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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 9, 1950)
a rui ii mm rem mm in Ul I si 1 Soft Coal Fact - Action Paves Way For President To Seek Court Order Nothing Accomplished, Board Maintains Washington, Feb. 9 (U.R! The soft coal fact-finding board today abruptly ended its hear ings, paving the way for Presi dent Truman to seek a court or der sending striking miners back to work. The board met briefly for 15 minutes this morning, and then said it felt nothing could be ac complished by long, drawn-out hearings. Best To Do It said it felt the best thing to do was to close the hearings and report speedily to the White House. Board Chairman David L. Cole cut off debate and testimony. He told John L. Lewis and coal in dustry representatives who were present that they could file by 1 p. m. (EST) statements of their position. Mr. Truman's investigating board expects to report to the White House this week end the facts in the coal wage dispute. President Truman then can di rect the attorney general to seek a federal injunction to return the miners to the pits for about 80 days. The board tried late yesterday to get negotiations going again in the soft coal dispute. But af ter nearly nine hours of confer ences which lasted until eary this morning it decided Lewis and the operators had gotten nowhere. Learned Facts Cole said the board, which sat in on negotiations, learned "many interesting and cogent facts" about the dispute. But, Cole added: "They will have to make an agreement and they will have to make an agreement through their own devices." i Central Point To Ask f Sewer Time Extension f ! Canti-al Pnlnt Vrh 0 Central Central Point. Feb. 9 Central Point city council this week vot ed to ask the city of Medford for time extension in their agree ment for joint use of the former Camp White sewage treatment plant. According to the agreement. Central Point is to be connected to the Medford trunk to Camp White by February 22. However, weather and bond issue techni calities have delayed construc tion of the pumping station and connecting line here, city offic ials said. Excavations have been made, concrete poured and a well dug for the pumping station, and pressure pipe distributed along part of the right-of-way. Coun cilmen indicated they will ask six months extension although the work should be completed in much less time. Groesbeck and Hickson is the contracting firm. Submarine Command Convicted In London London. Feb. 9 (U.R) The commander of the British sub marine Truculent, which collid ed with a Swedish tanker and sank with a los sot 64 men Jan uary 13 was convicted by a court martial today of "hazarding his Vfhip." " The officer, Lt. Charles Bow ers, was sentenced to be "severe- Jy reprimanded. Bowers was exonerated, how ever, of a second charge of neg ligently losing his ship. Prosecution Officer Capt. H. C. Browne told the court that Bowers had altered course when "the rules of the road at sea re quired and navigation conditions permitted" the Truculent to maintain its course after sight ing the tanker Divina. Bowers had pleaded innocent to charges of negligence. Widespread Rains Present Ohio Valley Chicago, Feb. 9 (U.R) Wide spread rains today posed a new flood threat to the Ohio river valley. Murky weather clse . where in the midwest snarled highways and impeded air travel. Heavy snow fell in upper Michigan and northern Wiscon sin. Flurries pelted the northern Rockie?. and it was cold along the north Atlantic seaboard. Ohio Threateni Elsewhere around the country, the weather was more mild. The swelled Ohio threatened to rise again along the Ohio Kentucky sector of its course un der heavy rains in the Cincin nati, Louisville and Evansville. Ind . areas. It About two inches of rain had iallen at Louisville since noon yerterday and it was still rain ing early today. The river, which had been Medford 44th Year 18 Pages Railroad Union Members Vote To Authorize Strike Walkout Date Would Be Set This Week Chicago, Feb. 9 (U.R) Two unions representing 250,000 trainmen and conductors an nounced today that their mem bers have voted to authorize a strike against the nation's rail roads. No strike date was set but of ficials of the two unions said a date probably would be an nounced this week. Results of the strike vote were announced by W. P. Kennedy, president of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, and Harry Fraser, president of the Order of Railway Conductors. Strike If Necessary They said members voted by a 95 per cent majority "to strike if necessary" to gain their de mands. Their wage and hour dispute with the railroads now is before the national railway mediation board, but Fraser and Kennedy said "there is no basis in sight for a satisfactory settlement." "If a settlement is not reached in mediation shortly the two or ganizations will fix a strike date they said. The unions seek no general wage increase, but instead want changes in work rules which would mean more pay. Seek 40-Hour Week The trainmen seek a 40-hour work week for yardmen now working 48 hours and in some cases more. They also seek time and a half for hours worked over 40. - . Conductors and trainmen both seek a reduction in the basic work day from the present 150 miles or 7& hours to 100 miles or 5 hours. The strike threat came as the railroads were cutting service and laying off employees be cause of the coal shortage result ing from the soft coal strike. However, there was no possi bility of an immediate rail strike under the national railway la bor act. "Cooling off" provisions would delay a walkout for at least two months. Portland Democrat To Talk On CYA Tonight Stale Sen. Austin Flegcl, of Multnomah county, will speak on "Why Oregon Needs CVA," at a meeting at the Ashland sen ior high school at 8 p.m. today. The meeting is under sponsor ship of the Jackson County Dem ocratic Central committee, and is open to the public. Flegel, who has been one of the most prominently mentioned of possible democratic candidates for governor, is president of Wil lamette Iron and Steel company and a Portland lawyer. He has been a proponent of the Colum bia valley administration since it was first proposed, and has talked in favor of the proposal in many sections of the state. The senator spoke to the Lions club here last night. He said today that he has found no great interest in CVA, one way or the other, in the Rogue valley, and attributes this fact to the private utility (Cal ifornia Oregon Power company) which he said Is doing a good job In the area, and which has relatively low rates. Santiago. Chile, Feb. 9 U.R) Two strong earth tremors shook Santiago at 2:20 a. m. today but no damage or casualties were reported. Flood Threat falling after an earlier rise, lev eled off six feet above flood stage at Louisville. River ob servers said it would resume its climb if rains continued upriver. Rampaging Arkansas river re ceded, and the Red Cross pre pared to move 25.000 persons back to their lowland homes. Airport Closed A low ceiling closed Chicago Midway airport for 90 minutes at midnight, and eight planes, including several large airliners, circled the field until visibity improved. Milwaukee also reported that fog and rain hampered air traf fic. Farther west, fifth army sol diers were returning to their Colorado base after helping the Red Cross give emergency relief to snowbound North Dakota families. Finders MEDFORD, OREGON, Ray F. Marks Hat In Sheriff Race Ray F.Marks To Seek Nomination For Sheriff Here Ray F. Marks, 47, Medford real estate and insurance man, today announced that he will be a candidate for the republican nomination of Jackson county in the primary election May 19. Only other announced candi date for the office of incumbent Howard Cault, who is also seek ing the republican nomination. Here 23 Years A native of Boise, Ida., Marks has been a resident or Mcdtord for 23 years, coming here in 192B from La Grande, where lie was a Union Pacific railway em ployee. After coming here, Marks was a salesman for the Shell Oil company from 1927 to 1946, when he opened his own success ful insurance and real estate business. Marks is married, and the couple have one daughter, a stu dent at Southern Oregon college. He owns his own home in the Oak Grove district. His affiliations include the Masonic lodge, Eagles and Am erican Legion. He said he would file his state ment of candidacy with the county clerk today. Considerable speculation about other possible candidates for sheriff has been heard in Med ford. C. Lyall "Flash" Fidler, another realtor, has said that he may file for the office, either seeking the republican nomina ion, or as an independent candi date following the primary elec tion. Success Is Hope In Polio Drive Dick House. Jackson county chairman for the March of Dimes, said today that "we are within striking distance of ris ing the largest amount of money to meet the greatest need in the history of the March of Dimes in Jackson county." But to achieve this goal, House added, it will require the con tinued participation and gener osity of all individuals, particu larly those who have charge of the March of Dimes scrolls dis tributed to various business houses and firms, and those who have forgotten to mail their con tributions in the "dime cards" mailed out recently. State Drive Lags Dr. E. T. Hedlund, Portland, state drive chairman, said today that the effects of the state's worst winter weather were re flected in unfavorable campaign reports from many parts of Oregon. The state's two most populous counties, Marion and Multnomah, were "far short" of their goals, the chairman said. The need for the polio fight ing funds has not diminished. Hedlund added, since last year was one of the worst polio years in the state's history. Commit ments of virtually all counties are considerably larger than last year at this time and many of them have committments larger than the amount of funds on hand. Family Of Five Die As Flames Sweep Home Albany, N. Y., Feb. 9 (U.R) A familv of five burned to death today when fire swept their home. Those killed were Norbcrt Heppele. 32: his 24-year-old wife. Margaret, and their children. Theodore. 3: Gail. 16 months. and Henry, three months. Abruptly Ei.'j Hearings THURSDAY, FEBRUARY Jewelry Salesman Loses Diamonds Valued At $200,000 Loot Consignment From Employers Los Angeles, Feb. 9 (U.R) Two gunmen robbed a jewelry salesman's apartment of dia monds valued at $200,000 retail after one of them posed as a tele- grapn messenger to get inside. Salesman Milton Cohen, 35 said the loot was a recent con signment from his employers, the New York wholesale jewelry urm oi n. HamDurger. it was completely insured and had a wholesale value in excess of $60,- uuu, ne said. Pistol Pulled A man dressed as a messenger rang me conens doorbell last night, he said, and told Mrs. Anne Cohen, 35, he had a pack age for which only her husband could sign. Mrs. Cohen kept a chain latch on the door until her husband arrived to let the delivery man in. Once inside, the messenger pulled a pistol and herded the couple into the kitchen. The bandit forced them to lie face downward on the floor, then admitted his confederate through a roar door. "Where is the stuff?" Cohen said one of them demanded re peatedly. They paid no attention to the salesman's answer that all his merchandise was in a bank vault. The second bandit, dress ed in a blue jacket and gray trousers, started ransacking the apartment. Hidden In Case He finally found the jewels hidden in a black traveling case unner a Bathroom towel, Cohen said. The case, secured by a com bination lock, contained cut and uncut diamonds, some of them mounted. The bandits then stole a coat and shirt as a change of clothing for the one disguised as a mes senger. They also took jewels and a watch owned by Mrs. Cohen worth a total of $1,580, although they left the gem salesman's watch and wallet. Truman Approves Probe Of Monopolies Washington, Feb. 9 (U.R) President Truman today approv ed congressional investigation of alleged monopolistic practices by certain firms in the steel, news print, chemicals, soap, airline, and theatre industries. Chairman Emanuel Cellci, (D., N.Y.), of the house judiciary committee said after a While House call that Mr. Truman had endorsed the inquiry. Celclr said a judiciary sub-committee will investigate: U. S. Steel corporation. The newsprint industry, which Celler said is monopolized by Canadian firms "with the con nivance" of U. S. paper com panies. I he ,. I. JJupont de Nemours company. The soap industry with special attention to Lever Bros, and Its parent corporation. Unilever. Pan American airways. Alleged control of the whiskey- barrel manufacturing industry by distilleries. The Shubert theatrical hold ings. Vendor Ban Not Yet Passed By Council The proposed ban on down town vendors, who sell articles from parked vehicles, passed Its first reading at the Medford city council meeting Tuesday even ing, and did not receive final passage, as was reported incor rectly in a Mail Tribune story yesterday. The bill will come up for sec ond reading at the next council meeting on February 14, accord ing to City Recorder Ralph Woodford. Two Men Arrested In Billy Rose Robbery New York, Feb. 9 (U.R) Po lice Commissioner William O' Brien said today that the Billy Rose jewel robbery had been solved with the arrest of two of the bandits. Two other men whose identi ties are known, are being sought, and a fifth man, said to be the receiver in the $25,000 hold-up is bei.ig questioned, O'Brien said. Tribune 9, 1950 NO. 271 i V ' f - ft I I 'DON'T JUMP!' Police and firemen shout "don't Jumpl" as they direct mail napped on blazing hotel roof to wait for a longer ladder to be placed against the old wooden building In Oakland, Calif. All 15 residents of the two-story hotel were skved. Including the hotel, a half block ot old wooden structures were razod In the 2O0,00O fire. New School District Election Necessary Central Point, Feb. 9 Be cause of an interpretation of law by the bonding attorney that school district No. 6 was a first class district when the merger election was held in August, the school board at a meeting last night called for a re-vote on the consolidation between district No. 6 and district No. 98 (Tolo). Following this re-vote, it wiJI be necessary to re-submit the $500,000 bond issue proposition for new high school construc tion for a confirming vote, school board members stated. The August consolidation elec tion was held under the law gov- Wafer Supplies To Be 'Excellent' Prospects for water supplies for 1950 are "generally excel lent," the federal-state coopera tive snow survey said today in the second monthly report of the season. Only exceptions arc on eastern Oregon snow courses. The snow blanket on the Cas cade mountains is already con siderably above normal in water content, the report said, and could "produce extremely high winter or spring overflows" par ticularly in the Willamette basin. The possibility of floods was hinted at in the report, which said that heavy rains and above normal temperatures over the ranges could produce the high streams. Supplies of rcservoircd water were said to be generally "good" to "excellent" with the excep tion of five central and eastern Oregon reservoirs. Bridges Describes Jurisdictional Strife San Francisco, Feb. 9 (U.R) Harry Bridges, fresh from mak ing his fourth sworn denial that he is a communist, sketched for a jury at his perjury-conspiracy trial today the bitter history of AFL-CIO jurisdictional strife and said both sides frequently pinned the red label on their op ponents as part of a smear cam paign. "Wasn't John L. Lewis called a communist by the American Federation of Labor after he split with the AFL?" Attorney Vincent Hallinan asked Bridges. "Yes," he replied. "The same kind of names they use for me now were hurled at Lewis. In fact, there was more ahi'e against Lewis then than there is against me today." WEATHER FORECAST: Cloudy tonlfht and Friday with rain beilnnlni lata tonight. Warmer tonight. Temp. Hlghett Yeilerday 52 l.oweit thtl Morning 29 Prec. to 4:30 A.M. Today, Trace erning second class districts. School board members pointed out that there is considerable dif ference of opinion on the law governing the. time that a district changes classification. Rather than take the matter through the courts to the supreme court for decision at much expense and loss of time to the district, board members decided on the expedient of re-vote. Petitions must be presented to the county boundary board be fore an election can be called. It will set the election date. The district No. 98 petition must have at least five signatures of legal regis'ered voters and the district No. 6 petition must have at least 100 signatures. The school offi cials asked that all who sign petitions, write their namos the way they are registered. Women are reminded to use their own first names. Petition! Available District No. 6 petitions will be available in several Central Point and Gold Hill stores arid will be circulated by interested citizens. Time of the election will be published and posted In the dis tricts. Time of the bond election will be set following the merger vote. The elections, if expedited, are not expected to delay construc tion on the new high school since architects still have considerable work to do on plans and specifi cations. The original bond election was held in November and United States National bank and Blyth and company, Portland, were successful bidders. These re-votes will delay com pletion of the high srhool nam ing contest, it was said. Custody of Child Actress Awarded to Foster Parents After Corridor Brawl Hollywood,,, Feb. 9 (U.R) Child Actress Lora Lee Michel prepared today to leave the screen for life as a "normal child" with the foster mother who waged a hair-pulling fist fight with her real mother. Lora Lee's adoptive mother, Mrs. Lorraine Michel, 59, en gaged in an all-out slugging match yesterday with the 9-year-old child's mother, Mrs. Lena Brunson, 40, in a court corridor. Plea Turned Down Minutes later, Juvenile Judge A. A. Scott awarded custody of Lora Lee to Mrs. Michel, turn ing down a plea of Mrs. Brun jon for return of her daughter. The fight came at Lora Lee alked toward the courtroom, .i-co.il)" :r"?d !'y matron?. When Mrs. Brunson "caught BILL TO UP INTAKE $130 MILLION YEARLY IN HANDS OF SENATE Washington, Feb. 9 (UP) The house today passed by voice vote and sent to the senate a bill rais ing postal rates approximately $130,000,000 a year.. Passage came after the house rebuffed, 217 to 150 on a roll call, an attempt to shunt the bill aside by sending it back to the committee. The house met an hour earlier than usual today to get final action on the measure. Protesting that the increase will hurt publishing and other major mail-user businesses, the bill's op ponents used a technicality to hold off the vote after five hours of debate yesterday. House democratic leaders, who generally sup port the measure, immediately set today's session for 11 a.m. EST to dispose of the issue as quickly as possible. Postal Rates Would Be Incraaud To Two Cents The bill, which also will hike postcard rates from one to two cents, is designed to go part way toward meeting an annual post office deficit running upward of $500,000,000. President Truman originally asked the rates be In creased by $400,000,000. When repeated efforts to hold down the rates failed, Rep. James G. Fulton, (R., Pa.), de manded a copy of the bill print ed with all amendments the privilege of any member under house rules. That resulted in an overnight delay in a showdown. Rep. Robert J. Corbett, (R., Pa.), protested that the increase was another tax and "just a way of covering up inefficiency." Other members predicted it might drive some newspapers and mail order firms out of business. Exemption Provided One amendment adopted pro vided a new exemption for agriculture publications and re ligious, scientific or educational publications designed oniy ior education, regardless of whether they make a profit. Only non profit publications are exempi from nnstuue under prevent law. The house also voted discre tionary authority to the postmas ter general to raise or lower some special charges, such- as that for special delivery. Proposal Beat Down , The house beat down a pro posed exemption from the rate raise tor newspapers up 10 iou, 000 circulation. The bill carries such an exemption for publica tions with up to 10,000 circula tion. The raises included: Postcards, $40,000,000; second class (news papers and magazines), $15,000, 000; third class, $23,600,000 and fourth class, $40,000,000. Rescuers Push Toward tO Downed Aviators Whilchorsc, Y. T., Feb. 9 (U.R) A sure-looted rescue team In the wake of a bulldozing weasel plodded toward a mile-high Yu kon mountain shelf today where 10 plane-wrecked American and Canadian airmen huddled in 60-bclow-zero weather. The ground party, composed of Arctic-seasoned Canadian and American mountain troops, hoped to reach the survivors 85 miles west of here by evening. Only three men were Injured in the crash. The U. S. air force C-47, sighted yesterday, crash-landed between the 5,000 and 7,000-foot level Tuesday night while tak ing part in the two-week search for an American C-54 transport missing with 44 persons aboard. The ground party moved on snowshocs in the tracks of weas els plowing paths through brush and deep snow. Officers said the parka-clad rescuers must ad vance slowly to avoid breaking into a sweat. Salem, Ore., Feb. 9 (U.R) Howard Morgan of Monmouth, Ore., today filed his candidacy for commissioner of the bureau of labor. He will seek the demo cratic nomination at the May 19 primary election. Chicago, Feb. 9 U.R) The Burlington railroad today planned a $23,000,000 improve ment program for 1B50. sight of her, she rushed toward the girl, hugged her madly and sobbed: "my baby, my baby." Mr.. Michel and a group of friends struggled through a throng of spectators and tried to pull the embracing mother and daughter apart. Mrs. Bruson resisted and the two women scratched, kicked and pulled each other's hair while bystanders and officers tried to break up the fight. Black and Blue Mark When they finally were sep arated, Mrs. Michel nursed a big black and blue mark on her shin. Mrs. Brunson's coiffure was shredded. Lora L'ec's former dra matics coach, Mrs. Ona Wargin, displayed a bruised eye. Mrs. Michel later filed a battery war rant against Mrs. Brunson. Cily Police Hold 3 Young Men In Sex Crimes Probe Three sex crimes, one a vio lent criminal attack upon an 11-year-old girl, were under inves tigation by Medford city police today. Two cases were classified by the district attorney's office as statutory rape, since two teen age girls, considered incapable of consent, are involved. Rex Joseph Coy, 28, is being held for investigation by city police on the attack case, after being allegedly identified by the child and her playmates, police said this morning. In the other cases. James Earnest Lewis, 21, and Dan Roland Shugart, 19, both of Talent, are being held In county jail in lieu of $2,500 bail each. At their arraignment In justice court yesterday afternoon, the pair asked a continuation of their case in order to obtain legal counsel. , The attack on the child Is said to have occurred in a Medford west side residential district at about 7 p.m. yesterday, while several little girls were roller skating together. The young victim of the at tack was taken to Community hospital for examination, and when confronted witli the sus pect there she screamed, "that's the man, that's the man," accord ing to the police blotter. Though she was emotionally upset, she was able to give a detailed ac count of the attack and a de scription of her assailant, Inves tigating officers said. The girl's playmates and neighbors in the area gave po lice Information leading to the arrest a short time after the In cident was reported. Cov had not been arraigned in Uistice court at noon today. Several articles of clothing have been retained for police laboratory examination. Police have filed a complaint against Coy, asking that bail be set at $5,000. They expected he would be arraigned in justice court on a rape charge this after noon. His address is given as 830 Wabash avenue. Statements have been obtained from the two girls in the statu tory cases, who. in common with three girls involved in a similar case last summer, said they had had a rendezvous with the two men at a downtown "juke joint." The county juvenile officer re leased the girls to the custody of their parents after statements were taken. Russians Rule Out March, Is Claim Berlin, Feb. 9 (U.R) Western intelligence officers said tonight they had received reports that the Russians had ruled out a scheduled march by 500,000 youths aganist west Berlin next May 28. The reports said the Soviets decided against the march be cause violence seemed certain and it might involve western and Russian troops in grave incidents of far-reaching consequences. As they entered the court room, Lora Lee wailed "I want my mother, I want my real mother." Courtroom observers believed, however, that Lora Lee was re ferring to Mrs. Michel. Going To Texas After the judge issued his or der giving Lora Lee to Mrs, Michel, the foster mother an nounced that she was taking the girl out of pictures to return to Texas for schooling "as a normal child." Scott decided Lora Lee's moth er had no right to her because she signed adoption papers five years ago. Mrs. Brunson, who lives at Ncderland, Tex., said she was persuaded to give trp the rliild by 'fraud, trickery and under duress." I
