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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 1956)
EIGHT MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE Friday, February 24, Cost of Living Up Slightly in Portland; National Cost Down San Francisco (U.R) Living costs in Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco declined in Janu- ' ary but rose slightly in Portland, Ore., the U. S. Department of Labor reported today. Average food prices in Seattle '. reached a low point for the past ' 14 months end one of the low est in the last five years, the department's bureau of labor statistics announced. Food prices were down 0.8 per cent from December averages with the big gest decline of 2.1 per cent re corded in meats. January's average retail price ' level in Los Angeles was 0.3 per cent below December's, but 0.5 per cent higher than a year ago. The downward trend' was led by a 1.5 per cent 'decline in meat prices, 7.1 per cent below the year ago levels. Medical care showed a 1 per cent gain. Average food prices in San Francisco were down 0.2 per cent from December - but were exactly the same as a year ago. GET THE FACTS ON ESPIONAGE FROM - M Mm Watch for ' : Jlf Tjr exciting news in , jT&y, fl this paper and BES-TVJ Meats averaged 1.1 per cent low er; fruits and vegetables were up 0.8 per cent. -Portland reflected a similar decline in average food prices, but showed an overall increase in housing and apparel for an 0.1 per cent cost increase from October. Washington U.R) The cost of living dropped slightly in January, the government report ed today. .-. . The drop means a one-cent an hour cut in pay for about 1,000, 000 automobile and farm equip ment workers whose wages are pegged to a cost of living scale. Their pay cut will take effect in the first pay period in March. The slight January decline brought the cost of living to the lowest point since August. " Lower prices for food, house hold furnishings, clothing and automobiles accounted for the decline. . . Commissioner Ewan Clague of the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that the February in dex would remain stable or show another slight decline. The bureau said . that wide spread food price declines, re flecting lower farm prices, were the main factor in the January drop in the overall cost of liv ing. It was the fourth, straight month of decline in food prices. POOH-BAH Swansea, Mass, Chief Arthur R. busy man. He town constable, animals, dog viewer, schools ficeer, inspector and auctioneer.. .-U.R) Police Ormsbee is a also serves as inspector . of officer, fence attendance ' of of slaughtering Twin Confesses To Murder of Cub Scout . Wheeling, "W. Va. (U.R) Offi cials said today the confession of a 14-year-old twin in the bludgeon-slaying of Cub Scout David Powell showed the killing was without "rhyme or reason." Ohio County Prosecutor Jo seph A. Gompers said the con fession of Tommy Williams in dicated there was "no apparent motive" for the crime. "I have no idea why he did it," Gompers said. "There was no rhyme or reason for it." Full Confession Williams confessed slaying the nine-year-old boy to his attorney hours before he and his identi cal twin, Joseph, were arraigned on murder charges Thursday. Officials said Tommy made a "full confession" to authorities Thursday night. Gompers said Attorney Wil liam Callahan-requested that the confession not be made public until the murder trial scheduled for April 2. The confession virtually expn erated Tommy's brother. ."Joe Williams will be released as soon as I clean up several facts, provided, of course, they prove to be negative," Gompers said. - He said he would not object if Callahan asked that bond be set for Joseph. The Powell boy was killed Feb. 9 while canvassing neigh bors near his Wheeling Island home to sell, tickets to a Cub Scout benefit show. His body was found the next day beneath a porch of the Williams' home. The victim's head had been split from front to rear and his throat and chest bore stab wounds. ' Gomper said to his knowledge the trial would be held as sched uled. Intermediate Court Judge David A. McKee, indicated ear lier he would leave it up to a jury to decide Tommy's fate. Death Penalty Possible The boy could be executed if a jury finds him guilty of first degree murder. West Virginia court records show that a 14-year-old boy -was tried for a slaying 20 years ago and '. was convicted of second degree mur der. Gompers, , who said Tommy will be held without bond, shied away from questions regarding the actual commission of the crime." .. . , "That's in the statement," he said, "and I don't intend to vio late an agreement with the de fense attorney (Callahan)." E. R. Schreiber, a special in vestigator employed by Calla han, said Tommy told Gompers he himself had no reason for the . slaying. Schreiber quoted Tommy as. saying he and the Powell boy "were pals." Weather Balloons ; Over Aleutians Oppama, Japan (U.R) The U. S. Navy reported today that two of its weather balloons were over the Aleutians and that plans were completed for launching the 20th and last of a series. . A Navy spokesman said one balloon messaged weather infor mation Thursday from Shimya Island in the Aleutians. The Navy said . it was traveling 70 miles an hour in a northeasterly direction. " !.' Balloon No. 10 which was freed Thursday at Oppama was reported speeding on a north easterly course over Kiska Island at 85 miles an hour early today. . The Navy 'spokesman said weather conditions- would der termine when the last lighter-than-air ' craft would be freed here with its weather equipment and automatic radio transmitter. Several of the balloons have completed the Pacific trip and landed in the United States. One reached the Atlantic waters off Portugal . 1 - La ug hs of the Day . . . New York (U.R) Detectives rounding up four, men accused of looting the apartment of jazz trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie spent, two hours opening four locks on the door of Walter Jack son, 40. When police finally gained en trance to Jackson's apartment, with the aid of a locksmith, Jackson greeted them with a smile and said: "Is somebody looking for me?" - Detroit (U.R) The Board of Fire Commissioners rejected a request that it refuse to accept $15,000 worth of new uniforms for firemen. ! The commissioners did not ac cept the protests of fire fighters that the uniforms look like iernity frocks.' ma- Oregon Employment Drops in Ja London (U.R) Student Pat rick ' Huggins was fined one pound ($2.80) for "wantonly dis charging a missile, to wit a snowball, to the damage or dan ger of persons in Kensington Court." , The target was a policeman. Milwaukee, Wis. (U.R) Fred erick W. Gagnon, 53 - year - old self-professed deaf mute, had no trouble understanding when he was sentenced to 30 days for disorderly conduct.' "I didn't know this town was so tough on panhandlers,", he commented after sentence was passed. it takes less money than you think First, get the real facts on how low, low the '56 Fords are priced." Then see how high, high a trade-in allowance your Ford Dealer will give . on your present car. We bet you'll lay out far, far less money -and have lower monthly pay ments than you think. , you get more for your money. Who else gives yon Thunderbird Styling and Lifeguard Design at no extra cost? Who else offers you Thunderbird Power.. .automatic drive ...power assists... and extra safety features at so little extra cost? Truly, the '56 Ford is "the fine car at half the fine car price"! . j vou can "tailor" your '56 Ford as you want it Choose between a V-8 engine or an I block 6. Ford offers you nineteen different models (in cluding 6 Station Wagons) to choose from. Many, many color combinations...luxurious fabrics... 'and power assists. So you can have your '56 : Ford to suit you and your pocketbook. , Salem (U.R) Oregon employ ment fell off seasonally in Jan uary, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported. But with 449,100 non-farm jobs reported, the level continued about 10,000 higher than last winter's low. -Marked declines occured in lumbering, construction, food processing and trade following the holidays but with the excep tion of sawmills and logging most lines remained well above recent comparable periods, the bureau reported. Ship repairing reported 4,100 at work, a new nuary MAIN & FIR STREETS . PHONE 3-4547 -COME IN NOV-- DURING OUR FEBRUARY SALES JUBILEE! Ike's Announcement Will Relieve Tension Washington-dl.R) Heart spe cialist Paul Dudley White sug gested today any tension Presi dent Eisenhower may be feeling will be relieved when, he an nounces his second term decis ion." . Reports on the President's golf game .during his vacation 4 at Thomasville, Ga., have indicated he was feeling tense. He was not playing as well as he did before his heart attack. Dr. White, who is directing the President's recuperation, said he "should think" the President was feeling tense because of the weight of deciding whether to run for reelection. x "It's only natural," he told the United Press. "It's a very hard decision." He said it also is "natural ;to assume' that a good deal of what ever tension exists will lift when the President "unburdens him self", of the problem. high for recent years, while machinery manufacturing also gained 100 to reach a new top of 5,500. Around Winter Peak Meanwhile, u n e m p loyment was staying around the winter time peak with about 30,000 in sured workers asking compensa tion each week. Because of the new benefit schedual, payments were expect ed to be close to 3,000,000 this month, the. second highest Feb ruary in the last five years. Av erage weekly checks are running around $29 compared "with $22 under the old ; scale. But from 12 to 15 per cent of mostly sea sonal claimants - now are. unable to qualify f 6r benefits. Minimum base year earnings of $700 over a sustained ' period now - are required. . .. Limbering Drops More than two-thirds of the unemployed were coming from seasonal pursuits in lumbering, construction and food process ing, the Teport revealed. Log ging and sawmills reported" 52, 000 working last month with from 10,000 to 15,000 filing for benefits ' each week while the weather continued cold and wet. A year ago, 56,700 employees were busy in these groups. ; Plywood mills, construction and food plants dropped1 off in January but were well above a year ago. About 8,000 clerks were laid off at year-end byb re tail trade but here too, employ ment was higher than last Janu ary. Government also dropped 3,200 workers after the holidays. Most other alines continued on an even keel. Reds Build Bases Opposite Formosa Taipeh, Formosa (U.R) A Na tionalist Chinese military spokes man said today Communist Chi na has. some 70 airbases in three provinces facing Formosa, half of which are capable of handling jet aircraft. . - - . Navy Capt. Lu Ho-Tu said the Reds recently completed five big jet bases on the mainland di rectly across the Formosa Strait from the Nationalist' island bas tion and that four others . are under construction. - He said . that whilef no , Com munist jets- have yet been sight ed on Fukien province '. they could be there "in a matter of hours.". ' , : . Liu said he agreed with the commander of the Nationalist garrison on the Quemoy that the Reds are strong enough to attack the offshore island "if they de sire." But,' he said, he did not believe any Red invasion is "im minent." ".' -' ' L Judge Compliments Audacious Thief London (U.R) The judge com plimented . William Frederick Lowe Thursday for being a "very clever . audacious thief" and then sentenced him to five years in jail. - - Lowe, 33, was likened to E. W. Hornung's legendary character, "Raffles," gentleman thief. . Among Lowe's exploits was his bamboozling of Lady An tonia Doughty Tichborne by pos ing as a colonel of the Scots Guard with derby hat, old school tie, military bearing and clipped accent. He ransacked her apart ment and as he was leaving en countered Lady Antonia; f " " ; -, "I've just seen someone try to fling himself out of your win dow," Lowe said. i "How ghastly," Lady Antonia replied and rushed inside. By the time she discovered Lowe had stolen jewelry and heirlooms worth' 1,500 pounds ($4,200) Lowe had escaped. Searchers Find Lost , Corvallis Hiker t ' Corvallis (U.R) Leonard Stayton, 25, ' Corvallis, missing overnight on snowy Mary's peak, was found safe shortly after 6 a.m. today by a search party. The search party, headed by Deputy Sheriff Jess Gates, ra dioed , police here that Stayton was "all' right." t Stayton had hiked into deep snow on the, tall Coast range peak yesterday to bring down a tractor which had, been used on road: repair. Seach started when he failed to return as sched uled yesterday evening. , , Eagle Point Grange opened with seating drill 'Feb. 21. The office of ceres was filled by Mrs. Lawrence -Messal. W. E. Davis and G. E. Cowden served on the executive committee. ; " The demits of Charlie' and El sie Hoover : were accepted. New members ,Victor and Rose Bar tholomew were voted into membership. " ; : W. E. Davies gave a report for the agriculture committee. Re porting for- the Educational Comm.1 was Mrs. Augusta Perry. Her -subject was on family fire drills.- The" legislative ,, commis sion report was given by Paul Olsen. He told of a number -of bills now before congress. Mrs. Harry DeVore gave a report 'forf the health and safety committee! : -Dolls filled i the HEC display table. There, was a doll in war rior costume from South Afri ca, and dolls from Germany, in native dress, as well as others. The next H.E.C. meeting will be held February 29 at "the home of Mrs. Lenn Hickman. The serv- i ing committee ' for the . next Grange meeting, March 6, is to' be Mr .and Mrs. John Huffman j and Mr.-, and Mrs. Kermit Car roll. ; . - - Election was held for lecturer and Charlie Hoover was elected. Attendance ; pins were pre sented' to Mr. and Mrs. Harry DeVore, Mr. and Mrs. Otis Hill, j and Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence ', Messal. . - - j Grange closed in regular j form. Refreshments were served i by Mr. and Mrs. Otis Jones and ; Mr. and Mrs. Harry DeVore. Come See! CABINET CRAFTSMANSHIP Mv 1 H I 2 ELEGANT NEW BLACK EASY-VISION sie i V mahogany finish console, Super Mark ) chassis. M3054. Superbly styled with - the California flair for informal elegance . . . superbly r constructed of select r . materials and trenuine hardwood framing! Come see exciting '56 Hoffman today! ALL-BRIGHT TELEVISION CO. 1654 Orchard Home Drive 3 r - o c H X m m -o to m I NT CO Ul H o H O Ml GY o 3 3 O CA ' fii CO '3. 73 a (O 10 o u ft to' (A o o "1 (A
