BIX MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE
Sunday, January 8, 1956
Floods Expected To Be Stimulant
To Congress for,New Legislation
By A. ROBERT SMITH
Mail Tribune Correspondent
Washington Nothing was
more certain from remarks of
members of Congress this past
week as they convened for a
new session than that the floods
that have hit the nation from
Oregon to New England will be
a major stimulant to legislation
affecting flood threatened areas
and people.
There is little doubt now that
this congressional session will
see a major river and harbor
improvement bill compiled and
enacted into law, thereby author
izing the appropriation of many
millions more for flood control
purposes.
This has frequently been a
favorite legislative action in elec
tion years, for nothing goes over
with greater success in the home
districts of virtually every mem
ber of Congress than approval
of a new project in which fed
eral funds are promised for fu
- ture dredging, levee building,
dam construction or harbor
work.
Flood Control Bill
The floods of recent months
are expected by many lawmak
ers to give extra impetus to
speedy approval by members of
both parties of a big omnibus
flood control bill especially
since it will not be follow
ed by immediate appropriations
which might serve at the mo
ment to increase government
spending and decrease chances
of a personal income tax cut.
Sens. Wayne Morse and Rich
ard L. Neuberger (D-Ore.) em
phasized their intent to push for
funds for dams in the Willamette
River basin, as did Reps. Harris
Ellsworth and Walter Norblad
(R-Ore.).
There was this distinct differ
ence, however Morse and Neu
berger hope to get federal funds
to build" new dams in western
Oregon; Ellsworth wants private
funds to be approved for new
dam building.
Ellsworth said Jie will try to
gain acceptance of "partnership"
legislation which would permit
local utilities to put up about
$40,000,000 toward construction
of Green Peter dam on the south
fork of the Santiam river and
Cougar on the south fork of the
McKenzie river. Pacific Power
and Light Co. and Eugene Water
and Electric Board respectively
ar the utilities that would put
up the private money which,
along with $55,000,000 in federal
funds, jyould cover estimated
costs of both dams.
Available Immediately
"It would speed up flood con
trol by a couple of years," con
tended the Republican congress
men, "because the $40,000,000
ml non-federal money would be
available immediately and we
wouldn't have to continually go
to Congress with a tin cup to
try to get all the money out of
the committees (on appropria
tions)." Congress last summer appro
priated a half million of federal
funds to get Cougar dam started
as an all-government undertak
ing. While Morse and Neuberger-
hope to get more federal funds
to keep its construction going
in the coming fiscal year, Ells
worth hopes to get his "partner
ship" bill enacted so that the
project would be converted to
a local-federal endeavor.
Northwestern Democrats, who
oppose the administration's
"partnership" power policy, are
expected to try to keep Ells
worth s bill bottled up in com
mittee. Senator Neuberger, on anotfr
er aspect of flood concern, said
he is working on legislation that
would provide disaster insurance
for the victims of rivers that
get out of control and inflict
heavy damage to private prop
erty.
Insurance Only Fair Aid
Neuberger said at present Ore
gon flood victims can only get
government loans to help them
finance homes and businesses
that were wiped out by the
flood. "
"The only really fair aid to
these unfortunate people is in
surance," declared Neuberger.
He argued that a man who has
just paid off the mortgage on
his house and then sees it car
ried away by floods doesn't want
help in the form of a new mort
gage, but rather he wants cash
by. means of insurance to build
anew without having a heavy
debt hanging over his head.
Proposals for flood insurance
were first voiced on the con
gressional front last fall shortly
after the disastrous New Eng
land floods of August. Sen. Her
bert Lehman (D-N.Y.) said he
would back a disaster risk insur
ance plan when Congress re
sumed action this month. Mass
chusetts' two senators, Leverett
Saltonstall (R) and John F. Ken
nedy (D), teamed up with anoth
er similar proposal. And Sen.
Prescott Bush (R-Conn.) asked
the staff of the Senate Banking
Committee to draft a flood in
surance measure.
That committee, through this
past November, held hearings
in the flood stricken areas of
New England, New York and
North Carolina (hit by hurri
canes) to gather information on
which to act when Congress re
convened. A staff aide said that
further hearings' are to be held
soon after the administration
submits its views on this issue.
Most observers feel confident
Congress will act positively to
write a new act of some sort
that will offer insurance protec
tion to individuals who have at
present no means of shielding
their investments in private
property against floods or other
disasters caused by the natural
elements.
A Niehofs Worth of . . .
Comment On This and That
By HARMAN W. NICHOLS
United Ptef ? ir
fSM j
Harmon Nichols
Washington (U.P.) The sec
ond session of the 34th Con
gress opened with the tradi
tional presi
dential mes
sage a century
ago.
The leader
of the day,
Franklin
Pierce of New
H a m p s h ire,
must have had
something t o
say. But you
couldn't tell
what it was
from the riublic prints. There
were all sorts of editorials about
the speech, pro and con, but no
real hint about what he said.
No text, no stories.
Like as not the issue had
something to do with slavery,
since 1856 was working up fast
to the war between the states.
Pierce-, a man who didn't want
to run in the first place, played
both ends against the middle
after he was nominated. He let
it be noised about that he was
in favor of the 1850 compromise
on the slavery issue. That
prompted one historian to say
that the President was "liked
by the South and the North tol
erated him because of his north
ern background."
Papers Cheaper
The papers of the time were,
of course, much cheaper than
they are today. For instance, the
Daily Intelligencer advertised it
could be bought for $10 a year,
and "country papers for $6."
The going rate now, including
the fat Sunday editions, is about
$1.95 a month, or about $23 a
year.
The Treasury Department
gave its estimate of what the
federal balance would be on
July 1, 1857. It was $29,672,
497.78, "including $12,000,000
which is estimated will not be
expended."
Since the clouds of local war
appeared to be gathering, the
secretary of war in 1856 author
ized strength of the Army to be
Bob Cook Appointed
To Gold Hill Council
Gold Hill Appointment of
Bob Cook to fill a Gold Hill city
council vacancy was approved at
a city council meeting last week.
Cook was appointed by Mayor
Milton Stienmetz to fill a va
cancy left when Stienmetz was
appointed mayor when narry
Smith resigned in December.
City committee appointments
included finance committee,
Floyd Lance, Ernie Cooper and
Bob Cook; sanitation, Carl Whit
ford, Ernie Cooper and Delos
Walker; water and. lights, Fred
Lewis, Carl Whitford and Bob
Cook; nuisance, Delos Walker,
Ernie Cooper and Bob Cook; fire
exposure, Carl Whitford, Fred
Lewis and Delos Walker; equip
ment, Ernie Cooper, Fred Lewis
and Floyd Lance; police, Ernie
Cooper, Delos. Walker; streets,
sidewalks and drainage, Floyd
Lance, Ernie Cooper and Delos
Walker.
increased to 17,867 -officers and
men, "whilst actual strength as
of now appears to be 15,752."
The House of Representatives,
starting a new session, got a nice
build-up in one of the local pa
pers, which said, editorially:
"Some members of the House
have expressed their readiness
to enter upon this test of physi
cal endurance and at least one
night scene may be expected."
Mail Slopped
Weather was .pretty rough at
the turn of the year 100 years
ago. The papers were complain
ing about the postal service.
"None of the mails due last
evening in this city, either from
east, west, north or south were
received. . . the snow drifts prob
ably preventing locomotion."
It was past the holiday season,
but the advertisements still ad
vertised "gifts." One Jesse B.
Wilson said that he had a batch
of "good" whiskey pure old
rye. Five barrels of it, aged from
the years 1845, 1849, and 1851.
Wilson was offering this grog for
sale, according to how long it
had been sitting around at $2,
$2.50, and $3.50 a gallon.
The Democratic National Com
mittee had a meeting at the Na
tional Hotel, attended by 21
members. The upshot was an an
nouncement, buried among the
buggy ads allowing that the na
tional convention for the party
would be held in Cincinnati
starting on the first Monday in
June.
The Republicans apparently
hadn't made up their minds yet.
13-Year-0ld Catches
Shark Bare-Handed
Miami U.R) A 13-year-old
boy said Saturday he cap
tured a nine-foot shark bare
handed and displayed the 250
pound monster to skeptics.
The 93-pound boy, Tony Bel
cher, said he spotted the shark
swimming toward him while
sailing his prajn in South Bis
cayne bay. He said he grabbed
the big .fish by its wide-flanged
tail sticking out of water and
held it over the side of his sail
boat.
Two other boys came along
side and helped Belcher loop a
rope around the shark and haul
it to shore with their motor
launch, he said.
Deported Because
Of Ball Point Pen
Washington U.R) Sabas-
tian Vermiglio, a Chicago nar
cotic peddler arrested Friday,
has been deported because of
a ball point pen.
The Immigration Service said
Vermiglio claimed U. S. citizen
ship and offered a 1912 baptis
mal certificate to show that he
had been baptized in a Chicago
church. The service branded his
story false, however, and put
him on a plane for Italy.
The Immigration Service said
the baptismal certificate was
signed with a ball point pen,
something not in use until 1945
Portland Group
Launches Drive
To Block Center
Portland U.P.) A group
of east side Portland business
men have launched a two-phase
drive against the city adminis
tration in an attempt to block
construction of an $8,000,000 ex
position center on the west side
of the city.
The group headed by Joe
Dobbins, east side used car deal
er, hoped to block construction
at the so-called south auditor
ium site chosen last week by
the mayor's Exposition-Recreation
Center commission.
Site Illegal
The drive included complaint
for an injunction against ex
penditure of funds on grounds
that the south auditorium site
is illegal, and a proposed am
endment to the Portland city
charter that would allow vot
ers to decide which side of the
Willamette river would be used
for the E-R site.
The complaint for an injunc
tion claims the south auditor
ium site selection was illegal
because a previous resolution
picking a Vanport site was nev
er rescinded and thus was in
full force and effect. The city
council vetoed that .site..
The complaint also alleges
that all acts of the E-R commis
sion since the resignation of J.
H. Polhemus are void because
Polhemu's successor, Thaddeus
B. Bruno, is not a legal resident
of Portland.
Emergency Ferry Assists
People Blocked By Slide
Reedsport U.P.) An em
ergency ferry service was to
go into operation Saturday to
help some 267 persons cut off
from jobs and schools in Reeds
port by a huge mud slide.
Douglas county officials Fri
day reported that a mammoth
mass of 100,000 yards of mud
that oozed across Highway 38
during the Christmas holiday
flood prevented some 450 per
sons from reaching Reedsport,
where many of- thenr worked.
More than 117 of the persons
claimed unemployment compen
sation Friday because 'they
could not reach their jobs.
County officials said 150 chil
dren were cut off from their
schools by the slide.
Goes Around Slide
The ferry service, set up by
the State Highway department,
the county Civil Defense agency
and local -industries, began op
erations about 5:30 a.m. It will
carry isolated residents around
the slide.
Southern Pacific railroad said
it will begin operating a spec
ial train Monday to take isolated-children
to schools which
they have not attended since be
fore Christmas. The schools are
at Reedsport and Gardiner.
County officials estimated
that more than 150 loggers em
ployed at Long-Bell, E. K.
Wood Lumber and independent
logging operations will be af
fected by the ferry. The Ump
qua River Navigation comp
any's tug, Cathlamet, a former
Columbia river ferry, will op
erate some 13 hours daily until
the road is reopened.
A ramp and floating docks
were put into place at Dean's
Creek, about four miles east of
Reedsport, to serve as the up
stream embarkation point.
KEYS STOLEN
Miami Beach, Fla. (U.R) Oda
Sutton, who told police last Mon
day that thieves had taken a
pistol, strongbox and duplicate
set of keys from his auto, report
ed Friday that the car had been
stolen. -
GOOD AID
La Paz, Bolivia OJ.P.) Presi
dent Victor Pas Estenssoro Fri
day credited United States
economic aid for helping to pull
Bolivia through recent difficult
times.
Canby Woman Killed
Aiong Edge Of Road
. Canby, U.P.) A 70-year-old
woman, clad in black cloth
ing and walking along the edga"
of the highway at New Era was
struck by a car and fatally in
jured Friday night. .
State police reported that
Mrs. Anna Dallas of Canby was
killed instantly when struck by.
a car driven by Walter Werroh-:
en, 48, also, of Canby. The death!
was the first traffic fatality of.
the year in Clackamas county. -'
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ACCIDENT FATAL
Guaymas, Mexico (U.P.) An
Albany, Ore., woman was killed
and her husband seriously in
jured in an automobile accident
near here Thursday night. Auth
orities identified the dead wo
man as Mrs. J. A. Kaufman. Her
husband was reported in criti
cial condition in a local hospital.
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143 South Riverside
Medford
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MEDFORD
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A
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