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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 1955)
s G c0 0 Ex-Trigger Makers Fight Insect War Silver Cseek, N.Y. (UP.) The .Silver Creek Precision Corp. turned out triggers for t' U.S. Army's carbine during .Vorld War II. Now it's manufacturing equipment to fight a different kind of war against insects. The company acquired the pa tents for a smoke-screen gener ator developed for the Navy during the war and went to work to adapt it for insect-killing purposes. The result was its Micrososol fog generator, which gives off a spray more intense than its wartime-developed pre decessor. Following months of experi mentation, company engineers have improved the Microsol unit to a point whereit can fire one billion insecticides bullets a second. Invited to bring the invention to Brazil to determine whether it could be of help against the destructive Broca pest, a para site which establishes itself in side the coffee bean, the firm flew a large truck-mounted Mi crosol generator to the South American country. Penetration of the insecticide spray from the unit was hailed there as being superior to airplane spraying, being effective against even the Q hidden pest. Recently, large models of the Microsol unit were sent to Iran at the request of the U. S. State .. Department. They were used to combat a locust infestation which was damaging crops. Education Board Gifts, Grants Portland (U.R) The State Bard of Higher Education to day accepted $248,239 in gifts and grants at its regular meet ing here. Almost half the money receiv ed, $108,194, went for medical rtarch and related activities st the University of Oregon medical school and Oregon State College. o A grant 6t S49.000 to the Un iversity of Oregon from the U.S. International Cooperation Ad ministration will continue a co operative education program with Nepal another year. Dr. -'Charles D. Byrne, former chan cellor, is in Nepal at present heading the project. The U. S. Air Force Wright Air Development Center provid ed $28,586 for research in math ematics at Oregon SJiie College to be directed by Dr. A. A. ' Ebnseth." Accepts Youth Proudly Shows Stock in Railroad Hammond, Ind. (U.R) Eleven-year-old Ronnie Cutshall is proudly showing playmates his O shares of stock in the Nickel Plate Railroad. Eight other Hammond grade school pupils also arc boosting Opart ownership in the railroads serving this area, thanks to Ron nie's letter to Mayor Vernon C. Anderson. Ronnie told the mayor he had teen "where another city had been given steam engines, so why not Hammond?" The Hammond Times picked ' up the idea in an open letter to L. LD White, chairman of the board ft? the Nickel Plate, and the railroad presented a retired steam loeomotive to the city as a permanent memorial. The Calumet District Railroad Community voted Ronnie a share of Nickel Plate as a special award. Then, it decided, in co operation with public and paro chial school officials, to give shares of stock in (eight other rail companies to eight addi tional youngsters to interest outh in the railroad industry. More than 15,000 Hammond grade school children registered for the stock. Names of the lucky winners were drawn from the 15,000 by lot, and they got their stock certificates at a luncheon in their honor. .MULTIPLE SCHOOLING Manchester,. Vt. U.R) An elementary school here has three sets of twins in the first grade and a set of triplets in the eighth grade. SglI So smooth it leaves you breathless n K 1 rrrirnoff tie craziest tuzme o . -ttrtrtir vuunrt 80 proof. Made from 1 00 grain neutral spirit Ste. Pierre Smirnoff FIs. Inc. Hartford, Conn. i - s I f ;' J CUTTING off of aid to India and other neutral nations that "carry water on both shoul ders," is advocated by J. Ad dington Wagner, National Commander American Le gion, in address before AFL CIO .Federation in New York! (International) Tuesday December 13, 1S55 MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE-EVEK Christmas Buying Spree Almost Certain To Be Biggest One Ever New York U.R) Christmas buying across the nation this year is almost certain to be the biggest in history. Total retail sales for 1955 amy reach $188,000,000,000 an all time record. It represents a rosy picture except for one factor which economists are watching with the greatest care. Americans today are 13 times as much in personal debt as they were 10 years ago. That applies only to installment buying debts for cars, TV sets, jewelry, washing machines, furniture, clothes. Half of this debt is owed on automobiles alone. , On top of this personal credit debt, the amount borrowed on mortgages for homes has reach ed $85,600,000,000. The pur chase of a home with little or no cash and payments over 20 to 30 years has replaced for millions the practice of renting Debt Averages S2500 The total personal debt, credit and mortgage, now stands at $120,000,000,000. It averages out to about $2500 for every Ameri can family. Actually, only about half of the nation's families are in debt so the figure for them is higher. But monetary experts are less SURPRISE FORTUNE Providence, R. I. (U.R) Miss Winifred Devine, an 80-year-old spinster who lived alone, used candles instead of electric lights because they were less expensive When she died, a search of her old farm home disclosed more than $100,000, including $29,500 in cash stuffed in vases, discard ed cigar boxes and old envelopes. Cousins share the estate. concerned at the total than at the speed with which consumers are piling up new debts. Credit extensions this year are running some $6,000,000,000 ahead of re payments. Another consideration is the widening scope of reasons for borrowing. The public now is urged to take a European vaca tion and pay later, send a son or daughter through college, fi nance a funeral on the install ment plan. Income and savings, too, are running at record highs. But savings have shown a dip over two years ago. Total consumer disposable income in 1953 was $250,400,000,000 and savings $19,800,000,000. This year total income will be around $271. 100.000,000 but savings $15, 700.000,000. The Institute of Life Insur ance figures that out of every $7 an American makes, he al ready owes $1 of it. There are varied opinions among economists as to what threat such a debt poses to the overall economy. It is noted that such a buy now-pay later boom is almost exclusively American, that the people of foreign nations are just begin ning to try installment buying. The - government has shown its concern over runaway infla tion by tightening the availa bility of money to banks and other lending agencies. Many bankers and finance company officials argue there is little danger. They note that loans are being , made on sound credit lines and point to all-time low levels of defaults and repos sessions. . The Prudential Insurance company says it looks for con sumer spending to rise $11,000,- 000,000 in 1956. It believes the gains in income and savings, coupled with a tax cut, would easily offset any dip in consum er credit extensions. Meanwhile, the consumer goes his merry way. He seems confident of the future and, when he is in that frame of mind, he spends money and readily . borrows to augment his earnings. mmmmmmmmmmmimiwmm OF GIFTWARE - LAMPS - MAPLE DEPT. MIRRORS - FLOOR COVERINGS HASSOCKS - COSCO STOOLS AND CARTS F r Thymes! wm feir S)S with the exciting new 225-h.p. Thunderbird Special Y-8 Here, ready and waiting to take you places as you've never gone before, is the newest version of an automotive classic-the Ford Thunderbird for 1956! Here is enormous new power, tamed to obey your every command. Here is true beauty of hue Thunderbird beauty that you'll recognize anywhere, yet it's as new as the day after tomorrowl The spare wheel is encased and mounted outside the car for a longer, smarter silhouette . . . more luggage space, too. Theresa wider range of interior and exterior colors, including 13 gorgeous new two-tones. And for comfort, youll enjoy new passenger compartment ventilation ... a new road-leveling ride . . . and a new comfort-contoured seat with room for three. Make a date with this dream car today! O k Three new mighty engines. There's more "GO" than ever beneath the sleek hood of every new Ford Thunderbird for '56. Whether you select the new Thunderbird Special Y-8 that gives you 225 h.p. with Fordomatic Drive . . . the 215-h.p. Thunderbird Special with Overdrive ... or the new 202-h.p. Thunderbird Y-8 with Conventional Drive, what a promise of high-performance motoring awaits you behind the wheell And, in traffic, the new Ford Thunderbird responds with a change of pace that's as agile as one could wish. -k New rear-mounted spare. It gives the Thunderbird's classic features an even longer, lower look. And with no spare tire in the trunk, there's lots more space for your luggagel Deck lid pops open on counterbalancing binges. jlr New wind deflectors and cowl ventilators. Youll enjoy new comfort in all kinds of weather with this new feature. Cowl vents are hand-operated . . . let new air in. Wind de flectors mounted on doors help draw old air out. -k New seating. Seat is body-contoured for new comfort with thicker foam-rubber padding, new non-sag springs. ir New finer ride. New, longer rear springs and new shock absorbers give a more stable ride, even greater comfort. ic Classic Thunderbird versatility. You may have a sleek removable hard top ... an easy-to-handle convertible top (black rayon or white vinyl) ... or both! And all the power assists ... for steering, braking, operating windows or seat ... are also available. New Lifeguard Design. Like all '56 Fords, the new Thunderbird has Lifeguard Design! It's the first major con tribution to passenger and driver protection in the event of an accident. There's a new deep-center Lifeguard steering wheel (it's adjustable, too), new double-grip Lifeguard door latches, a new double-swivel Lifeguard rear view mirror, new optional Lifeguard padding for instrument panel and sun visors, and new optional floor-anchored Ford seat belts. MAIN & FIR STREETS PHONE 3-4547 - GREAT TV, FORD THEATRE, KBES-TV, 9:30 P.M., .THURSDAY.'-
