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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 1955)
City's Combined Mage Kate Decreases ut Taxes Levied Up Some $300 While the combined millage rate in the city of Medford has decreased slightly from last year the total tax levied has increas ed by more than $300,000, ac cording to figures supplied local officials this week. The combined millage for the 1955-56 tax year is 67.4, com pared to 68.2 for 1954-55. But the total of tax levies on cuy Drorjertv this year is SI. 681,369, romoared to Sl.342,673 last year. These figures were compiled by the Bureau of Municipal Re search and Service at me uni versity of Oregon at the request of former Mayor Diamond L. Flynn, immediate past president of the League of Oregon Cities, and have been made available to city officials here. , Many Complaints Flynn requested the informa tion from Herman Kehrli, exec utive secretary of the bureau, because of the many complaints about high tax increases in Jackson county this year. Kehr li's analysis of taxes in this area Indicated there are several rear nons for the increases. r Excerpts from his analysis ' follow: "You will note that between 1954 and 1955 the total assessed value of Jackson county has been increased almost 519,000, 000 and that almost 318,000,000 of this increase comes from real property. According to informa tion published by the State Tax commission, there is a flat 40 per cent increase in the assessed value of all real property and there is also some increase in this category due to new im provements. . . There was a 46.8 per cent Increase in the assessed value of real property in Jackson county through 1954 and 1955, while the assessed value of personal property was increased only 1.1 per cent and the assessed value of utility property, which is as lessed and apportioned by the State Tax commission, 11.7 per cent. "As a result of the reassess ment program, real property now constitutes 69 per cent of the total assessed value of the 'county as compared with 61.4 per cent last year; personal property constitutes 17.5 per cent out of the total as compared with 22.7 per cent last year; and utility property now constitutes 14.2 per cent of the total as com pared with 16.6 per cent last year. ' -Shift in Liability "As a result of the reassess ment, there has been quite a shift in tax liability from utility property and personal property to real property. This is un doubtedly one reason that the taxes of so many Medford prop erty owners are higher this year than they were last year. . While part of this shift, is due to the reassessment program now under way in Jackson county, part of it is undoubtedly due to the addition of improvements not previously assessed and to changes in the assessment of-individual properties in an at tempt to get greater uniform ity . . ." A table compiled by Kehrli shows that county tax levies on Medford property last year to taled $116,117 and this year $217,031, with a millage increase from 5.9 to 8.7. School-levies on Medford property rose from $777,832 to $992,856, with a millage increase from 39.5 to 39.8. City levies went up from $448,24 to $471,482, with a de, crease in the millage from 22.8 to 18.9. Kehrli adds: "You will note that county taxes levied within the city are slightly over S100,000 more than last year and that school taxes levied within the city have in creased more than S200,000 and city taxes more than $20,000. Total property taxes levied have increased from $1,342,673 last year to $1,681,369 for this year. Despite an increase of over $5,000,000 in the assessed valuation of property within the city, from $19,680,863 to S24.946,133, the combined tax millage has remained almost the same; 67.4 mills this year as compared with 68.2 mills last year. If the assessed valuation of any particular piece of prop ertv is increased under the re assessment program, but the same millage is levied, then the taxes increase by the percentage of increase m assessed value. Statewide Trend ". . . You will note that the statewide trend has also been to shift the burden from personal Quotes From the News By UNITED PRESS Los Angeles Russell Tongay, recaptured after escaping from Florida's Raiford prison where he was serving a manslaughter conviction for the death of his four-year-old "aquatot" daughter: "They gave me the run-around in Florida and wouldn't treat my condition. A doctor told me my lung trouble was caused by cancer, but they wouldn't help me." Montreal Mrs. Marie Girouard, older sister of Marie Dionne in confrrning that Marie has left the convent for good: "She has been told by her doctor that the cloistered life of a nun was loo hard for her frail health." Chicago "Queen" Maggie O'Connor, reminded by police that some of her accomplices in some 100 robberies had "squealed on her": . "Everybody beefed on me but I ain't gonna beef on nobody." Chandiagarh, India Communist party boss Nikita Khrush chev on the offer of American construction engineer Harvey S lo cum to change jobs: "You will have to lift the iron wall and let me in." London British Prime Minister Anthony Eden, announcing that Russia has rejected a British approach to limiting arms de liveries to the Middle East: "The Soviet leaders give us very little encouragement that any useful purpose would be served by inviting the Soviet Union to a conference of the nature suggested." New York Sieve Carlin, executive producer of the television program "The $64,000 Question," on the possibility that three con testants now appearing could win an aggregate of $112,000: "We can afford it." Annapolis, Md. Coach Eddie Erdelatz of Navy, forecasting a cautious start by both teams in this Saturday's Army-Navy foot ball classic: "I expect we'll feel each other out like a couple of boxers, and whichever way we can gain best will be the way we'll try." Cold Air Drifts Into Southern States By UNITED PRESS Cold air drifted southward across the mid-continent today, pushing temperatures down an average of 10 to 20 degrees or more, and breaking a record November heat wave in South-1 western states. The cold front set off tornado alerts in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, but the alarms appar ently were false. No twisters were reported. Fort Worth, Tex., registered a summerlike 89 degrees yester day, a record high for Novem ber, and Houston recorded ao, Dallas 87, and Oklahoma City a balmy 75. But the cold front was expected to- send the mercury tumbling as much as 30 degrees. Temperatures .already had dropped 10 to 20- degrees or more to the north. . Glasgow, Mont., which registered 24 yes terday, shivered in four below zero temperatures, and at Rapid City, S.D.,' the mercury fell 22 degrees to 17 above. AUTHOR UNDER KNIFE Los Angeles (U.R) r Gene Fowler,, film writer, former newspaper editor and author of numerous books, was reported in "good condition" at St. Vin cents hospital today after under going major surgery. Plywood Workers Accept Wage Offer Portland (U.R) An industry wage increase offer of an aver age 8.75 cents an hour has been accepted by representatives of some 6000 CIO plywood work ers in the Pacific Northwest. Acceptance of the offer, sub ject to approval by the union membership, was announced here yesterday by Burk Christie, president of the plywood district council of the International Woodworkers of America. The wage increase offer has been turned down by other seg ments of the IWA. But it was accepted earlier by AFL Lum ber and Sawmill Workers. The pay increases range from 5 to 15 cents an hour with the average at 8:75. Spokane (U.R) The meet ing of the Columbia Interstate Compact commission scheduled for Portland Dec. 12 has been cancelled. property and utility property to locally assessed real property, although the statewide trend has not been as sharp as that which has occurred during the past year in Jackson county." Giving figures for the county as a whole, Kehrli showed that the assessed value of real prop erty has gone up an average of 46.8 per cent in the last year. The largest increase was on tim ber, which increased 178.2 per cent. Other increases were lands inside corporate limits, up 23 per cent; lands outside corpo rate limits, up 32.6 per cent: improvements in cities, up 44.6 per cent, and improvements out side cities, up 56.5 per cent. These classes of real property now total 69 per cent of the to tal value, compared to 61.4 per cent last year. Personal property this year constituted 17.5 per cent of to tal assessed value, compared to 22.7 per cent last year, a decline of 1.1 per cent. Real and personal property combined went from 84.1 per cent of the total value to 86.5 per cent, an increase of from S51,926,870 to S69.833.658, or an increase of 34.5 per cent. Valuation of utility proper ties, assessed by the state tax commission, increased 11.7 per cent, from $10,275,545 to $11, 476.460. They now represent 14.2 per cent of the total, com pared to 16.6 per cent last year The total assessed valuation rose from $61,750,895 to $80. 32,148, an ov.erall increase of 36.7 per cent. Tongay Prepares To Fight Extradition Los Angeles (U.R) Escaped convict Russell Tongay prepared . Itoday to fight extradition "to the limit on a claim he is dying of cancer and will not get neces sary treatment if he returns to Florida. The 38-year-old fugitive said if California authorities return him to Florida before he gets treatment for a lung ailment, which he says is cancer, "it will be the same as a death sentence." "I'm desperate;" Tongay said at the General hospital prison ward yesterday. "They gave me the run-around in Florida and wouldn't treat my condition. A doctor told me my lung trouble was caused by cancer, but they wouldn't help me." The husky former swimming instructor was sentenced to 1 to 10 years in prison for man slaughter in the death of his four-year-old "Aquatot" daugh ter, Kathy, who died of injuries after a 33-foot exhibition dive. QUAKE RECORDED Weston, Mass. (U.R) A "strong" earthquake, perhaps in Siberia, was recorded on the Weston College seismograph today. San Francisco (U.R) Stock holders of Crown . Zellerbach Corporation of San Francisco and Gaylord Container Corpor ation of St. Louis approved a merger of the two companies at special meetings yesterday. License Effective For Beaver Marsh Job Washington (U.R) A Fed eral Power Commissioner's de cision issuing a 50-year license to the city of Eugene, Ore., for construction of its proposed Bea ver Marsh hydroelectric project on the McKenzie river has be come effective. The decision by Examiner Francis L. Hall was issued Oct. 20. Since no exceptions were fil ed or review initiated by the commission, the decision became effective Monday, the FPC said. I Wednesday, November 23. 19S1 Open Hearing Seen For Cain Charges Washington iU.P.i The Sub veisive Activities Control Board will take no action in a bias and prejudice case against board member Harry P. Cain until the matter is aired in open hearings here, informed sources said to day. But they said a case which Cain is hearing in Seattle will be recessed until the matter is resolved. Cain has been presid ing since Oct. 8 at oral argu ments in a case brought by At torney General Herbert Brown ell Jr. against the Washington Pension Union. Brownell asked the SACB late yesterday to reconsider charges of bias and prejudice filed against Cain by the union last February. White Thanksgiving Possible in Portland Portland (U.R) Portland may get a white Thanksgiving. The weather man today pre dicted snow showers tonight and Thursday, mixed with rain. With temperatures as low as 31 fore cast for Portland tonight there was a chance of snow sticking to the ground. Elsewhere the forecasts called for scattered snow flurries in eastern Oregon and rain showers in most of western Oregon. Snow fell this morning in the Columbia gorge and two inches was reported between Cascade Locks and Biggs Junction. Five inches was reported at Burns in eastern Oregon. Court Records POLICE COURT Clement Matthew Lizberg, illegal left turn. So. AnnaBelle Skeeters, illegal right turn. S5. MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE FTVB 18 Communicable Illnesses Listed Eighteen .cases of communi cable diseases, 10 of them in Medford, were reported to the county health office during the week ended Nov. 19. Topping the county disease list was chicken pox, with two cases in Medford and one each in Pros pect, Rogue River, Applegate, and Ashland. There were three cases of strep throat, including one in Medford and two in Ash land,, and three cases of influen za in Medford. Also on the list were two cases of mumps in Medford, two cases of measles in Medford, one case of pneumonia in Talent, and one case of tuberculosis in Ashland. Columbia River Development Urged Portland (U.R) The Inland Empire Waterways Association, concluding its annual convention here, yesterday urged spending $112,000,000 a year for -fiscal 1957 through 1962 for develop ment of Columbia river area power resources. The recommendations included completing McNary, Chief Jo seph and The Dalles dams by 1957, 1959 and 1961, respective ly, and keeping on schedule Ice Harbor, John Day, Hills Creek, Cougar and Green Peter dams. Included in the revised pro gram adopted by the group was Lower Monumental dam, second of four lower Snake river proj ects. Funds for this project will not be sought until fiscal 1958. DISTRICT COURT j Herbert Roswell Lamison. failure to i stop at a stop sign, S10; violation of basic rule. S15. Frank C. Dollarhide. failure to stop at the scene of an accident. So. Reinhold Boes, following too close in traffic. S15. Nathan Deaver. truck speeding. S10. Gerald Clyde Stewart, violation of basic rule. S17.50. ( Roy Thomas Johnson, failure to stop at a stop sign, S10. Lionel George Rankin, truck speed ing, $10. CIRCUIT COURT Donald E." Warner vs. Alma Warner, divorce decree. Margery Smith vs. Richard D. Smith, divorce decree. Geraldine L. Myers vs. Robert Wal ter Myers, divorce decree. Gladys Ruth Sheldon vs. Kenneth Alvin Sheldon, divorce complaint. MARRIAGE LICENSE APPLICATIONS Roland Keith Johnson, 25. route 1, box 265, Central Point, and Lorraine Louise Neuman, 18, of 314 North Cen tral ave. WILL YOU -KA-CHO-O Marry -trA-cHo-oo r GO OVER TO WAINSC0TT PHARMACY AN0 GET SOMETHING FOR THAT COLD -THEN START YOUR STORY AGAIN few Sfcaag W 7 LOCAL TRADEMARK!. I.. Vacagen Tablets, 20's. .$1.35 Coricidin Tabs, 12's 67c Boyle's Therahist, 16'$ 89c Dead line Sunday Classified is at noon Saturday: 1 a. m. Monday for Monday: other days 5:30 previous day ; A 6?J ok SSSggji? n BETTER BROAD TWILL A fine investment wonderful for wear and serviceability. The extra ply puts an extra strand of tough wool in each tuft. Twist carpet plus, with a rich shaggy texture. the extra ply is the reason why! 3 Ply Wool Pile TWIST CARPET W5 " Sq. Yd FREE ESTIMATES! you FREE yld .. Woini o Fill Only '28 Rflore Days To Get FiEE Tickets WHY DON'T YOU TRY? No Need to Buy to Get Free Tickets to, n lilfi I See Big Display of Gifts-FREE With .'.FORTUNE STAMPS IT'S FUN TO BUY GAS AT On the Point TO INI So. Central & So. Riverside FREE FORD TICKETS FROM SOUTHERN OREGON FORTUNE STATIONS, CENTRAL MARKET, CRATER LAKE MOTORS, AND BELL MOTORS, GRANTS PASS. 117 $. CENTRAL PHONE 2-6241 TONIGHT 5 to 9 Specials! WEDNESDAY NIGHT SPECIAL Reg. 1.98 ' WOMEN'S FLANNEL GOWNS SPECIAL PRICE 1.66 TONIGHT ONLY MEDIUM-WEIGHT COTTON FLANNELETTE. PASTEL COLORS. CUT LONG AND FULL FOR COMFORT. SIZES: 34 TO 46. LINGERIE DEPT. - MAIN FLOOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT SPECIAL Reg. 9.98 CHILDREN'S SNOW SUITS SPECIAL PRICE 6.99 TONIGHT ONLY 1 AND 2-PC. SETS IN WATER REPELLENT NYLON OR GABAR DINE., WASHA&LE. CAP, OR HOOD INCLUDED. ALL WOOL LININGS. PASTEL OR DARK COLORS.-SIZES 1-6X. CHILDREN'S DEPT. - MAIN FLOOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT SPECIAL Reg. 7.98 MEN'S JACKETS SPECIAL PRICE 5.99 TONIGHT ONLY TANKER MODEL IN SHEEN GABARDINE, QUILTED LINING. COLORFUL HIGH SHADES, ALSO WHITE, CHARCOAL. SIZES 38 TO 42. MEN'S DEPT. - MAIN FLOOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT SPECIAL Reg. 2.89 CLOTHES DRYER SPECIAL PRICE 2.22 TONIGHT ONLY COMPACT, FOLDING WOOD DRYER. PROVIDES 34 FT. DRY ING SPACE. LOCKS FIRMLY IN OPEN POSITION. HEIGHT ABOUT 40-IN. 24 ONLY. HOUSEWARES - BASEMENT WEDNESDAY NIGHT SPECIAL Reg. 2.19 ROTO DISPENSER SPECIAL PRICE 1.66 TONIGHT ONLY TWELVE 4-OZ, JARS-MOUNT ON WALL OR SHELF. IDEAL FOR WORKSHOP, GARAGE. BUY FOR A GIFT. HARDWARE DEPT. - BASEMENT
