per cent. The taxes which Mr. Truman proposes to reduce will yield a total of $1,326,000,000 In fiscal 1951, according to budget es timates. Mr. Truman did not propose that the taxes on all corpora tions be increased. On the con trary, he recommended that the tax rate on corporate income between $25,000 and $50,000 be teduced to the same rate that applies about $50,000. The rate on income above $50,000 now is a maximum of 38 per cent com pared with what Mr. Truman described as "the excessively high 'notch' rate of 53 per cent" between $25,000 and $50,000. . "These changes in the tax rate structure would go far toward removing the handicaps which the present law places upon the expansion of small corporations" Mr. Truman said. "The existing lavorable tax rates for small corporations with incomes below $25,000 would be retained. Other Changes "The tax increase would be confined to less than one-tenth of all corporations." The president recommended other changes in the tax laws which are of a technical nature but which he said would pre vide "Increased incentive to bus iness investment." these involve losses incurred and foreign in vestments. To make up for the loss in revenue through excise tax re duction. Mr. Truman suggested a number of "loopholes" that he said congress should work on. Passengers Hurt As Bus Hits Rock Oregon City, Ore., Jan. 23 (U.R) A Northbound Pacific Greyhound bus struck huge boulder south of Oregon City early today and state police said 19 of 22 passengers were injur ed when the heavy vehicle turn ed over on the highway. Frank Johnson, Eugene, Ore., driver, said the boulder, estimat ed at about three tons, had fal len in the center of the north bound lane. He said he had a choice of hitting the boulder or another bus approaching from the other direction. John's bus rammed the ob struction, swerved off the road and scraped a retaining wall for 225 feet before overturning on the left side. Passengers climbed out of the bus through a broken wind shield. Only Cameron A. Sharpe, Seattle, needed aid In leaving the bus. He suffered internal injur ies and crushed ribs. Alaska Statehood Issue Due In House Washington, Jan. 23 (U.R) Speaker Sam Rayburn put off for at least three weeks today a no-holds-barred house fight over the administration's proposed fair employment practice act. Rayburn side-tracked the Is sue by tapping the Alaskan statehood bill as the house's business for today. The Texas democrat Indicat ed It would give house members time to cool off after last week's unsuccessful efforts by southern democrats and some republicans to change the house rules.