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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (July 15, 1955)
emptors HF0I P.yC To o-deir United Press full Leased Wire United Press Full Leased Wire 50th Year 24 Pages FRIDAY, JULY 15, 1955 Price 5c No. 99 Ask ME II II II S. II . Rail A formal complaint, asking the Oregon public utilities com missioner to prevent the pro- 1 posed discontinuance of South ern Pacific passenger service be tween Ashland and Portland, has been prepared by three state sen tors. The document, drawn up in Grants Pass yesterday, also asks Commissioner .Charles H. Heltzel to investigate, and to order "reasonably adequte serv ice. Senators Philip B. Lowry, Medford, Gene L. Brown, Grants Pass, and Paul E. Geddes, Rose . burg, formulated the" complaint In Brown's office after discuss ing the railroad's proposal with John McCullough, chief counsel for the PUC. The complaint probably will be filed early next week. People Should Be Heard . Lowry said the action was not taken by the senators as such, but as representatives of the people, believing the people should be heard through a pub lic hearing. McCullough pointed out that Southern Pacific has denied the PUC has jurisdiction, but added the commission would conduct an investigation if a complaint is filed. "The main concern," he said, "is whether or not the commis sioner has power to suspend schedules for elimination of service. If the PUC orders the SP to' continue -service after Aug. 7, the railroad can then file for a J writ of probation, which, if granted; would make the PUC's. order inef ective. The courts then would decide if the comission- er has authority to issue such an order. Can Order Service - McCullough said the commis sioner has power to order serv ice after it has been suspended by reason of inadequacy, but that there appear to be no stat utes giving authority to continue service. Whether-or not mail and rail way express service would also be discontinued was discussed. Some 60 per cent of revenue from the present passenger r trains is from mail, McCullough said the records show. The complaint, if the commis sioner is found to have jurisdic tion, will be followed with pub lic hearings and a complete in vestigation, McCullough said. Senator Lowry declared that "What we need to do is get this thing started." , The complaint alleges that present passenger service is slow and is a "combination of rail passenger service and freight service, and trains have many stop-overs." It alleges that pres ent service is inadequate because it is a night-time schedule and does not "reasonably accommo date" residents. Out-Moded Equipment "For the most part," it adds, the equipment provided is "old, out-moded and uncomfortable." Some of the expense of the run is due to the use of Pullman accommodations, it said. It adds that discontinuance will adversely and unfavorably affect Jackson, Josephine, Doug Klamalh Air Base Funds Out of -Bill Washington (U.R) Rep. Louis C. Rebaut's unusual point of order tirade against a House sup plemental supply bill' yesterday knocked about $4,000,000 worth of military construction projects for Oregon out of the measure temporarily at least. Removed from the measure were stipulations for $1,806,000 for Portland International Air port; $2,059,000 for Klamath Falls Air Base; and $92,000 for Tongue Point Naval Station at Astoria. The Senate, when the shrunk en bill is put before it, is ex pected to restore all projects cut by the house. Rabaut, a Michi gan Democrat, used parlia mentary procedure to slash the bill, claiming that most military projects in the $2,000,000,000 measure were outside the legal scope of the bilL Salem (U.R) Gov. Paul L. Patterson has reappointed Dr. John Rankin of Astoria as a member of the State Veterinary Medical Examining Board. MDettiiiii Kansas City, Mo. (U.R) The FBI cleared Audrey Earl Brandt of suspicion today in the sex slaying f Donna Sue Davis. Special Agent Percy Wyly said an FBI check on Brandt's movements between June 24 and July 12 ruled out the pos sibility that Brandt committed the crime , las, Coos. Curry and part of Lane counties, representing a "population of substantially 200,000 persons. The area affected "comprises a substantial portion of the in dustrial, commercial and eco nomic life" of Oregon, the com plaint states, and providing ade quate rail passenger service is "of vital importance to the con tinued prosperity" of the area. The proposed suspension of service "will adversely affect, retard and deter the anticipated development" of the . area, and "businesses and enterprises of various character will be reluc tant to locate themselves" in the area. Fog Problem Cited The complaint also alleges that at certain times of the year it is impossible to travel by automobile, bus or plane because of a heavy blanket of fog. The complaint asks that if an investigation reveals inadequate service, the commissioner order "reasonably adequate .service" which should be required to in clude "reasonable daytime sched ules, reasonable speedy service, reasonable connection with other train schedules, reasonable com fortable and adequate equip ment, and such other additional adequate service as may ... be justified upon investigation and determination. Mrs. R. H. Parsons Dies Here During Visit to Daughter Mrs. Maude Bemis Parsons, 81, widow of the late Reginald H. Parsons, died this morning at her Hillcrest orchard home east of Medford. i 7 Mr. Parsons, Seattle indus trialist, financier, philanthrop ist and civic worker, died June 9 in Seattle. Mrs. Parsons arrived in Med ford July 7 to visit her daughter, Mrs. John Day, and although under a strain as. the result of her husband's death, had not appeared particularly- -ill - until this morning when a doctor was .called. Born in Masachusetts The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Judson Bemis, Mrs. Parsons was born in Newton, Mass. A for mer resident of Colorado Springs, Colo., she had lived in Seattle for many years. She was married to Mr. Par sons in 1901. In addition to Mrs Day, she is survived by. another daughter, Mrs. Howard A. Frame, Los Altos, Calif., two sons, Reginald B. Parsons, Los Angeles, and George Parsons, Seattle, and several grandchil dren. Mr. and Mrs. Parsons were long active in a wide range of civic enterprises, and historical and international welfare groups. ParUims Medford Residents They were parttime residents of Medford for many years. Mr. Parsons was owner of Hillcrest orchards and was the founder of Pinnacle Packing company, in which he held a substantial in terest at the time of his death. Funeral services for Mrs. Par sons are pending, with Perl fu neral home in charge of local ar rangements. Interment is expect ed to be at Seattle. Casper Oveross Found Innocent of Murder Salem (U.R) Casper Oveross, Silverton carpenter, yesterday was acquitted in Marion County Circuit Court of the murder of Ervin Kaser, a prominent hop grower who lived near him. The jury announced its unani mous verdict of innocent at 5:26 pjn., just 30 minutes short of 24 hours after deliberations began. As Oveross left the courtroom, a free man, he was flanked by his two teenaged daughters, who had stood by him through the lengthy trial, Colleen, 19, and Karen, 14. , - Kaser was shot from ambush last Feb. 17 while he sat in his car, parked in the driveway of his home. The state's case had hinged on a .30-.30 caliber rifle found .in the Pudding river some time after the slaying. The trial lasted 22 days with more than 60 witnesses, called. Weather . FORECAST: Fair tenicht. Partly cloudy Saturday. A few after boob or evening- itaowers r ' thnndershowere in mountains. A little cooler. Low tonight aear SS. Hit Saturday 88. Hghest TMterday it Uww this MeraiBg Equalization Board Orders Assessor To Add Tree Values Tax Commission's Figures To Be Used The Jackson county board of equalization yesterday ordered County Assessor Robert Fowler to place on county tax rolls the appraised values of orchard trees as determined by state tax com mission appraisers. The order followed a recom mendation from ' Assistant Dis trict Attorney Gene Piazza' that the board comply with the com mission's order that trees values be placed on tax rolls prior to Aug. 15. The board ordered Fowler "to place on the tax rolls the ap praised values as determined by the state tax commission apprais ers to be the true cash value." Doesn't Know Value Fowler said today he did not know what the total appraised value is, and had not received tax rolls from the board. (The value has been unofficially esti mated at between $2,000,000 and $3,000,000.) Fowler pointed out that shade trees, according to tax commis sion officials, were considered in recent reappraisals of property, and are already on tax rolls. Yesterday's order by the board will be on orchard trees only. Earlier Order The tax commission earlier ordered the equalization of taxes on trees, but the board notified the commission it would be im possible to carry out the order before June 15, the previous deadline. The commission ex tended the deadline until Aug. 15 and discussed with county of ficials three means of assessing trees, including the. use of the commission's appraiser figures. The commission values are in dicated on cards sent to orchar dists notifying them of the re-appraisal.7--?i4- - - . Polls Close at 5 In Water Elections Polls remain open until 5 p.m. today for votes in the Medford and Rogue River Valley . irriga tion districts. The election will determine whether the districts shall enter into a rehabilitation contract with the U.S. govern ment. , - Yesterday it was announced that an initial appropriation of $350,000 for the irrigation im provement projects had been ap proved by congress. Construc tion and repair work will begin immediately If water users give their consent today. Polling places for the Medford district include, Precinct 1, Hill crest orchard house, Precinct 2, Phoenix Grade school gym, Pre cinct 3, Oak Grove school. . Rogue River Valley district poll is located at the district of fice on - Merriman rd., beyond Howard school, near Gilman's dairy. Salem (U.R) Gov. Paul L. Patterson has appointed Harold W. Laurence of La Grande as a member of the State Board of Examiners in Watchmaking and Clockmaking. Trial Recesses; Medical History Heard The first degree murder trial of Bernice, Hampton (Tex) White was recessed at 10 a.m. today, only half an hour after the start of the morning session. ' Cause of the delay was the fact that a Medford doctor called as a witness for the defense was unable to be present until this afternoon. Only one witness gave testi mony this morning. He was Dr. Christian P. Hald, Ashland, White's family physician, who testified concerning drugs which he has prescribed for White's epilepsy. - ' Family Testifies White and two members of his family were among the witnesses for the defense yesterday in the fourth day of the trial. White is charged with first de gree murder in the death on March -2. of Eugene Raymond Birk, 32, Phoenix. . Birk died in an Ashland hos pital after being fatally injured by blows over the head. He re ceived the injuries March 2 -at Talent mill, where both he and White were employed. The testimony of White was interrupted four times by "seiz ures." During these he threw his head hiTsT, rubbed his neck, and Br, Meirl Sfleeter : Pies WMfo on TrBp Dr. Robert Sleeter, one of Jackson county's best-known physicians, died suddenly in Arco, Ida., early yesterday aft ernoon, apparently from a heart attack. He was 44. . Dr. Sleeter, an obstetrician and gynecologist with the Med ford clinic in the Medical Cen ter building, left Medford Tues day with Mrs. Sleeter and their oldest daughter. Roberta, 14, for a 10-day trip to Jackson Hole, Wyo., - and Yellowstone and Glacier National parks. ; Death Sudden Friends said today, his death was sudden and totaly unexpect ed. His brother. Dr. Richard Sleeter, formerly in practice here and now a member of the faculty of the University of Ote4 Today Is Deadline For Fijing Budgets Today is the last day Jackson county cities and special tax districts may file 1955-56 fiscal year budgets in the Jackson county assessor's office. Assessor Robert Fowler said most budgets have been filed, and all but Phoenix' budget were,expeae tc-l- weybel0r the office closed. Phoenix was - - . granted an extension until July 22 to allow 20 days posting time. Fowler said Medford had not filed its budget at noon today, but it was expected this after noon. Medford's budget was adopted Wednesday night after deleting $66,510 over the 6 per cent limitation. Butte Fall's budget was expected this after noon, he said. Sanitary districts and some water districts had not filed budgets by this noon, he said. Plywood Workers Reject M&M Offer Portland (U.R) AFL plywood workers at five M and M Wood Working Company plants in Ore gon and northern California have rejected a back-to-work proposal, union officials said today. Claude McCulley, executive of the plywood local - here, said workers at plants at Portland, Albany, Lyons and Idanhan in Oregon and Eureka in California had turned down the proposal by a 706-493 vote yesterday. The union official' said the strike, which began July 1 over contract difficulties,, would con tinue, but that union representa tives were willing to meet with M and M. officials at any time. apparently was unable to talk. Each lasted about a minute, and after each, he requested that questions to him be repeated. Presiding Judge H. K. Hanna called a recess when White was stricken the fourth ' time. Most of White's testimony on direct examination concerned his medical history, starting from the time he was 14 years of age. White stated that at the age of about 14 he fell from a pony, and a few days later started to have "spells." He said these included convulsions lasting two or three minutes and followed by split ting headaches, and other occa sions when he "would just feel numb." Are Examples . He declared that the interrup tions in the court room were ex amples of the latter type. White said he was forced to drop out of school because of the seizures, and later, in 1939, re ceived a medical discharge from the Marine Corps as an epileptic. He added that his condition has not improved and that he has been afflicted by both types of seizures since moving to Oregon in 1952. As far as he knows, White said, employees at Talent saw mill did not know of his I DR. ROBERT (BOB) SLEETER Physician Dies Suddenly (Brainerd photo) gon medical school, went to Boise, Ida., last night to meet Mrs. Sleeter and Roberta, and will accompany them home. Dr. Sleeter was born in the midwest, but lived most of his life in Medford, graduatiing from Medford High school. He attended the University of Ore and the university medical - I OVaaWA AAA atutu He has practiced in Medford ever since graduation, except during his service with the Army. He was called to service with the 41st National Guard division early in the war, and served as an Army physician, with 33 months overseas in the South Pacific. ' Professional Groups Dr. Sleeter was a member of the Elks lodge and of the Jack son County Medical society and other professional groups,, and was vice-president of the Rogue Valley Knife and Fork club. Survivors, beside bis wife and brother, include his mother, Mrs. Mamie Sleeter; 1715 East Main st., four children, Roberta, Chris tine, Elle"n and Ronald, and sev eral aunts and uncles. His fa ther, Dr. Ralston Sleeter,. also a physician, died some years ago. The family recently purchased a residence at 39 South Berkeley Way. The body will be returned to Medford Monday by train! Perl's funeral home will be in charge. Radio Highlights An - address by President Eisenhower will be heard over station KYJC (1230 kc) at 6 p.m. today and over station KMED (1440 kc) at 9:15 p.m. affliction. Concerning the attack on Birk, which resulted' in the Phoenix man's death, White declared "I had no intention whatever (of killing him:) I wish it hadn't happened." He denied any mem cry of having said "I'll kill the ," as Harold Allen, a witness for the state, had testi fied. - White said that he did not intend to hit Birk, that he only wanted to protect himself if Birk charged him. Questioned by DA On cross examination, White was questioned extensively con cerning his medical history by District Attorney Walter Nun ley. He also testified concern ing events of March 2 at Talent mill leading up to and including the attack on Birk. , Also testifying yesterday after noon were White's mother, Mrs. C. M. White, Hamlin, Texas, and his wife, Mrs. Virginia White. His mother said that White has been in "poor health" since he was six years old, adding that as a boy be had severe head aches. She also testified that he has had "severe, fits" since the age of 14, and described the same type of attacks as those to which While testified. ' Ike Voices Hope For Solution of Major Problems President Aware Of Opportunities Washington U.PJ President Eisenhower declared the hope to day that next week's Big Four conference will "open new vis tas" leading toward solution of major East-West problems. : Mr. Eisenhower voiced this hope only a matter of hours be fore his scheduled departure to night for the Geneva meeting with the leaders of Russia, Bri tain, and France. "We are in a period of great flux in international affairs," he said. 'There are signs that the world may be entering a new phase in international relation ships." The President cited the Big Four meeting as ah example of this "new phase." He said he hopes he "and his fellow states men at Geneva will "be able; to identify the outstanding decisive issues and develop methods to try to solve them." Mr. Eisenhower expressed these views and hopes in a letter transmitting to Congress a bulky report on U. S. participation in the United Nations during 1954. Mr. Eisenhower told Congress that "I for one will enter these (Geneva) discussions with a full awareness of the opportunities 'offered by theUnilf Nations "to" contribute to the peace of. the world." "If these meetings reach use ful areas of agreement in the handling of international prob lems," the President said, "then they will open new vistas look ing toward - further agreement. This can . only mean that the United Nations will have new and wider opportunities to build upon the foundations this laid." In the letter, Mr. Eisenhower also: ", - 1 .Expressed hope that through patient diplomatic effort Com munist China will be convinced that it should end "the wrongful detention" of U. N. Korean War prisoners. He said "the pro longed anguish of these men and their nearest kin' arouses the sympathies of the civilized world.', 2. Said Russia has given "the appearance" of accepting "at least some - principles" of . a sound position. Nuclear weapons make disarmament "literally a problem of survival for all man kind." , 3. Reported "dramatic" prog ress in the U.S. effort to turn the atom to peaceful purposes. There are grounds "for real hope for participation by the Soviet Union' in his world atoms for peace plan. But "we will not slow the wheels of progress if some do not. choose to join us." White's wife, gave similar tes timony, adding that the epileptic attacks have continued since their marriage in 1947. White has been, she said, a good hus band and a good father to their three small children. They have three daughters, the youngest being six months old. Other defense witnesses yes terday afternoon were George Zickafoose, ' 228 Hartley rd., plant superintendent at Talent mill, and Virg Snelson, a mill employee. . : Zickef oose, who is also White's landlord, described events at the mill shortly after the attack on Birk. He stated that White's face was "ashen" and added that the defendant failed to respond to questions." , ; Dr. A. E. Merkel, who first was called as a witness for the state, was recalled to the stand yesterday as a defense witness. He testified that he had pre scribed anti-convulsive drugs, given . to epileptics,' for - White since the defendant was first lodged in jail. White's complete Marine Corps medical - record was ad mitted into evidence shortly be fore the trial .was recessed at bout S:4I pjn. V . noloflratoe Dlorlrror! Tn VVIVgHillO I IWU5WU I u Seek End To Cold Uar Moscow U.PJ Soviet Premier Nikolai Bulganin declared today that the struggle between East and -West "cannot be solved by war." The Soviet Premier pledged the Soviet delegation at the Geneva "summit" conference' will seek "a common language" to end the cold. war. Bulganin spoke at a Dress conference the first vr h.M Viv a Soviet Premier. -. . , It took place in a handsome conference room in the Cabinet Ministers' Building, inside the Kremlin walls. , Bulganin told Soviet and foreign newsmen that the chiefs of government at Geneva would not be able "to settle all inter national differences." , : - . -. But he said their objective will be to "point the way", to solutions. . j. , "The Soviet delegation, for its part, will make such an ef fort," Bulganin said. The Soviet Premier said some of the urgent international questions will persist. But he reiterated that the aim of the Gen eva conference wil be to resolve them.. ; West Ready With Vague But United Front for Meeting . Paris (U.R) The Big Three foreign ministers met today to put the final touches on the West's strategy plan for the Ge neva conference. Diplomatic informants said the West was ready with a vague but "agreed-upon" united front to cover the questions of Ger man unity, European security (and world disarmament -""' No Hard Line The Allied blueprint was ham mered out here during the past week, but no hard line was to be formed by the West until the Soviet Union firms up its stand for Geneva. U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, British Foreign Secretary Harold MacMillan and French Foreign Minister An- toine Pinay scheduled one meet ing early today to discuss their plans. ' . Following a press conference In: Moscow by Soviet. Premier Nikolai Bulganin, which is ex pected to disclose, the Kremlin policy line,the foreign ministers likely will meet again later to day to consider any indicated modifications of their views. Agreed List of Topics ; An 'American spokesman an nounced after Dulles arrived here Thursday that "there is an agreed list of topics and details of these topics for the confer ence, and there is agreement on the substance of these points.". Informed sources ; said .' the United States, Britain and France would not put forth any detailed plans until they net an idea of the Russian program. But they have agreed on these three main objectives: , 1. The reunification of Ger many. 2. A security arrangement for Europe that would meet any le gitimate Soviet fears. This is said to include an offer to limit a unified Germany's armed forces to 12 divisions to further reas sure Moscow. 3. A disarmament program. Points To Be Pushed Despite a spate of supplemen tary suggestions, these points re main the principal points of the agreed Allied program . to be pushed, when President Eisen hower, French Premier Edgar Maure and British Prime Min ister Sir Anthony Eden sit down Monday, with Bulganin and the Soviet delegation. - . That Kremlin delegation will be the strongest bargaining team ever sent to the West by Russia. It will contain all the major Soviet strong men nominally headed by Bulganin, and includ ing Communist Party Head Ni kita Khrushchev, in his role as a member of the presidium of the Supreme .. Soviet and , Defense Minister G. K. Zhukov. Diplomats in London inter preted this as an indication Rus sia means to talk -business and wants to be able to make big decisions on the spot Portland (U.PJ Appointment of Hollis M. Dole, Portland, to be director of the State Depart ment of Geology and Mineral Industries' has been announced htxe, -1 Russians Have No Intentions To Attack ' Bulganin said there had been considerable talk in the West of "the menace allegedly emanat ing from the Soviet Union." He added solemnly: ' "We have never had and do not now hatr ttm intent;..-. & tacking anybody." The press conference and the general improvement in East- west relations led to speculation. nere tnat Bulganin and Presi dent Eisenhower might ex change state visits as an after math of the Geneva conference. 1 Before the press conference started, there were rumors that success in the summit talks in Geneva might lead to wholesale exchanges of visits . bfc Soviet and Western statesmen.' - --. This prospect was one of the more sensational possible by products of Geneva ducunuMf in Western quarters in Moscow. ' The reports were based on a series of recent casual conversa tions by Bulganin and Commu. nist Party Leader Nik-it Khrushchev with Moscow dinlo- mats of the United State. Bri. tain add France. , - Mr. Eisenhower, visited Mos cow as a victorious comrade-in. arms at the end of World War II. But he has never been here as president. ... The possibility of an txdunn of visits between Soviet anf Western statesmen is fortified by the recent trip to Belgrade by the Russian leaders and their ac ceptance of an invitation to call on Indian Prime Minister Jawa- . nanai Nehru in New Delhi There already have been hints that Bulganin mieht ston over m some Western countries on his way to India. Central Point Officer New Deputy Sheriff Central Point ' Josenh D. Walsh, Central Point nicht na- trolman, ended his service with the city last night after four months' employment. Walsh has been named a den uty Jackson county sheriff, ef fective today. Walsh previously worked year in the Medford police de partment eight months with Medford's Business Service Bu reau, Inc., and three years on the Bridgeport Conn., police de partment. He and his wife and four children have been living in Medford. MAN HOSPITALIZED Lloyd Knapp. 41. of 418 South Groveland ave., suffered head injuries when a ladder collaDsed at Myron . Root ' and company packing shed, 663 South Grane st, about noon today, according u a report rrom sacred Heart hospital, where he is confined. He was taken to the hospital by Medford Ambulance service. NATIONAL St Louis S 4 Brooklyn .12 16 0 Poholsky, Schmidt (S). Law rence (6). LaPalme (6). Wright (6) and Bur brink; Newcosabe and Campanella. Chicago 7. S I New York , S 11 Jones, ' PerkowsU (7) . McCullough; Heam and strum. i 1 Cincinnati IS 0'. Pittsburgh 1 1 NuxhalL - Freesnaa (7) and Burgess; Law and Petersen. Shepaxd(7k ioselbtaDD
