t
lFirdl Aslkedl TF Up
Skodl Work
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.Jul
omiutatioe. job
Contract to Repay
U.S. for Irrigation
Project is Asked
$1,712,000 Proposal
Needs Local Approval
Elections for approval of a
$1,712,000 water system rehabili
tation project in the Medford
and Rogue River Valley Irriga
tion districts will be held July
15, it was announced this morn
tng. The question to be passed on
Is whether or not the districts
shall enter into a contract with
the United States government
for the work, and for repayment
to the government of the interest-free
money made available
for the project. -
The rehabilitation project is
designed to increase water sup
plies to the two districts through
elimination of wastage, and will
lower operating and maintenance
costs.
Savings Cited
Officials of the district believe
that the savings will be great
enough to permit the repayments
to be made without increasing
water assessments. Repayment
. is calculated on a 40-year basis.
Those who are eligible to vote
in the elections are those 21
years old or more who own two
or more acres within the district,
provided the deed has been re
corded six or more months, or
who have a recorded contract of
sale.
Of the total cost of $1,712,
000, the Medford district will be
responsible for repayment of the
major portion, because it has a
larger share in the works shared
jointly in the upper part of the
system, and because its canal
system is larger. Here k how
the division breaks down:
Breakdown Given " '
Medford district: Total, $1,
475,466; share of joint works,
$334,886; work on its own sys
tem, $1,140,580.
Rogue River Valley district:
Total, $236,534; share of joint
works, $164,934; work on its
own system, $71,600.
The work on the jointly-owned
system (which starts above
Bradshaw drop on the main ca
nal, and extends up to Fish and
Fourmile lakes, the reservoirs
shared by the districts) will cost
a total of $499,800, and includes
reconstruction of spillway con
struction of parapet wall and at
Fourmile lake; completion of
spillway at Fish lake; and re
placement of flumes and siphons,
lining of the canal with concrete.
and other work on the main
canal.
A contract for- repayment of
these costs has been worked out,
nd has received the preliminary
approval of the boards of direc
tors of the two districts ana tne
Bureau of Reclamation.
Project Gains Support
The money for the work still
has to be appropriated by cong
ress, but recent advices from
Washington indicate that the
project is gaining support and is
expected to go through without
difficulty.
The question on which voters
g the two districts will be asked
to pass is:
"Shall the board of directors
of the Medford (or Rogue River
Valley) Irrigation District, Jack
son County Oregon, be author
ized to negotiate and enter into
a repayment contract with the
United States of America, in
conformity with the proposals
specified in the notice of this
election, under the provisions of
the Federal Reclamation Laws
"and the laws of the State of
Oregon, authorizing the District
to enter into such contracts.
r Polls will be open at 8 a.m.
and close at 5 p.m.
- Polling places in the Medford
district will be at Hillcrest or
chard: Phoenix grade school
gymnasium, and Oak Grove
school. In the Rogue River dis
trict it will be at the office of
the district on the old Central
Point highway past the junction
with Table Rock rd.
Baseball
NATIONAL
. (10 innings)
Milwaukee 4 7 1
New York 5 14 3
Burdette, Johnson (7), Jolly
: (9), Vargas (9), Crone (10) and
Crandall; Gomez, Grissom (8),
McCall (9) and Kali.
AMERICAN
Baltimore .. 3 4 0
Chicago i 2 8 2
Byrd. Johnson (3) and
Smith. Haxshman and Lollu
S ELEOTlltJ DATE
Officials Declare
Orchard Tax Order
Is Impossible Job
County officials declared here
yesterday that it is virtually im
possible for the county assessor
to obtain a true cash value on
orchard trees within the 11-day
deadline set by the state tax
commission.
The statement was made at a
meeting of the board of equaliz
ation, representatives of the
Friut Growers league,, and
County Assessor R. G. Fowler.
Commiition Issues Order
The meeting was called after
the- board received an order
from the state tax commission
directing it to "assess the value
of orchard trees at the same
percentage of true cash value
as other real property and in
clude same in the assessment
of real property upon which
said trees are located."
The order, dated May 31, was
received Monday, June 6, by
registered mail.
It further ordered that the
board of equalization "remain
in session from day to day until
there has been substantial com
pliance with this order, but in
no event later than June 16,
1955."
Deadline Troubles
It was this latter phase of
the order around which most
of the discussion centered at
Tuesday's meeting.
In answer to questions by
County Judge Rodney Keating,
a member of the board of equal-
A. C. Fries Named
Ashland Bank Head
Ashland Archie C. Fries,
Jr., assistant manager of the
U. S. National bank in Med
ford since 1946 and a member
of the city budget committee has
been appointed manager of the
new Ashland branch of the
bank, according to E. C. Sam
mons, president of the bank in
Portland.
The branch bank will open
in temporary quarters in the
Knox building, 45 East Main St.,
on June 1,3.
Sammons said a new building
would be erected by the bank
on a lot between Second and
Third sts. Construction will be
gin within 60 days.
fin Medford Fries has been a
member of the Medford Realty
board, past president of the Med
ford Lions, Jackson county trea
surer for the Oregon Society of
Cripplied Children, and vice
president of the Southern Ore
gon Bankers association. He
plans to take up residence in
Ashland as soon as possible.
Record Temperature
Expected for Today
Medford, with a 97-degree
temperature yesterday, missed
a record high lor June 7 by
one degree. The mercury was
expected to rise easily to a
record maximum today.
The Medford station of the
weather bureau anticipated a
near 100-degree temperature
today. A 93-degree reading in
1918 was the previous high
for June 8.
The 97 yesterday was second
highest in the state. Grants
Pass recorded 98.
Weather is expected to be
"cooler" on Thursday with a
96 maximum forecast.
Power-Making
Surrendered by McKay
Washington (U.R) Rep.
Earl Chadoff (D-Pa.), said to
day that Secretary of Interior
Douglas McKay and his aides
appear to have surrendered
their power - making policy to
a private West Coast utility.
Chudoff, chairman of a gov
ernment operation subcommit
tee, said in a formal statement
the "shocking and sordid situa
tion" was uncovered in his
group's investigation of power
policies.
Evidence to date, he said, in
dicates that McKay, undersecre
tary Clarence Davis and former
undersecretary Ralph Tudor
ization, Fowler brought forth
these facts: There are 12,000
acres of orchard trees in Jack
son county. Formal plantings
vary from 48 to 110 trees per
acre. Some trees are on good
soil, some on bad, and some are
on irrigated land, and some on
dry land.
Fowler noted that his office
has from 8 to 10 men available
to conduct assessment work on
orchard trees, but added that
"none of them are orchard ex
perts" When asked how many
"orchard experts" the state tax
commission has available to aid
the county in assessment work,
Fowler said that a state tax of
ficial "admitted to me that they
didn't have any."
Would Take Time
"How long would it take to
get a true appraisal (of orchard
trees) for assessments?" Keat
ing asked Fowler. The assesor
replied that it wouldl take "two
men who knew what they were
doing at least six months." Not
ing that the attorney general's
opinion on the definition of
"trees' also included shade
trees, Fowler declared that to
cover those for assessment pur
poses would take more than
three years.
Arnold Bohnert, Central
Point, a member of the board
of equalization, noted that the
only way the problem could be
handled this year would be to
put a blanket valuation on all
property. And this, he said,
would not conform with the com
mission order direction assess
ment of orchard trees "at the
same percentage of true cash
value as other real property."
Too Late This Year
Bohnert added that "it is too
late in the year to do anything.
We should wait until next year
when we would have time to
do a fair job." Raymond Reter,
Medford packing plant opera
tor and a member of the Fruit
Growers league, proposed that
the board of equalization ask
the state tax commission to va
cate its order this year and re
issue it at a later date.
No action was taken at Tues
day's meeting, because of the
absence of board member Ralph
Cook. The meeting was recessed
until 1:30 p.m. Friday That time
originally had been set as the
final meeting of the board of
equalization, but Keating indi
cated yesterday that the commis
sion's order may cause a change
in this schedule.
Council OKs Parking
Tax Cost Estimates
City Manager Robert Duff was
authorized by the city council
last night to prepare tax esti
mates for proposed off-street
parking assessment districts in
downtown Medford.
The action followed a request
from the Retail Merchants asso
ciation, who believe that cost fig
ures will be needed before signa
tures on petitions to organize
such a district could be obtained.
The petitions would be submit
ted' to the council, and a public
hearing held.
A citizens' off-street parking
committee recently recommend
ed a 10-year program to cope
with downtown parking prob
lems. The program is estimated
to cost about $600,000 over the
10. year period, and half the
amount would come from prop
erty assessments, based on ben-
Policy Said
"coldly and deliberately handed
the power policy-making func
tion of the department to Mr.
Tudor's home town private util
ity, the Pacific Gas and Electric
Co."
Wondering "how close are we
to more Teapot Domes," Chud
off pledged a further investiga
tion to disclose "how many oth
er sordid situations like that re
vealed here exist."
He cited testimony by James
D. Geissinger, regional solicitor
at Denver, that regulations
drafted by PG&E to govern pub
lic power development were ad
opted "practically verbatim" by
the department.
Union Requests
Extra Five Ceiris
To Quell Unrest
Guaranteed Wage Plan
Signed After Delay
Detroit (U.R) Local leaders
of the CIO United Auto Work
ers asked Ford Motor Company
today for an extra five-cent
hourly pay hike for some skilled
workers to calm down a rebel
lion by some workers over the
new union contract with Ford.
The new demand, by leaders
of the big Ford Local 600 at the
giant Rogue plant in suburban
Dearborn, threatened for a
while to snag final signing of
the new three-year contract giv
ing workers a guaranteed wage
plan.
New Agreement Signed
But after a , delay of nearly
four hours, in which some con
tract language had to be re
worded also, the new agreement
was signed by Union President
Walter Reuther and Ford Vice
President John Bugas.
Reuther said the demand for
the xtra five-cent increase had
been thrown back as "a local
matter."
The agreement of skilled
workers at the Rouge plant to
return to their jobs "this after
noon or tomorrow" apparently
cleared the way for Ford Motor
Company operations to get
back to normal finally after the
strike Monday in which more
than 80,000 workers left their
jobs.
12 Plants Shut Down
Meanwhile, General Motors
workers, apparently impatient
at the delay in GM and the
union in reaching a new con
tract agreement, shut down
operations in 12 plants. The
number of General Motors
workers who were idled totaled
38,894.
It was reported that Carl
Stellato, president of the big
Local 600 which means the
Rouge plant, had asked Ford for
an extra five-cent hourly pay
boost for the skilled workers
who rebelled at the new con
tract. The ' Skilled workers, who
rarely face the layoffs which
other workers in the automobile
industry doVhaI rebelled at the
guaranteed pay contract, claim
ing it did them little good. They
needed 30-cents hourly to keep
abreast with scales for similar
work in other industry.
Employees Impatient
The "impatience" strikes of
General Motors' workers kept
growing despite the . scolding
which John Livingston, UAW
vice-president and head of the
General Motors' department,
gave local delegates at a meet
ing of the General Motors'
Council yesterday.
He told them that the only
reason for extending the Gen
eral Motors' contract until Sun
day was to give General Motors
a chance to study the Ford pay
plan. He said he had "every
hope" a peaceful settlement
would be reached before the
Sunday midnight deadline, and
the walkouts were proving an
"embarrassing hinderance" to
negotiators.
efits received. The rest would
come from parking meter reve
nue. The council recommended that
a chamber of commerce commit
tee circulate petitions' to deter
mine the location of an off-street
parking lot. The petitions would
indicate where such a program
would receive the greatest sup
port. Howard Boyd, president of the
Retail Merchants group, pointed
out that unless the committee has
estimated expense figures, sig
natures would be hard to obtain.
He said the committee would
like to have "millage figures
based on present assessment val
uations." He stressed that the Retail
group is in accord with the off
started as soon as possible.'
John G. Crawford, chairman
of the off-street parking commit
tee which submitted the initial
recommendation1, said "the neef
is great and it is important that
the program get started."
The program, as recommend
ed, includes a "more equitable
basis" for business licenses,
which would offset funds taken
from the parking meter fund.
Boyd pointed out, however,
that a graduated business tax
would have to be based on all
aspects of business. If such a
tax were based solely on gross
business or employment, some
businesses would object, he said.
The council authorized the fi
nance committee to work with
the off-street parking group to
study adjustments in the busi
ness tax, and authorized City At
torney Frank Farrell to assist in
drawing up necessary docu
ments to get the program started.
(5m sutry om Pas ')
. ased Wire
50t!
Western . ny
Welcomes Kremlin
Bid for Relations
Diplomatic Ties
Would Be Established
Bonn, Germany (U.R) The
West German government today
"welcomed" the Kremlin's note
calling for normal diplomatic re
lations with Russia and said it
hoped the Soviet move will lead
to a conference between West
German Chancellor Konrad Ade
nauer and Soviet statesmen.
The first official reaction of
the West German government
was made public in a three para
graph statement. It said.
"The federal government wel
comes the proposals to establish
diplomatic, trade and cultural re
lations between the Soviet Union
and the Federal Republic made
by the USSR in its note of June
7, 1955.
"The note took up different
questions which make a prelimi
nary examination necessary.
Hope for Meeting
"It is to be hoped that this (ex
amination of the note) leads to
the results that a conference be
tween the federal Chancellor and
the statesmen of the Soviet Un
ion is necessary."
Meanwhile, the three biggest
parties in West Germany hailed
the unexpected and bold Soviet
diplomatic move.
Party statements approving
the Russian move to restore nor
mal diplomatic relations were
issued following a three - hour
Cabinet session.
, The unexpected Soviet ma
neuver cast some doubts on the
plans for a July 18 meeting at
Geneva of the Western Big Three
heads of government with Rus
sia's top-most representative.
May Revise Strategy
French authorities said the
Kremlin's1 new strategy would
force France and the other Big
Three Western powers to re
vise their planned strategy for
the top level Geneva conference.
In Washington, political ob
servers said the Soviet maneuver
raised "some doubts" about the
Geneva meeting.
Fire District Sets
New Vote on Budget
Central Point (U.R) Direc
tors of the Central Point Rural
Fire Protection district last
night called for a second election
on a proposal to exceed the 6
per cent levy limitation in the
1955-1956 budget by $8,629.
The election is scheduled for
Thursday, June 23, at the rural
station. Action by the directors
followed a Monday meeting of
the district budget committee.
Residents of the. district re
jected the tax measure at an elec
tion on May 31 by a vote of 84
to 37. Directors have indicated
the feeling that the proposal was
not fully understood and that
the vote was not representative
of the district. The $8,629 would
be part of a $30,370 budget plan
ned for the new fiscal year.
Mt. Shasta Forest
Fire Under Control
Ashland, Ore. (U.R) Two
100-man crews of firefighters
worked through the night last
night and succeeded in bringing
a 500-acre forest fire on the
slopes of Mt. Shasta under con
trol early today.
Foresters said the fire could
probably be, extinguished pro
vided high winds did not fan it
out of control again this after
noon. '
The fire spread through the
Shasta-Trinity National Forest
some 10 miles northeast of
Weed in Northern . California's'
Siskiyou ' county.
Forest service crews and men
from the Long-Bell Lumber Co.
at Weed fought the blaze
through the night. .
Salem (U.R) Steven Custor,
19, who escaped from a city
jail work gang last September,
gave himself up at the city po
lice station here because he
wanted to' get square with the
world, Salem police said.
Weather
FORECAST: Continued hot and
dry. Chance of thunderstorms
over Sisklyout Thursday
afternoon. . Low tonight about
St. High Thursday 6.
.Temp.
Highest Yesterday S7
Lowest this Morntaf SS
MEDFORD, OREGON,
HOT WEATHER BUSINESSMEN The wea
ther today, and hot weather is the time for
young entrepreneurs to go in to the lemonade
business. Several such enterprises have sprung
up around town since the temperature broke
90 a few days ago. One of the stands is shown
Eisenhower Argues
For Reserve Program
In Armed Services
Washington (U.R) President
Eisenhower said today an armed
force "ready reserve" is more
essential to national security
than ever before.
He opposed as extraneous an
anti - - segregation :. amendment
which has stalled, and almost
killed, the administration re
serve bill in the House. He ex
pressed hope the Senate can
break the stalemate.
Mr. Eisenhower argued strong
ly for his proposed reserve pro
gram at his news conference
shortly after discussing with Re
publican congressional leaders
the strategy for trying to break
the deadlock and get approval
this year for creation of a 2,900,-000-man
reserve force.
Explaining the need for a
trained reserve, 1 the President
said that every city and hamlet
these days is a likely front line.
People must be trained on what
to expect and what to do. It is
Unemployed in Area
10 Per Cent Under '54
The number of unemployed in
Jackson county on May 31 was
estimated at 32 per cent below
April 30 and 10 per -cent below
the number for the same date in
1954, John J. Patton, manager
of the Medford office of the state
employment service, announced
today.
Patton estimated about 945,
including 275 women, were un
employed in Jackson county.
Seasonable employment in
creased at the usual rate, he said,
but no labor shortage is antici
pated prior to start of fruit har
vest in August.
700 Youngsters Due
At Polio Makeup Clink
About 100 children who
missed first Salk anti-polio vac
cine inoculations were expected
to receive them in a makeup
clinic at the Jackson county
health department office today.
Their second series of shots
will be July 12 at the same
place. -
The makeup clinic is for
children with parental consent
who missed the first shots the
week of May 20.
German, Wartime POW at
Will Revisit Medford Friday, Saturday
Werner Baecker, of Hamburg,
Germany, who was a prisoner of
war at Camp White in World
War II, wtyl arrive in Medford
by plane at 9:50 a.m. Friday.
Under the sponsorship of the
Governmental Affairs Institute
of Washington, D.C., he is on a
tour of the United States, and
has indicated a great interest in
seeing this area again as a free
citizen.
After his release as a prisoner
of war, Baecker entered radio
training school, and later be
came editor in North West Ger
man Radio assigned to social
United tn
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1955
unfair, he said, to place protec
tion of the country on the peo
ple who already have done their
stmt m war.
Other news conference devel
opments: Ruis-Garmany: He believed
Russia's invitation to West Ger
man Chancellor Konrad Ade
nauer for talks to "normalize"
their relations is a natural conse
quence of recent developments
in Europe.
He mentioned the establish
ment of West Germany as an in
dependent nation. He expressed
the utmost faith and confidence
that Adenauer, if he accepts the
invitation, will stand by his allies
and friends. ,
Big Four: He . is willing for
the proposed Big Four heads of
government conference to . run
more than three days, perhaps
up to six days. But he would
insist on a definite time limit
so that when he did leave, there
could be no charge that he pull
ed out in a move to wreck the
conference.
Minimum Wage: He still fav
ors a 90-cent an hour minimum
wage despite a Senate commit
tee vote yesterday to boost the
law from the present 75 cents
to $1.
Vaccine: He believes that all
polio vaccine manufacturers will
observe the new safety stand
ards set up by the government.
But he thinks their licenses to
manufacture could be revoked
if they failed to do so.
Prosper?: He is very gratified
by recent figures showing that
Employment in the month of
May was up to 62,700,000 and
unemployment had dropped
500,000 under April.
Ford Contract: He wouldn't
comment on the terms of the
new Ford - United Automobile
Workers contract which accept
ed the principle of a guaranteed
annual wage. He explained that
he didn't want to interfert in
labor negotiations unless a na
tional emergency is involved and
that similar contracts still are
under negotiation ,
Dispersal: His idea of dispers
ing industry: as protection
against enemy attacks applies to
expansion of existing plants and
building of new plants, not mov
ing existing facilities from con
gested areas.
welfare, POWs, and refuges
from the east. .,
In 1952 he. received a year's
contract . with BBC in London
and presented talks, features
and plays on the European serv
ice. He also served as German
TV commentator, during the
coronation of Elizabeth II.
At present, Baecker, who is
37, prepares and delivers a daily
news commentary. Echo des
Tages Daily (Echoes) to an audi
ence of nearly 8,000,000.
Baecker's chief interests in
the United States, his sponsors
said, are in meeting editors of
programs similar to his own,
Tribune
Full Leased Wire
Price 5c
No. 68
above with its youthful operators, Eric Ewald
sen, 11, and his brother, Hans, 8, of 20 Rosa
court. Hans appears to be well on the way to
drinking up the profits, and Eric shows tempta
tion. Brainerd photo.)
Carpenters Picket
Construction Jobs
In Portland Area
Portland (U.R) Striking
AFL carpenters today placed
picket lines around all Portland
area construction jobs where
contractors have not signed with
the union. .. r;- -w .;
- Clell Harris, secretary of the
carpenters' union district coun
cil, blamed "stalling" on part of
management negotiators for the
pickets. "We've got to bring this
thing to a head and see if we
can't hurry them up a little,"
he said.-
He charged management has
refused to negotiate before Fri
day morning when a meeting un
der auspices of the Federal Me
diation Service has been sched
uled. A management spokesman
branded the "stalling" charges as
"absolutely untrue.
The carpenters are on strike
against . the Portland Home
Builders and two divisions of As
sociated General Contractors.
They seek a 10-cent hourly pay
boost.
Talent Irrigation
Limitations Listed
Talent Irrigation limitation!
went into effect in Talent today
to conserve water, which is
in critically short supply this
year.
Irrigation of lawns and gar
dens west of the Southern Paci
fic tracks will be permitted only
between 5 and 8 p.m. Tuesdays
and Thursdays, and east of the
railroad tracks between the
days.
same hours Wednesdays and Frt-
Violators of the watering
hours will be subject to fine on
conviction, Mrs. Nona McAbee,
Talent city recorder, said. :
Limited hours were necessary
because the city well, southwest .
of Talent, does ont refill enough
during night Hours to permit un
limited use of water during the
day.
Salem (U.R) This is the way
a Salem city policeman summed
up the reason for a minor acci
dent between a woman driver
and a truck here yesterday:
"She backed cautiously from
the . curb into a truck; she did
not know where it came from.
Camp White,
and getting acquainted with
American youth problems, medi
cal research, (especially polio
and cancer treatments), and
drama.
During his two-day stay in
Medford, Baecker will stay at
the Jackson hotel. Anyone who
may have' had contact with him
while he was a POW, or who is
interested in ' seeing him may
contact Mark Goldy, head of the
World Affairs Council of South
ern Oregon.
The German visitor will leave
for Portland on the 7:08 p.m.
train Saturday to continue his
tour. --