mm
S
Medford
United tress nil Leaded wire
49th Year 26 Pages
MILL
FATAL WORK
Eugene R. Birk
Dies; Death Caused
By Blows on Head
B. H. White Arrested;
DA To File Charges
District Attorney Walter
Nunley arrived in Medford
shortly after noon today, and
announced that he has request
d the county clerk's office to
summon the grand jury imme
diately concerning the death
of Eugene Raymond Birk.
' Eugene Raymond Birk, 32, of
215 Fourth st.. Phoenix, died
at Ashland hospital last night
from injuries suffered when he
was hit on the head in an alter
cation yesterday morning, ac
cording to Dolice authorities.
Bernice Hampton White, 37,
of 228 Hartley rd., Medford,
was booked into the county jail
last night for assault with a
dangerous weapon. Filing of ad
ditional charges is being upheld
pending word from District At
torney Walter Nunley, who was
to return today from Salem
where he went to appear in a
case before the state supreme
court.
Police Called
State police were called at
about 11:13 a.m. yesterday, and
were told there had been, a fight
at the Talent sawmill, and that
a man had been injured and
taken by ambulance to Ashland
hospital. Police officers and
deputies went to the. mill and
arrested White.
Witnesses told officers that
White, a head resaw man at
the mill had been arguing dur
ing the morning with Birk, a
handyman and relief worker. At
about 11 a.m., officers were told,
men on the resaw unit were
being relieved, and White and
Birk resumed their argument.
The witnesses said that Birk
made a motion toward White
to go away, and that White then
went behind Birk, picked up a
two-by-four board some four
feet long, and struck Birk over
the head, knocking him down,
then hit him again.
The mill superintendent took
the board away from White, and
held him in custody until offic
ers arrived.
Birk died at about 7:45 p.m.
Deputy District Attorney
Gene Piazza, Sheriff Howard
Gault and state police officers
questioned White this morning.
It is expected that a charge ar
ising out of Birk's death will
be filed in circuit court, probr
ably today. .
White is married and the fa
ther of three small children.
Leaves Wife, Parents
Birk leaves his wife, Beiyl,
L. his parents, Mr. and Mrs. E. L.
- Birk, Phoenix, a sister, Mrs. Rita
King, Medford, and a brother,
Clifford, in Arizona. He was
born in Gridley, Kans., and
has lived in Phoenix about 19
years.
He served as an Army ser
geant during World War II.
Funeral services have been ar
ranged for Saturday, March 5,
in Litwiller's Mountain View
chapel, with interment to follow
in the Ashland cemetery.
'Most Valuable Student1 Awards Listed
By Elks; Medford, Crater Students Win
Michael DeVore, a student at
Medford High school and son of
Mr. and Mrs. R. Ronald DeVore,
806 East Jackson st., has been
named first place winner in the
annual "most valuable student"
contest of the Medford Elks
lodge.
The announcement was made
bv Frank Hussong, exalted ruler
of the Elks here.
Second place winner, who
also won first place among girls,
is Verity Day, Crater High
school, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Ben Day, Sam svalley.
The two will compete for reg
ional honors which will be
awarded at Bend on March 6.
They will be guests of the Elks
MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, MARCH ?
F!
m
U
Work Undler Way on
City, County, School
Budgeb for 'SS-'SS
Work ha3 started on 1955-56
fiscal programs for Jackson
county, the city of Medford, and
School District 49, which in
cludes the Medford public
schools.
County Commissioners L. G,
Morthland and Chester Wendt
said this morning that county
departments have started prep
aration of estimates of their
budget needs for the fiscal year,
Depth of Snow
Said Over Average
In Goolaway Area
Snow on the ground in two
areas at the head of Evans creek
appears to be deeper than aver
age .according to measurements
made this week.
A Monday trek into the snow
courses at Goolaway gap and
mountain, by a crew using a
four-wheel drive truck, resulted
in measurements which show
the -average depth on the moun
tain course was 32.3 inches, and
at the gap 11.2 inches.
For the seven-year period
from 1939 to 1946, the last pe
riod during which the two snow
courses were measured regular
ly, the average depth was 11
inches on the mountain and 4
inches at the gap, with March 1
measurements ranging from
only a trace up to 34 inches on
the mountain, and from nothing
up to 14 inches at the gap.
Nearly at Top
Clem Ault, technician here
with the U.S. soil conservation
service, said both measurements
this week were nearly as much
as the greatest depths recorded
during the seven-year period.
The measurements Monday
were made by Bill Cox, SCS
technician with the Sams Valley-
Beagle district, and Al
Petska, engineer for both local
soil districts, with equipment
loaned by the California Oregon
Power company.
Ault said figures as to water
content of the snow this week
are not available, but he added
they probably would be a little
higher than the seven-year
average of 3Vfe inches.
Two Children Perish
As Home Destroyed
New Plymouth, Ida. (U.R)
Two small boys died in a fire
which gutted their one-room
home here Wednesday night.
The victims were identified as
Donald Dawes, 11 months, and
his brother, Edgar, 4.
Firemen said cause of the
blaze has not been determined.
The parents were outside the
house doing their farm chores
when the fire started about 7:30
p.m.
New Plymouth is just a short
distance across the Snake river
from Ontario, Ore. '
at the Bend meeting.
Young DeVore wins $40 in
scholarship funds, and Miss Day
will received $25. Third place
winner is Nancy Hammers,
Phoenix High school, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Hammers,
4069 South Pacific highway,
Phoenix, $20, and honorable
mention was given to Elaine
Sorum, Medford High, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Sorum,
Delta Waters rd., and to Donald
von Buskirk, Crater High, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Carl von Bus
kirk, Central Point, $10 eachi
. The contest is separate from
the leadership and activities
awards, winners of which also
were announced by the Elks
bHI MM WM. MM -
il
o)
Four county departmental es
timates have ben received so
far, they said. The first meeting
of the county budget committee
probably will be held sometime
before April 1.
Among the problems facing
the county budget committee
this year will be allocation of
more than $815,000, which was
Jackson county's share of im
pounded O&C timber land re
ceipts released recently.
City's All In
Budget estimates for all city
of Medford departments have
been completed, City Manager
Robert Duff said this morning.
The city hopes to have all pre
liminary work on the budget
completed in time for presenta
tion to the budget committee by
March 15, Duff said.
Department estimates for the
city school system are now in
the process of presentation, ac
cording to E. H. Hedrick, city
superintendent of schools. A
meeting date for the school dis
trict budget committee has not
been set, Hedrick said, but it is
hcped that the first meeting of
the group can be held sometime ;
late this month. "'
Churchill Sees US
In Counter-Attack
London U.R) Prime Min
ister Winston Churchill said to
day that in event of a hydrogen
bomb attack on Britain "I sup
pose" the United States "might
possibly" counter attack the ag
gressor without prior consulta
tion with Britain.
Churchill carefully avoided
saying whether he figured the
United States would use its
British-based planes to launch
such a counter attack, however,
The Churchill statement de
veloped almost incidentally dur
ing a session of parliamentary
scarring between the Prime
Minister and Socialist M. P,
Kenneth Robinson.
Robinson wanted assurances
that the United States will not
get its Britain-based planes en
gaged in any fighting without
first consulting Britain.
Springfield- Market
Loses Money Bag, Cash
Springfield (U.R) Spring
field police today were looking
for the person who stole a money
bag containing $3017 in curren
cy- and check's from Offley"s
Supermarket here this morning.
Sylvester D. Offley, manager
and part-owner of the market,
told police he had placed the
money in a bank money bag to
take it to the bank. He said he
laid the bag in a tray under some
papers beside the cash register
while he turned away for a mo
ment to speak to a workman re
pairing a refrigeration unit.
When he returned the bag was
gone.
lodge this week. Judging in the
''most valuable student" contest
is based on scholarship, 50 per
cent; and extra curricular and
out-of-school activities, personal
ity and leadership, perseverance
and resourcefulness, general
worthiness and citizenship, and
need, 10 per cent each.
Last year Richard Johnson,
then a senior at Medford high
school, went on to win the sixth
place award in the nation. He is
now a premedical student at
the University of Oregon.
State award winners will re
ceive $600 scholarships each for
the top boy and girl, with $1,200
to the over-all state winner.
Nationally, $28,000 in prizes
will be awarded.
No. 297
v
J)
Ul
ITU
Security Council
Representative
Probes Gaza Clash
Both Sides Will Give
Accounts of Incident
Gaza, . Egyptian-Israeli Fron
tier (U.R) Canadian Maj. Gen,
E. L. M. Burns completed an in
vestigation today of the shoot
ing incident that touched off the
Egyptian-Israeli crisis and pre
pared to file his report to the
U.N. Security Council in New
York.
Burns, chief U.N. truce super
visor for Palestine, spent 25
minutes inspecting the scene of
the biggest Gaza clash Monday
night, and 10 minutes at two
other areas where smaller
clashes occurred, and returned
to the Israeli side of the truce
demarcation line.
To Hear Both Sides
He said the Mixed Armistice
Commission would meet later
today in Jerusalem to hear ac
counts from both sides. So far,
he said, each side has given con
flicting reports of casualties they
suffered Monday night and "I
don't know what the exact cas
ualties were."
"I came to have a look at the
scenes of the incidents as I have
been requested by the Security
Council to'submit a report," he
said. "I feel it would be inap
propriate for me to express any
opinion now or before the
Mixed Armistice Commission
has met and disclosed its find
ings." Gees With Escort
Burns arrived at the truce de
marcation line from Israel. He
was accompanied by an Israeli
military escort up to a point five
miles from the line, but con
tinued without escort across the
dangerous no man's land.
An Egyptian military escort
awaited him to escort the Ca
nadian general to this riot-torn
desert town where Arabs have
rioted for two days in a demand
for arms to avenge the Israeli
attack of Monday night.
Churchill Discloses
Nearness To Death
London U.R) Prime minis
ter Winston Churchill disclosed
in Commons for the first time
last night how close he was to
death in 1953.
"I was struck down by a very
sudden illness which paralyzed
me completely physically,'' he
said.
Churchill made the statement
in explaining why he could not
meet with Soviet Premier
Georgi Malenkov and President
Eisenhower soon after Malen
kov took power. His illness was
one reason, . the opposition of
Mr. Eisenhower the other.
His statement confirmed spec
ulation at the time he may have
suffered a stroke, but the na
ture of the illness which forced
postponement of the Bermuda
conference was kept secret.
Rogue River Girls
Take Boys' Obligations
Rogue River The girls
at Rogue River High school
this week are boys and the
boys are girls.
At least that's the way Prin
cipal James Hayden describ
ed an annual event, "twirp
week," in which the girls do
all the polite things boys do
and the boys just enjoy it.
Girls are allowed to carry
boys' books, open doors, pay
for dates and generally pur
sue the men of their choice
without the usual reserve ac
corded by - standard good
manners for the weaker sex.
The week will be topped
off by a dance Friday night,
which is sponsored by the stu
dent council.
Some authorities on the sub
ject state that "twirp" means
"The Woman Is Requested To
Pay."
China Reds Warned
Not To Assume
Attack Immunity
Dulles Says U. S.
To Defend Islands
Taipeh, Formosa (U.R)
Secretary of State John Foster
Dulles warned Communist China
today at the opening of his cru
cial conference with Chiang Kai-
shek not to assume they were
immune from American attack
if they assaulted Quemoy or
Matsu islands.
Dulles conferred with Chians
for four hours and then took off
for Washington after warning
the Peiping regime to "oractice
what they preach" about peace
and cease their threats against
Formosa.
"It is the ardent hope of the
United States that the Chinese
Communists will not insist on
war as an instrument of its pol
icy," he said.
"The United States and the
Republic of China have no al
ternative but to stand firm.1
Signs Defense Pact
He made the statement with
in hours after he and the Na
tionalist Foreign Minister
George Yeh signed the ratifica
tion papers putting the U. S.-
Nationalist China defense treaty
formally into effect.
Dulles said President Eisen
hower himself would make the
decision what to do if the Com
munists attack the Nationalists
two main offshore islands.
"Formosa is the area today
where the Chinese Communists
most actively press their aggres
sive designs," Dulles said. "They
openly threatened an armed at
tack against an area which the
United States is committed to
help to defend.
Protects Against Attack
"It is not possible at this time
to state explicitly how that de
fense will be conducted. The
treaty area regards the Republic
of China, covers Formosa and
the Pescadores and an armed at
tack directed against those is
lands.
"The United States continues
to evaluate the words and deeds
of . the Chinese Communist re
gime to ascertain whether their
military " aetions, pf eparatibns
and concentrations in the For
mosa area constitute, in' fact, the
first phase of an attack direct
ed against Formosa and wheth
er the United States must pro
ceed on this assumption.
Defense Not Sialic
"If so, it cannot be assumed
that the defense would be stat
ic and confined to Formosa it
self, or that the aggressor would
enjoy immunity with respect to
the areas from which he stages
his offensive."
"Since, however, the Matsu
and Quemoy islands, now in
friendly hands, have relation
ship to the defense of Formosa
such that the President may
judge their protection to be ap
propriate in assuring the de
fense of Formosa and the Pes
cadores, our consultation cover
ed also these coastal positions
of the Republic of China."
Injunction Prevents
Railroad Rate Cuts
Portland U.R) A three-
judge Federal Court panel today
overruled the Interstate Com
merce Commission and issued a
permanent injunction against
six railroads . lowering their
freight rates on petroleum prod
ucts. The decision reverses an ICC
ruling which would have put
the new, reduced rates into
effect last Dec. 9. The court
order affects rail shipments of
petroleum products between
Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
parts of Montana and Wyoming.
The ICC-approved lower rail
rates were protested by truckers
and water carriers who claimed
they would be put out of busi
ness if the railroads were al
lowed to reduce freight rates.
BREAKS BOTH ARMS -
Janice Johnson, 9-year-old
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wil
liam J. Johnson, 1737 Biddle
road, broke both arms this
morning when she fell down a
stairway' at Lincoln school,
Community hospital attendants
reported today. She was treated
and released. ' ,
Eugene U.R) Jane Bergstrom
of Portland has been elected
president of the Associated
Women Students at the Univer
sity of Oregon.
Weather
FORECAST: Clear and colder
tonight. Partly cloudy ' and
continued cool Friday. Possi
bility of occasional light
snow Friday night. Low to
night 24. High Friday 40-46.
Temp.
Highest Yesterday 42
Lowest this Morning . 30
Prec. to 4:30 a.m. Today 02
f V- fh ;? :' $tt I iji
k I
GIVES SCIENTISTS JITTERS Molten lava and rocks spurt
from a fiery fissure of the Puulena cinder cone, a remote
rift of famed Kilauea Volcano 25 miles away on the island
of Hawaii. The temblor was strong enough to "dismantle"
the seismograph at the volcano observatory "and give
scientists the jitters." Three hundred families evacuated the
village of Kapoho. No casualties were reported.
Flaming Lava Hears
Hawaiian Village as
Volcano Erupts Anew
Hilo, Hawaii (U.R) Flaming
lava surged to within one mile
of the village of Kapoho today
when the east rift of famed
Kilauea Volcano on the island
of Hawaii erupted with new
fury after a 24-hour rest.
Police reported they had re
ceived an : unconfirmed report
that three houses on the out
skirts of the village were crush
ed this morning under the flam
ing lava flow moving on the
town. '
Explosion Reported
Police also reported that one
of the officers in the field re
ported two big explosions rock
ed the eruption area before
dawn. He said that the explo
sions were believed to be "right
in the line of flow" but he was
not able to tell for sure.
Early today a group of 30
Kapoho- residents commandeered
14 trucks in Pahba village and
drove through a police blockade
to salvage belongings from their
homes. ...........
They had to drive over nar
row, bumpy roads through the
cane fields because the main
road into Kapoho was cut off
by fissures, some as much as
eight feet wide and apparently
bottomless. At one point, the
convoy passed within 200 feet
of the lava flow.
Villagers Help Each Other
Once at their homes, the vil
lagers helped each other remove
their belongings, passing beds,
chairs, pots and pans from hand
to hand in bucket brigade
fashion,
The 335 residents of Kapoho
were evacuated to safer areas
again on Wednesday when the
volcano exploded in a far more
dangerous eruption than Mon
day. It was the first time the
volcano had been active in 115
years.
A gaping fissure one mile long
and as much as 500 feet wide
spouted lava 30 to 50 feet in
the air along the entire length,
and poured forth red hot mat
ter at the rate of 350 feet an
hour directly toward Kapoho
and the ocean.
A new outburst late Wednes
day .night blasted apart an old
cinder cone and stretched the
DOW-JONES AVERAGES
New York (U.R) Dow-Jones
final stock averages: 30 indus
trials 418.33 up 1.15; 20 rail
roads 153.56 up 0.24; 15 utilities
65.36 up 0.68, and 65 stocks
156.59 up 0 59. Sales today were
about 3.300,000 shares compared
with 3,370,000 shares traded yes
terday. Salem (U.R) The Senate
State and Federal Affairs Com
mittee has voted 3 to 2 to recom
mend passage of a bill which
proposes a constitutional conven
tion for Oregon in 1959. v
Builder Unaware of Fire
In 60-Y ear-Old Home
A 60-year-old house, (till
occupied by its builder, was
damaged by fire early yester
day afternoon. ? v t
Fireman said that' the blaze,
starting from an overheated
flue, did considerable damage
to an upstairs room, lo the
attic and . to one . side of the
roof of the Simon Hawk resi
dence, 701 West 11th street.
When the fire broke out,
the Hawks were unaware of
it, according to firemen. They
said that a neighbor turned in
the alarm about 1:55 p.m.
Pumpers from the west side
and main fire stations were
dispatched to the blaze.
Hawks, now 93, construct
ed the house.
fissure by another 300 yards. It
threatened to pour even more
lava into the flow.
Another smaller finger of
fiery lava pouring out from the
side of the fissure missed two
farmhouses by 30 feet and over
ran a sugar cane field.
Gov. Samuel Wilder King pre
pared to declare a limited state
of emergency for the volcano
area today. - -
Carpenters Agree
On New Wage Scale
A new working agreement
has been signed between the
local carpenters union and con
tractors here, it was announced
today. -.. 7: r-
The agreement, which became
effective March. 1 and will be
in effect through 1955, calls for
a 6 per cent hour increase in the
basic wage scale for all journey
men carpenters, bringing it to
$2.71 per hour, plus time and a
half for Saturdays and for work
over eight hours daily, with
double time on Sundays and
seven holidays.
The agreement was signed by
representatives of Carpenters
Local Union 2067, Medford and
vicinity, and the Contractors As
sociation of Southern Oregon,
according to George Potucek, fi
nancial secretary and business
representative of the union.
Premium pay is established
for millwrights, power saw
operators, saw filers and fire
work. Indentured carpenter ap
prentices are to be employed in
accordance with apprenticeship
standards as established by
state law and the state appren
ticeship plan, he said.
Senate Expected
To Defeat Tax Cut
Washington - (U.R) Prelimi
nary nose counting by Senate
leaders indicated today the Sen
ate will reject the House ap
proved income tax cut by five
to 20 votes.
The outlook could change if
some new tax-cut formula is
devised.
As of now. however, the Sen
ate Democratic leadership has
only a faint hope of getting the
Senate to go along with the
House provision to reduce in
come taxes $20 a year for each
taxpayer and dependent. Presi
dent Eisenhower is fighting the
plan. .
This appraisal applies whether
the effective date of the tax cut
is Jan. 1 as the House voted
or July 1, 1956, as some Senate
Democrats have . proposed. The
Finance Committee rejected
both proposals by a 9 to 6 vote
Tuesday.
Police Benefit
By Officers of
A Police . Benefit fund was
established last night at a regu
lar general meeting of officers
of the Medford police force.
Purpose of the fund will be to
aid department members in
event of serious illness, home
fires, deaths in the family, and
other similar difficulties.
Officer Jack McMillan was
named chairman of a committee
which will be in charge of the
fund. Others on the group are
Officer Berle Stephens, secretary-treasurer;
and Officers De-
House Taxation
Committee Views
Possible Sources
Liquor Price Boost,
Phone Surtax Studied
Salem (U.R) A tentative rev
enue raising program including
a boost in liquor prices, a 5 per
cent surtax on phone bills and
a 2M per cent tax on all insur
ance policies, was, adopted by
the House Taxation Committee
today.
Rep. Loran L. Stewart (R-Cot-tage
Grove), chairman, said the
program may be changed, but
it was projected so that the com
mittee could have something to
work on in outlining its revenue
raising program.
The program is estimated to
raise $16,000,000 a year in addi
tion to an increase in personal
income taxes, toward meeting
an anticipated deficit of $55,000,
000 if the proposed state build
ing program is adopted.
In addition to an increase in
personal income tax, the com
mittee is considering a possible
increase in corporate income
taxes.
Before the committee outlined
this program, Cecil Posey, ex
ecutive secretary of the Oregon
Education Association, presented
a program he said would raise
$64,000,000 during the biennium.
Would Lower Exemptions
His proposals included lower
ing the exemptions on personal
income tax from $600 to $500:
a 4-cent tax on cigarettes; re
moval of the skyscraper clause
which exempts office buildings;
increase in liquor prices, and a
2 per cent withholding on sala
ries for personal income tax in
stead of the present 1 per cent.
He estimated the added one per
cent would raise $3,700,000.
Rep. Walter J. Pearson (D-
Portland), former state treas
urer, retorted that such an in
crease in withholding would net
little, if any increase in income,
but would merely result in more
refunds to the taxpayers.
Frills Said Unneeded
Pearson asked of Posey, as
representing . the OEA: "Why
can't the schools live within
their budgets and quit building
palaces? We want good, ample,
fireproof buildings, but we don't
need all the frills. We should
get back' to the three R's and
cut out the fancy stuff."
He added the observation that
three administrators in the Port
land school system draw higher
salaries than the governor of
Oregon.
(See Stories on Page 8)
Cincinnati Streets
Covered by Water
By UNITED PRESS
Flood waters rolled through
the Ohio River Valley today and
covered some Cincinnati streets
with as much as 10 inches of
water.
The swollen river was still
rising in Ohio, closing parts of
15 highways in southern and
southeastern counties, and flood
waters from the White sec
ondary roads in Indiana.
Farther back up the valley
the Alleghany and Monongahela
rivers were falling at Pittsburgs
after cresting at 22.1 feet, well
below the 25-foot flood stage.
However, temperatures varied
as much as 71 degrees in differ
ent parts of the nation and about
200 "marooned" skiers were
having the time of their lives
in snowbound Utah mountain
lodges.
Postponement Sought
In Hank Death Trial
Portland (U.R) A post
ponement . of the trial of Wey
Him Fong and his wife, Sherry,
charged with first degree mur
der in connection with the death
last year of 16-year-old Diane
Hank, was sought today by D
fense Attorney Irvin Goodman.
The trial is scheduled to start
March 28. Goodman, in asking
for the delay, said the Fongs
were indicted last May for con
tributing to the delinquency of
a minor but that case has not
been set down for triaL He
pointed out the Fongs ware in
dicted on the murder charge
only in January. Arguments on
the motion are scheduled next
Tuesday.
Fund Created
Department
laire Tusow, Roy Thompson,
Orlo McGee, and Robert Ghey
son. They will serve on the com
mittee for a period of six
months.
Speakers at last night's meet
ing weri Municipal Judge
James Main, who discussed
courtroom procedures, and Ken
Berry, who spoke on public
relations.
Police department general
meetings are held each month
to better coordinate activities of
the Medford police department.
r-