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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 1953)
TVl V mm Medford United 48th Year 20 Pgs P Three Survivors, -Three Dead Found By Rescue Craft Fire in Engines off Bomber Causes Crash London (U.R) Rescue hud quartan announce to night that four survivor have been saved from the wrack aga of an American RB-36 bombar which crashad in tha Atlantic. Tha othar 19 of tha 23 aboard wora faarad daad. London (U.R) Rescue head quarters reported tonight that a British ship has picked up three survivors and three bodies from an American B-26 bomber which crashed in the stormy Atlantic with 23 men aboard. The list of dead and living rose when the Manchester skip per radioed it had taken two more bodies from the sea, along with two more survivors as the search continued in heavy seas. Earlier, one survivor and one dead man had been taken aboard. . A Danish ship reported she was standing by another life boat possibly carrying five oth er survivors. The men tossed in smashing seas that piled up 15 foot high waves for nearly 14 hours before rescue vessels began picking them up. Earlier efforts of flying boats from the U.S. Air Force base at Shannon, Ireland, to land at the rescue scene were frustrated by the waves and the planes were forced to turn back to their, base. The British frigate Tenacious was racing to a second spot, 285 miles away from the scene of the rescue operations, to check on reports a search plane had sighted wreckage and parachute silk. The plane plunged into the sea in flames after two of its engines caught fire. An American SB-29 search plane which first reached the scene reported that four of the five men sighted were in good condition but that "the condi tion of the fifth is uncertain." The survivors were sighted at a position about 420 miles west of Pre3twick, Scotland. The men had been 'down ap proximately eight hours when sighted. BULLETIN Moscow (U.R) Tha Sov iets are culling their defense outlay for tha coming year by 3.2 par cant. Finance Minister Arseni Zverev told a joint session of tha Russian Par liament, tha Supreme Sov iet, tonight. He also disclosed that tha government proposes to re duce Russia's agriculture tax ation during tha coming year by 43 par cant. Talent Division Reclamation OK of Regional Director of A plan for an irrigation, flood control and power project on the Talent division of the Rogue River Basin project of the Bu reau of Reclamation, has re ceived the approval of the regional director of the bureau. His proposed report, for of ficial review and subject to later revision, has been forwarded from Boise, Ida., to the bureau's main office in Washington, D.C. Plan Said Feasible H. T. Nelson, the director, prefaces the report by saying the plan is feasible from both engi neering and economic stand points, and would pay itself out over 62 years. The report indicates the cost, based on January, 1953, figures, would total $19,894,000. Since investigative costs have already been met, the appropriation re quired would be $1,542,000. The proposed construction would provide a firm water sup ply through storage for Irriga tion of 17,890 acres, plus a de ferred development of 2,680 acres. Temporarily, 9.000 acre feet of water would be provided MEDFORD, OREGON, I REUK10M President Eisenhower is greeted at Seattle airport by his brother, Edgar. Looking an at reunion are, left to right. Senator Henry Jackson of Washington, Governor Frank Lausche of Ohio, fta and Edgar. The President is artrtxirng a nationwide governors' conference- in Seattle, Fluoridation of City Water Recommended1 A recommendation that fluo ride be added to the Medford city water supply was made to the city council last night by Dr. A. E. Merkel, city and county health officer. The recommendation also hasben placed before the city water commission, Dr. Merkel said. Three city councilmen were named by Mayor D. L. Flynn to meet with a representative of the water commission on the flu oridation recommendation and were directed to study the mat ter for the purpose of bringing a future recommendation to the councils Named to the committee were Councilmen Harold Frye, Stan ley Jones Jr., and Jack Fitzger ald. Presents "Kit" Along with the recommenda tion. Dr. Merkel presented each council member with a "kit" con taining material on the prob lem of dental cavities and "bene ficial results in the use of drink ing water which contains the . . . recommended concentration of fluoride in a natural or added state." He recommended that enough fluoride be added to the public water supply so that a concentra- BASEBALL AMERICAN Si. Louis 0 t 1 Boston .'. 5 9 3 Larsen and Courtney; Flow ers and White. Detroit 4 13 2 New York 5 10 0 Hoaft and Batts. Bucha; Mc Donald, Sain and Berra. : to supplement present inade quate irrigation supplies of the Medford and Rogue River Valley Irrigation ' districts until alter native sources of supply can be obtained. To Provide Power The report indicates that the plan would furnish a 10,000-kilo-watt block of power which would, make "a substantial con tribution to the area power needs," and, in addition to irri gation and power, flood pro tection would be provided along Bear Creek valley to farm lands and industrial, commercial and residential properties. Residents of the area are favorable to development of a federal irrigation project such as has been proposed, the report says, and . farmers .. have ex pressed a willingness - to pay reasonable costs. The report, which runs to nearly 200. pages including maps, graphs and charts, and in cludes chapters on various phases of the project, including the views of the several federal agencies involved, completes, the United Pi WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 1 953 91 y k. tion of between 1 and 114 parts per million will be present. Dr. Merkel said his recom mendation was based on "the fol lowing undeniable facts": 1. Dental cavities are the most prevalent .. disease , among chil dren in this community. 2. Scientific and authoritative studies show that dental cavities are reduced 40 to 70 per cent in communities which contain natu ral or controlled fluoride in the concentration of 1 to 1V4 parts per million in drinking water. No HI Effects 3. "To my knowledge, there is no one single case of ill effects reported in authoritative medi cal literature due to the use of water containing fluoride when the recommended concentration is used in either infants, chil dren, adults, or the aged." The doctor added that "After studying the material in this 'kit' or any other recognized scien tific material on the subjects of the effects of fluoridation of drinking water on dental caries (cavities) in children and young adults, I am sure you will be thoroughly convinced that imme diate action should be taken so that we might fulfill our public duty toward our young citizens." The subject of fluoridation of Medford's water supply has been discussed frequently here in re cent months. Two public meet ings have been held with Dr. David K. Witter, head of the dental division of the state board of health, who has also met with Mayor Flynn on the subject. Flu oridation also has been endorsed by the county medical and dental associations. (Othar council stories on Pages 1 and S) Plan Gets Reclamation preliminary work of the bureau on the project. If and when it receives the approval of the commissioner of reclamation and the secretary of the interior, it will be presented to congress for authorization, following inspec tion and approval of the Gov ernor of Oregon. Use Present Facilities The project would be an ex tension and addition to - works of the Talent Irrigation district, and existing facilities would be used as much as possible, in cluding Hyatt Prairie dam and reservoir, canal alignments, turnouts, and sublateral systems. Canals would be rebuilt to take care of larger flows, and Emi grant dam and reservoir would be enlarged. Some of the present facilities would be abandoned. The principal items' of con struction under the plan would include a dam and reservoir at Howard prairie, a penstock and powerplant on the Green Springs, reconstruction of Emi grant dam, and collection canals, a delivery canal, extension of laterals and division drainage works. Tribune- run Laml Win No. 117 i) President Working On Stack of Bills Before Vacation Washington (U.R) Presi dent Eisenhower waded Into a slack of legislation today to clear the way to leave this week end for a summer vacation in Colo rado. . Back from a flying trip to the Governor's Conference at Seat tle, the President had 207 bills before him for action this morn ing. One other bill was still in transit from Congress. Mr. Eisenhower hoped to pass on the bulk of this legislation be fore leaving for Denver. But members of his staff said he still woulS be forced to take a num ber of bills with him to Colo rado. Mr. Eisenhower was expected to spend more than a week in Denver, probably living at the home of Mrs. John S. Doud, the mother of Mrs. Eisenhower. Among other things, the Presi dent, h a s to act on foreign air, reciprocal trade, the admis sion of 214,000 over quota ref ugees, a controversial measure to cancel federal taxes on movie admissions, and' appropriation bills providing money for such items as Korean rehabilitation. Phoenix Installing Pumps; litigation Banned for Two Days Phoenix Mrs. Kathryn Stan- cliffe. mayor of Phoenix, today reported that all residents of that city are asked not to irri gate with city water Thursday and Friday. New water pumps are being installed those days, she said, and only one well will be serv ing the municipal water system. She added that it is hoped in stallation of the new pumps will solve the water shortage which has plagued Phoenix residents this summer. Career as Gunman Comes To 'Quick Halt . A f our year old Medford boy's career as a gunman was brought to a sudden halt yes terday. But it was exciting while it lasted. - Tha youngster climbed into an empty car to investigate and found a loaded .35 caliber Smith and Wesson revolver. He fired the gun, with tha bullet going in tha direction 'of soma neighbor children. - Tha bullet . wan) high, through tha wall, of a house across the street, struck tha door of i cupboard and fell into tha kitchen sink, dry po lice reported. Tha owner of tha gun agreed to remove it from tha car to . avoid further sxclttmsnl. V v 1 f V feliiiii u J - - J Councilmen Told Police in Error In Hurley Matter Recommendations Made For Procedure Changes The jailing of Lester Hurley last July 11, when he was suf fering from a fractured skull, was an error in judgment on the part of police officers, the city council was told last night. Hurley, a 62-year-old Camp White member, died July 14, after spending 41 hours in the city jail without medical atten tion. The reports made to the coun cil came from the council's po lice committee and from Mayor Diamond L.' Flynn. Both rec ommended that immediate steps be taken to bring the police de partment into compliance with procedures outlined in a survey of the department made in 1951 by Sgt. William P. Beall Jr., of the Berkeley, Calif., police de partment. Hearings Held The police committee, which has no administrative jurisdic tion over operations of the de partment, conducted four hear ings on Hurley's death recently. Its findings were: 1. Hurley was received at the jail in an injured and apparently unconscious condition, causes un known. 2. There appeared to be an error in Judgment in not render ing first aid. 3. Immeaiate steps should be taken "to bring about full com pliance with departmental opera tional procedures as outlined in the Beall report" 4. The poiice committee should make a continuing study of po lice department conditions. x 5. Immediate steps should be taken to work out a disciplinary system with Camp White auth orities in an effort to reduce the high arrest frequency of intoxi cated members."' Mayor's Recommendation Mayor Flynn's recommenda tions were similar, urging that several items of the Beall re port be placed in effect, includ ing first aid training for all of ficers, calling of an ambulance and doctor for incapacitated per sons, in custody, periodic in spection of the jail with written reports prepared, studies lead ing to more segregation in the jail, and examination of persons arrested before they are lodged in jail, with a physician being called "if there is the slightest doubt as to his condition. The mayor also urged the po lice committee to continue its investigation of the department. (Councilman John Snider, chairman of the committee, an nounced the committee's hear ings will resume at 4 p.m. Thurs day, with all councilmen asked to be present.) . "Honest Error Made" There was no evidence of mis treatment ' of Hurley by police officers, the mayor said, but he concluded that "an honest error was made, this man should have been given a physical examina tion . . " The mayor also said, "there are indications that some of the recommendations of Beall's re port are not being carried out fully and I am asking for a letter from the head of the depart ment of the portions of the re port that are impossible to com ply with at this time." The council took no action on the recommendations, but Mayor Flynn explained that since there were no objections, he consid ered the council had approved ef them, and that they would be placed in force. Several of the procedural recommenda tions nave been in force since the Hurley incident, which the mayor described as a "very dis agreeable matter." ' Questions "Magnitude" In discussion of the recom mendations. Councilman Stanley Jones stated that there is a question in the minds of the peo ple of Medford of the magnitude of the incident He asked the transcript of testimony taken by tne investigating committee be made public, a step which the mayor said will be done. Councilman Harold Frye slated that it is evident that blame lies with the city in the matter, but added that it also lies with officials of Camp White, who on occasion have re fused to send an ambulance for domiciliary members in police custody who have been sick or injured. The mayor said he has assurances from Camp White officials . that this policy has been chained. - Panmunjom, Korea UR) released by the Communists started home today but a dangerously high percentage were reported suffering advanced tuberculosis. Seventy Americans and 32 other United Nations troops gained freedom, some for the first time in three years, in the first ex change of "Operation Big Switch." They told of new atrocities and a last minute Red double cross. Half of the first 60 United Nations repatriates reaching Free dom Village near Munsan suffered tuberculosis and other lung disorders. Some complained they were starving. Mora Prisoners To Be Freed Today Newsmen at Panmunjom could hear the prisoners coughing as they rode to freedom in cheap blue Chinese uniforms on Rus sian trucks that bore the trademark of the Molotov Motor plant. Seventy more Americans will be freed at 4 p.m. (PST) today along with more than 300 other Allied fighting men. First repatriates were taken the port of Inchon where ships families. Last Minute Arrests Reported by Major Maj. John Daujat of San Pablo, Calif., stuck his head out of the Soviet truck bearing his group into Panmunjom and shouted his name to newsmen. '- He told them how the Communists had jailed some Americans, including high ranking officers, only two days before the first group of prisoners left the Yalu collection point on the journey to freedom. Daujat said the officers were Imprisoned on trumped up charges of "instigating against peace." Protest Against Treachery Expected The United Nations was ex pected to protest vehemently against the Communists' treach ery and demand immediate re lease of the prisoners in accord ance with agreements in the Ko rean armistice. The San Pablo major was the first of 3,313 returning Ameri cans . to identify himself. American prisoner described the horror of a death march that killed 1,250 American and oth ers told of mistreatment in prison camps. Altogether, in addition to the Americans, 26 Br Hons, 23 Turks, 12 Filipinos, 250 South Koreans, and one Australian, one Canadian, one Belgian, one South African and one Greek were liberated. Horror Story Told Some 400 will be released daily in exchange for 2,400 pris oners held by the Allies until all 12,736 Communist-held pris oners and 74,000 captives of the United Nations are released. Richard M. Davis of Booneville, Ark., one of 35 sick and wounded Americans in the first batch of repatriates, told a story of hor ror. 1.250 Lose Lives Davis said he was one of the 150 survivors of a "death march" from Wonju in South Korea to the Manchurian border in February, 1951, a cruel and merciless trek that took at least 1,250 American lives. When Davis was asked if any Americans had died of starva tion, he replied: "Lots of them." Others told stories of Ameri cans freezing to death, similar to the reports made by prisoners who were returned last April in "operation Little Switch." Huge cauldrons of coffee were steaming at Freedom Village when the first contingent ar rived. Dulles Present Secretary of State John Foster Dulles interrupted his confer ence with South Korean Presi dent Syngman Rhee to go to Freedom Village. He was accom panied by John Cabot Lodge, chief of the American United Na tions delegation, Assistant Secre tary of State Carl McCardle and Eighth Army Commander Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor. Dulles talked for the press and television with liberated Cpl. Raymond Shepherd of Pyramid, Ky. Sgt Robert J. Coffee, 23, first American marine repatriated in "Big Switch," said he thought he saw Russian soldiers helping the Communists in Korea. "I never saw blond Chinamen before," Coffee, of Long Beach, Calif., said. The list of released prisoners did not include any prisoners from Oregon. (Sea Story on Pages 3 and t) Russia Favors Invitation To China for Big 4 Talks Moscow U.R) Russia said today it favored inviting Red China to a conference with West ern Big Three foreign ministers and proposed the conference con sider general lessening of ten sion in international relations. Other Probems Asked Replying to proposals by the United States, Britain and France for a conference of Big Four foreign "ministers on Ger man reunification and Austrian independence, the Soviets said other international problems should not be excluded. The Soviet government said it favored a conference of foreign ministers to examine the ques tion of measures helping in m general lewnlni of tension in The first groun of war nrisoners to Freedom Village and then to stood by to return them to their Mutual Defense Pact With Korea Expected Shortly Seoul, Korea (U.R) South Korean delegates said today their - government will sign a mutual defense treaty with the United States after one more working level conference. - The rapid progress was dis closed after Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and Presi dent Syngman Rhee of South Korea went to work on final details of the security pact and vital points of a "common front" policy for the forthcom ing peace conference. Problems Tackled Later lesser officials tackled the problems and Kim Young Shik, minister to Japan, indi cated the defense document will be signed after . tomorrow's working level meeting. In the afternoon, two working level groups got down to facts and figures in a speeded up ef fort to complete their work so Dulles can leave Saturday for Washington, probably by way of Japan. Joint Position One of the working level groups tackled the job of bring ing the Korean and American drafts of the security pact be tween the two nations into har mony. The other began com paring notes on views they thought should prevail as a com mon front policy at the politi cal conference. A third problem that also may be settled while Dulles , is 'in Korea is the procedure for joint U.S.-Korean administration of the $200,000,000 America plans to give Korea as the first installment of a long range air and rehabilitation program. Unconscious Camp White Member Is Hospitalized A Camp White member who lost consciousness in the Trail ways bus depot yesterday after noon, was taken to Community hospital by Conger-Morris am bulance, according to city police records. The member, RayValter Os trum, complained of heart trouble, and was kept at the hos pital until a Camp White ambul ance arrived. Camp White offic ials reported this morning that his condition was good. Weather FORECAST: Mostly sonny and lightly wsraicr tkttiik Thursday. Low tonight ii, high tomorrow SS. Temp Highest Tetteraay ' Lowest this Morning .,, (S international relations, includ ing the reduction of armaments and the banning of foreign mili tary bases on territories of alien countries. The Russians did not refuse to meet without the participation of Red China. Accused of Evasion Russian accused the Western powers of evading the "basic German problems" in proposing a Big Four agenda limited to discussion of organization for free all-German elections for a unified government. Diplomatic observers were pessimistic about the possibility of a four power meeting in the near future as a result of the latest exchange. w . . Competent Officer From Other City Suggested for Job 'Gross Negligence' Charged to Officers The Jackson county grand jury today recommended that Medford Police Chief Clatous McCredie be replaced "by a man who is properly qualified in all respects to administer the affairs of the department." "Because of . . . departmental political implications ... it is strongly recommended that tha job of chief of police be filled from outside the department and community," the report stated. Suggests reorganisation It strongly urged that Sgt William P. Beall Jr., of the Ber keley, Calif., police department, or other officer of like caliber and ability be brought into the department for the purpose of completely reorganizing, re vamping and modernizing the police department, and that tunds be budgeted immediately in an amount sufficient to em ploy such a person. Sergeant Beall came here two years ago at the request of the city administration to make a survey of the city police depart ment and present recommenda tions for its improvement A comprehensive report on the subject was prepared by Ser geant Beall at a cost of approx imately $2,000 to the citv. Civil Service Advised The police department should be placed under a civil service system in order that the employ ment and discharging of officer personnel shall be on a merit basis, thus providing for a meas ure of job security in the depart ment the report continued. It added that "this report should not be construed as a con-, demnation of all personnel in the Medford city police depart ment, and it would be the recom mendation of this body that all present personnel who are cap able of meeting the require- jnents of a reorganized depart ment be retained." The grand jury recommended that Medford citizens read the entire report prepared two years ago by Segeant Beall and inter est themselves in the proper ad ministration of their police de partment Hurley Investigation The grand Jury's recommenda tions grew out of an investiga tion of the death of Lester W. Hurley, 62-year-old Camp White member, who died July 14 after spending 41 hours the week end of July 11 and 12 in the city jail without medical attention. Seven conclusions on Hurley's death were reported by the grand Jury. They included: 1. Lester Hurley's injuries. which resulted in his death. were caused by an accidental fall. . 2. There is no evidence of any criminal responsibility for Les ter Hurley's death. 'Grossly Negligent 3. The Medford city police were grossly negligent in the manner in which they handled Lester Hurley after his injury. Although it does not appear that such negligence contributed to his death, it is apparent that it did not contribute to his re covery. 4. That this negligence is the inevitable result of poor organi zation, complete absence of rou tine police procedures, and lack of officers' training, rather than personal or individual fault of officer personnel. (Beall's Re port). 5. That most of the defects in" the Medford police system, which were pointed out by Wil liam P. Beall Jr. in connection with the Medford police survey two years ago, still exist and that apparently few of his major recommendations for the correc tion of these defects have been followed. Won't Follow Report 6. That existing city and po lice administrative personnel cannot or will not take the steps necessary to the adoption of the Beall recommendation. Other Matters The grand jury was still in session at noon today, and was slated to consider other matters this afternoon. The jury is made up of J. E. Crawford, foreman; B. H. Boyer, Donald L. Harmon, Ruth A. Eberius, Lewis A. Birk land, Harry E. Blackburn, and Arthur E. Owen. All are Med ford residents except Birkland, Central Point and Harmon, Shady Cove. Mayor Diamond L. Flynn was reported to be out of town this afternoon, and could not be reached for comment after the jury's report was . issued. Mc Credie has been Medford police chief for some 24 years. Recommendations made by a -grand jury are not binding on the city administration, and are advisory in nature. 4
