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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 7, 1952)
vmr proposal wiu GAR LID JCKABES w mm Inequalities in Tax Payments Discussed; Full Reports Sought Inequalities in the payment of personal property taxes were dis cussed at length at a meeting in the courthouse last night Called by County Assessor C. A. Myers, the meeting was at tended by representatives of a number of different business erouDS. and some 30 or more persons participated in the dis cussions. They were asked to re port on the meeting to their own trade groups The fact is, Myers explained, that some merchants are not put ting full values on their inven tories when reporting them for personal property tax purposes, The result, he said, is that those who do report 100 per cent of their inventory value, are pay ing more than their fair share of the county's taxes. And some thing has to be done about it, he added. Alarming Proportions The situation, throughout the state as well as in Jackson coun ty, has risen to alarming propor tions, Myers said. A recent spot ' check conducted by the state tax commission revealed that only about 45 per cent of personal property tax returns give the full and true value of the inventories, and the lowest percentage shown in the spot check was one which listed only 4.4 per cent of the inventory's value. Simply in fairness to mer chants who report their full in ventories, Myers said, the situa tion "cannot be tolerated." The under-reporting of inven tories arose out of the 1941 law which permits merchants to re port on an "honor system," but it has been increasingly abused in subsequent years, it was ex plained. Myers said hat the law requires him to maintain equali zation, and that he will do so in this case. Equalisation Under Way He said that work has been done to equalize assessments of lumber mills, packing houses, hotels, motels, apartments, pro fessional offices and restaurants, but that equalization of inven tories (considering them on pre war values for tax purposes) can not be accomplished until the reporting situation is cleared up As a result, Myers reported, he has obtained from the county court authority for sufficient staff members to check the in ventory returns of each tax state Deficiency Bill Given Approval Washington (U.R) The House Appropriations committee ap proved Friday a deficiency mon ey bill totaling $992,067,000, about seven per cent under the budget requests. Part of the money will be spent in the 1952 fiscal year which ends next June 30, and part will carry over into suc ceeding fiscal years. ' The budget requests for a doz en federal agencies totalled $1, 069,000,000. The committee will cut this by $77,474,000. The largest item in the bill was $347,708,000 for pay in creases voted by Congress last year for federal employees. The committee also approved an ad ditional $285,800,000 for veter ans benefits, including pensions, national service life insurance, and disability payments. The Post Office department was voted $161,578,000 for addi tional costs of transporting mail, and the Internal Revenue bureau was marked for $20,000,000 more. ARRESTED Paul R. Scofield, 49, Lake ho tel, was arrested Thursday at about 5 p. m. after the theft of 7Vi pair of ladies' silk stock ings was reported from the Med ford Montgomery Ward store, according to city police. Officers said the man was car rying the stockings when arrest ed. Scofield was to be arraigned in district court today, police stated. Congress May Tie Strings To Foreign Aid; Cut Seen Washington (U.R) Congress will vote most of the foreign aid funds sought by President Tru man, but it may tie some strings to the money to make sure Euro pean allies pull together on re armament. That was the consensus of the views expressed by congression al leaders of both parties Friday in the wake of two strongly worded presidential pleas for $7,900,000,000 to keep the "mu tual security program" rolling in the coming 1953 fiscal year. In a special message to the House and Senate Thursday, and in a radio and television broad cast to the nation Thursday night, Mr. Truman warned that any economy cuts in his program ment sent to him, and a full-scale check of the books, or other sup porting documents, of all stores will be made The meeting was "esssentially an appeal to mercantile groups for their cooperation, according to Andrew Hawver, deputy as sessor. 'This thing has mush roomed, and this is a final ges ture in an attempt to secure full returns on inventories voluntari ly," he said Hawver explained that the of fice has no desire to penalize or acuse anyone, but he said "it is our duty to enforce the law. Want Cooperation "If we can get cooperation wonderful," he said, "but if not, we'll have to carry out the pen alty provisions of the law." The assessor's books will close in . May, Myers said, but until then the office will be liberal in accepting amendments to returns already filed. About 10 per cent of the expected number of re turns still are not in, he said, although March 2 was the dead line. As a result of the meeting, Myers said he would send a let ter to each firm on th personal property tax rolls, explaining the fact that each would be checked so that they will expect the depu ty assessors when, they arrive. Following this, when full in ventory values are reported, Myers will meet again with a representative group to discuss equalization, or "rolling back" of tax values on inventory per sonal property taxes, to offset inflationary values of the past 10 years. Morris To Testify In Oil Shipments Made for Russia Washington (U.R) Sen ate investigators Friday called corruption hunter Newbold Mor ris to testify next week on ship ments of oil for Russia by a Chinese-financed firm represent- cu kjy iuuiiu jaw uuiLd .. Chairman Clyde R. Hoey (D., N.C) said Morris will testify, "probably" on Tuesday, before the Senate's permanent investi gating committee. Approval Believed Hoey made the announcement as David B. Jarvis, New York shipping agent who operated the tankers for the Chinese-backed firm, said he felt that Naval intelligence "rather approved" the oil shipments, made in 1949. Jarvis testified that he also had a verbal okay from the State department. He said he did not know that, as the committee brought out Thursday, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson was protesting strongly to the Mari time commission against the trade. Six Trips Made Two tankers, the St. Christo pher and Kettleman Hills, made six oil-carrying trips in 1949 and early 1950. They transported oil from Constanza in Rumania to Communist Chinese ports. The tankers were owned by United Tanker corporation,' a Chinese-financed American com pany represented by Morris' law firm. Balmy Temperatures Slated for Week-End By UNITED PRESS The weatherman Friday prom ised sunshine and balmy temper atures for the Pacific Northwest during the week-end. . Forecasters said some cloudi ness could be expected in south eastern Oregon but no rain was in prospect for either Oregon or Washington through Sunday. Temperatures in western por tions of the two states were ex pected to range up to 68 degrees with maximums up to 50 east of the Cascade mountains. would be dangerous" and might undermine "our chances for avoiding another world war." There was general agreement in Congress, however, that some cuts will be made. A few law makers spoke of cutting the re quest in half, but the figure most often mentioned was a reduction of $1,000,000,000. Among those who predicted that the program will be cut but not crippled were Chair man James P. Richards, D-S.C, of the House Foreign Affairs committee and Tom Connally, D Tex., of the Senate Foreign Re lations committee, Senate Repub lican Leader Styles Bridges, N. H., and House Democratic Whip J. Percy Priest, Term. Powers Fighting In Korea Would Not Be Included Reds Probably Alarmed by Reports Panmunjom (U.R) The Communists moved Friday to place Red China beyond the pos sibility of a naval blockade or invasion from Formosa by pro posing to ban naval blockades the world over among the pow ers now fighting in Korea. Chinese staff officer Col. Pu Shan proposed in truce super vision talks that all references to Korea be dropped from the already-approved armistice clause forbidding blockades. Alarm Believed ' It was believed the Reds have probably been alarmed by re cent press reports from Wash ington that the United States was considering military action against the mainland of China if the, truce talks fail or if the Reds violate the armistice agree ment. . . Allied staff officers wrote off the Communist proposal as hav ing no significance other than to stall the truce talks still fur ther. Meanwhile, Vice-Adm. C Turner Joy, chief Allied staff officer, returned from Tokyo after conferring with Gen. Mat thew B. Ridgway, presumably about the progress of the truce talks. Playing Waiting Game Since Joy has been in Tokyo the Communists have played what seems to be a waiting game. Presumably, they hope Joy will be authorized to alter the UN opposition to having Russia as a "neutral" truce su pervisor and to voluntary repa triation of prisoners. In an adjoining tent, Commu nist delegates agreed to a Unit ed Nations proposal for volun tary repatriation of civilian for eign nationals held by each side. But they still insisted on forced repatriation of war pris ers. Col. Don O. Darrow, UN rep resentative in the truce supervi sion talks, told newsmen he did not Jtnow , whether the Reds, would try to make a major is sue" out of their blockade pro posal,' which obviously was un acceptable to the Allies. Strike Situation Mostly 'Unchanged' A hearing in circuit court on continuance of a temporary re straining order sought by Single ton Milling company was re sumed this afternoon after a noon .recess. The company asks that Local 3030, Lumber and Sawmill Workers unicn, AFL, be com pelled to cease picketing the firm's plant in Central Point. The hearing, which is being conducted by Judge O. J. Mil lard, Grants Pass, is expected to be continued tomorrow. Judge Millard has also been assigned to hold a hearing on a permanent injunction sought by the firm, Elsewhere, the strike situation was mostly "unchanged." At Jackson Creek Lumber company, a crew passed picket lines for the second day to operate the plant. Gene Tedrick, business manager of Local 3030, said 13 men passed picket lines this morning by union count. . At the Central Point plant of the Southern Oregon Planing mm, oniciais said this morning that employees have been noti fied by registered mail that the plant will resume operations Monday. The situation at both Jackson .Creek Lumber and Southern Oregon Planing is "still deadlocked," Tedrick said. Wage Board Requests Delay in Oil Strike Washington U.R) The Wage n.L At oiauiiizauon rioara t naay asked oil workers to postpone a na tionwide strike threatened for Sunday while the board consid ers the dispute. Board chairman Nathan P. Feinsinger telegraphed oil un ions and eight companies that a strike would "substantially tnreaten the progress .of national defense." ... . me unions ana companies were expected to comply with the request to maintain "normal work production schedules." Board policy is not to consider a dispute while a strike is in prog ress. WEATHER FORECAST - Generally fair tonight and Saturday. Rising afternoon temperatures. Low . tonight 28. High Saturday SS. . : Temp. Highest yesterday M .Lowest this morning 2i TESTIFYING before a Senate committee, Mrs. Olga Konow, New York ship operator, tells of working for $100,000 commission on each of three U. S. tankers which passed to Chinese-controlled interests. (International, Deputy Mistaken As Robber Slain; Two Others Hurt Seattle U.R) A partially-deaf 62 - year - old dishwasher shot down a deputy, sheriff and wounded two other officers mis takenly here Friday when they were summoned to the Ingle wood golf course clubhouse to investigate a $10,000 holdup by four armed men. Ralph Bishop, 62, the dish washer at the clubhouse, told Sheriff Harland Calahan, "I thought they were stickup men I guess and I fired." Dead was Deputy Norman Silkworth, 26. Wounded were Deputies William Randecker, 27, and Claude Dodd, 43. Both were expected to recover. The weird shooting took place when the officers received an ur gent call from the club's night watchman who said four armed men had just robbed the club's safe. When the three officers arriv ed they opened the door and Bishop began shooting. Randecker said he heard Dodd yell three times, "this is the po lice." However Bishop, who wears a hearing aid, said he did not hear what they said ; 'T thought they were the stick- up men. One looked like an offi cer, but I didnt' know. I fired at him. Then another fellow, Silk worth, ran through the doorway and I shot at him. He doubled over and dropped to the floor." Officers estimated Bishop had fired 11 to 15 shots at the depu ties. Bishop said he and two nicht watchmen, Lloyd Cannon Jr., 19, and Cyrus T. Dorsey, were tied up by four armed men after one man came to the door and said he had car trouble. "When we went to give help, three others jumped from the shrubbery and held guns on us. They tied us up and rifled the safe," Bishop said J. P, Berron, Inglewood Coun try club president, said the hold up men got away with about $10,000 from the safe. Bishop said he went upstairs to his living quarters at the club house and got his gun, a .45 cali ber pistol, "and then I waited,' he told officers. When the three men, the sheriff's deputies, bolt ed through the front door thought they were the robbers and I started shooting." No charges have been placed against Bishop but Calahan said there would be a thorough inves tigation and questioning. Masked Pair Pulls $100,000 Robbery Quonset Point, R. I. (U.R) Two Halloween-masked gunmen robbed a credit union manager of $100,000 cash at the U. S. Naval air base here Friday and a few hours later two men were seized for questioning as they drove through Cranston. The robbery, largest in New England since the $1,219,000 Brink's, Inc., holdup and sec ond looting of the credit union within a year, was so swiftly ex ecuted the bandits drove past two armed sentries without a shot being fired. With police throughout the state patrolling the highways, a green Oldsmobile convertible sedan was found burning on a road in East Greenwich. It was similar to the bandits' getaway car.. Overturned Chemical Brings Fire Alarm Two Medford fire trucks an swered a general alarm at the Timber Products Company ' ve neer plant near McAndrews road shortly before noon today, ac cording to firemen. The blaze at the plant started when a contain er of carbon disulphide overturn ed and was ignited . by an ex haust, they said. Damage was not reported, but was believed to be minor. MEDFORD United Press Full Leased Wire 46th Year 16 Pages Court Whose Papers Washington (U.R) A con gressman demanded Friday that Maj. Gen. Robert W. Grow. whose diary fell into the hands of the Russians, "be given a gen eral court martial." Diary Brings Frown The demand came from Rep. Pat Sutton, D.-Tenn., a frequent critic of the military. He said that Grow's diary, proposing that the United States attack Russia "as soon as possible' 'and "by hit ting below the belt," should not have been kept. Especially, he said, it should not have been al lowed to fall into Russian hands. "We should not let him off I President Sees r52 Critical Year In Security Plans Washington (U.R) Presi dent Truman told Congress Fri day that 1952 may be the "crit ical" year in Western Europe's buildup against Communism. In his first report to Congress on the mutual security program, the president said Europe has made "marked" and "steady' progress in building "positions of strength" against the threat of Communism. But he added Program for Peace 'For the nations of Western Europe, the year 1952 may well be the critical time in the de fense buildup, bridging the peri od between extreme vulnerabil ity to Soviet attack and effec tive preparedness." Mr. Truman, in . a letter send ing the report to Congress, de scribed -mutual security as "program for peace" despite the large amounts spent on troops and arms. ' "Its ultimate success will come when the troops and weap ons are no longer needed, and the monies now required for de fense can be used to raise the living standards of our own and other nations who are truly de voted to peace." The mutual security program, administered by W. Averell Har- riman, was set up by Congress last year to coordinate all forms of U. S. foreign aid. The report reviewed foreign aid activities from the pre-Marshall plan days to the current buildup of mili tary strength under the North Atlantic Treaty organization. President To Spend Vacation in Florida Washington (U.R) President Truman had a date Friday with the sun and sand of Florida. The Chief Executive, barring a decline in the condition of his ailing mother-in-law, was sched uled to take off in the White House plane for Key West, land ing at the Boca Chica Naval Air station at about 3 p.m. Mr. Truman hoped to stay in Florida until just before the na tional Jefferson-Jackson Day din ner here March 29, when many politicians expect him to an nounce whether he will seek re election. ' The President has made n5 public promise that he will an nounce on March 29, but since the dinner will be the Democrat ic party's biggest pep meeting of the year, he is expected to use the spirited occasion to the full est political advantage. . . OLCC Cashier Held In Theft of Money Portland (U.R) Fred J. Clemo, 58, cashier for the Oregon state liquor control commission, was jailed Friday on" a charge of larceny of public money. An attorney for the commis sion said Clemo had been miss ing since February 25 when audi tors arrived to make a routine check of his books. Clemo put on his hat, announced he was going to a funeral and disappeared. The check showed the books were short $4219.65, the attor ney said. A deputy sheriff recognized Clemo on a downtown street and he was held under $5,000 bail. Washington U.R) Robert Leedy, Portland attorney, was admitted to the bar of the United States supreme court Friday. 1 -iv fl ATT MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY; MARCH 7, Martial Asked Diary Obtained Proposed Prompt Attack on with a slap on the wrist," Sutton said. Rep. Robert L." F. Sikes, D., Fla., a member of the House Ap propriations subcommittee, de manded that Congress investi gate the whole affair. -Army Remains Silent The Army meanwhile refused to discuss whether any action would be taken against Grow be cause of his diary, which he kept while serving as U.S. military at tache in Moscow last year. The diary fell into Communist hands and the Reds are now widely ad vertising its contents, particular ly that part which advocates an Three More County Republicans File Major Office Candidacies Paul . Rynning, long - lime county engineer, today filed for reelection in a surprise move which few persons knew was necessary. He revealed today that he, and a number of other county officials and employees "re signed" last December and were reappointed in a move re quired by technicalities of the state retirement act. The county court never made public announcement of the "resignations" nor reap pointments, and few people outside the courthouse, it ap peared today, knew that it had occurred. It so happens that Ryn ning's job is the only one af fected by the resignation tech nicality which requires reelec tion. Among others covered are the county clerk, treasur er and .assessor, whose terms expired anyway. Those who knew the situa tion were the only ones fami liar with the fact that Run ning's term expires this year, rather than in 1954 as listed by the official Oregon Blue Book. Three more Jackson county Republicans had announced their candidacies for major public of fice up to noon today. itooert A. n,mott, insurance man and chairman of the Re publican State Central commit tee, said he is filing today as a delegate from the state at large to the national Republican con vention. Dr. Gerald A. Dierdorff, Med ford osteopathic physician and surgeon, will seek the Republi can nomination as state repre sentative from Jackson county, according to a spokesman. And John Henry Tizekker, 2116 East Main street, filed for the Republican nomination for county assessor. Elliott is formerly GOP chair man in Multnomah county; a Re publican precinct committeeman for 10 years; former state chair man and northwest regional di rector for the Young Republican federation, and was a delegate from the state at large to the 1948 national GOP convention. He has been active in all phases of party work for 17 years. A native of Oregon, he has lived in Baker, Coos, Lane, Mult nomah and Jackson counties. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon, and is a war veteran. He enlisted as a private at the be- Russ Arms Production Surpasses Free Lands Washington (U.R) State De partment officials said Friday that Russia is pouring a far larg er share of its money and man power into arms production than the United States or any other free nation. They said the Soviet Union's new budget shows it is devoting more than half its entire nation- income to a great effort to prepare for war. By comparison, U.S. defense spending runs only about one fifth of the national income. Salem O. Hilding Bengtson, Brookings attorney, filed his candidacy here yesterday, for the Republican nomiriation for state representative from the Seventh district of Coos and Curry counties. - Bengtson, who formerly lived m Medford, still maintains a law office here. He formerly was a member of the legislature from Jackson county. , for General by Russians attack against Russia. The Army also said that Grow Would not be available for com ment. Sutton and Sikes thought that Grow was "indiscreet" in keep ing such a diary. Favors Questioning "It was not at all smart of the general to keep a diary, and I think Congress should ask some questions about why he did," Sikes told a reporter. He added that if the House Armed Services committee doesn't investigate, "1 think our subcommittee will." Chairman Carl Vinson, D.-Ga., declined to say whether the ginning of World War II, and had combat service with the in fantry in France, Germany and Austria. At present he is a ma jor in the 104th infantry reserve division. His activities here include serv ice as chairman of the Red Cross disaster committee; vice-chair-chairman for mass care of the county. Civil Defense Agency, and Episcopal church, vea trans, civic and fraternal work. Dr. Dierdorff's entry in the list of Republicans seeking nomi nation for seats in the house of representatives makes a race out of the primary election. Candi dates so far announced are Rob ert Root and Ed Mann, boih in cumbents. Dr. Dierdorff, 33, is a native of Colorado, and spent most of his boyhood in the midwest, grad uating with a BS degree from York college, . York, Neb., with cum laude honors. He received his degree as doctor of osteo pathy and surgery from Des Candidates To Be Plentiful in State - 8 Presidential Vote Salem (U.R) Oregon Friday became a battleground for prac tically every presidential can didate named so far, except Sen. Robert A. Taf t of Ohio and Presi dent Truman. Deadline for filing for Ore gon s May 16 preferential pri- mark was 5 p. m. Friday and names oi candidates, eager or reluctant, were pouring into the state election bureau here. Consent Not Needed Under Oregon law, consent of the candidate is not needed and once filed the candidate cannot withdraw his name. On file for the Republican ballot were names of Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Gov. Earl Warren of California, Harold E. Stassen and Sen. Wayne Morse of Oregon. Stevenson May File On the Democratic ticket for the presidential nomination are Sen. Estes Kefauver of Tennes see and u. s. bupreme Uourt Justice William O. Douglas. Pe titions to file the name of Gov. Adlai Stevenson of Illinois were expected to be filed before the deadline. On the Republican side, Gen. MacArthur and Sen. Morse have told backers their names were filed without their desires or consent. Morse said flatly he was not a candidate for president. Justice Douglas also stated he was not a candidate for thei Democratic nomination. Bridges To Remain Neutral In New Hampshire Primary Washington (U.R) Senate Re- ers are backing Eisenhower in publican Leader Styles Bridges proclaimed his strict neutrality Friday in the heated GOP presi dential primary battle in his home state of New Hampshire. New Hampshire votes next Tuesday in the nation's leadoff primary of 1952 and the first test between Gen. Dwight D. Eisen hower and Sen. Robert A. Taft, who are considered the chief contenders for the GOP presi dential nomination. Gov. Sherman Adams, Sen. Charles W. JTobey, and other New Hampshire Republican lead-1 Tribune United Press Full Leased Wire) 1952 No. 303 Soviets armed services committee may look into the matter. Discouraged State Department officials noted that the publica tion of Grow's diary coincided with Russian charges that the United States is rearming west ern Europe with the aim of wag ing "aggressive" war on Russia. 'Defensive' Speeches Made In an effort to offset this Com munist propaganda, President Truman and Secretary of State Dean Acheson have emphasized repeatedly in recent speeches that the western rearmament program is purely "defensive" in nature. ROBERT A. ELLIOTT Files as GOP Al-Large Delegate Moines Still college, Iowa, and served his internship in Detroit (Michigan) Osteopathic hospital, later taking post graduate work in surgery at Los Angeles. He came to Medford in 1949, and has practiced here since. He is a member of the staff at Osteo pathic hospital and clinic, and has an interest in a dry clean ing firm here. 1 The son of the Methodist minis ter at Gold Hill, Dr. Dierdorff is married and the father of two sons and a daughter of pre school age. He has been active in the Methodist church, in the Gideons, and in fraternal and civic roles. His home is at 2631 Hillcrest road. He said he is "for the applica tion of Christian principles in government, free enterprise without unnecessary govern mental controls, balanced econ omy, and social improvement without socialism." Seeks Job Again Tizekker was an unsuccessful candidate for. the Republican nomination for county assessor in the 1948 primary election. He is seeking the office because he wants "just and equal taxes for all," he said. A native of Pennsylvania, he lived in Cleveland, O., for 14 years before coming to Medford 6Vi years ago. For 18 months he was a deputy assessor, and later served as expediter on the Big Butte Springs pipeline construc tion project of the city. He has 16 years experience as a heavy construction supervisor, he said, and was an inspector of federal heavy equipment. He has college engineering training gained in Ohio. Tizekker is married and one daughter is secretary in the Teamsters union and the Elks club here. the hard-fought campaign. Although he has been describ ed as a Taft supporter, Bridges has never endorsed any candi date. "I have, still do and shall con tinue to maintain my neutral po sition in this campaign," he said. New Hampshire Republicans will choose among Eisenhower, Taft, and Harold E. Stassen in the presidential preference "pop ularity" contest. Slates of candi dates to be delegates to the GOP nominating convention have been entered for Taft, Eisenhow er and Gen. Douglas MacArthur. t fl H " If
