MORE-FieHTIHG
ST El
Adeoycate Water Assure
Portland (U.R) Every major
river basin, valley and upland
meadow in Oregon will have
plenty of water for a bountiful
growing season this year, ac
cording to a report of statewide
water conditions issued today
by the United States Soil Con
servation Service and the Ore
gon Agricultural Experiment
Station.
W. T. Frost, who supervises
Smith
Tax Formula
Salem U.R) A five-point tax
formula was outlined here today
by Gov. Elmo Smith.
jk The governor, who predicted
his formula would gain the sup
port of the people, was the
luncheon speaker at a tax clinic
sponsored by Oregon Chamber
Executives and Oregon Tax Re
search. Explaining that he did not ex
pect any tax to meet all of his
suggested fundamentals, Gov.
Smith added that a worthwhile
tax program must incorporate
taxes which in total come clos
est to satisfying these standards:
Musi Meet Demands
1. Any tax program adopted
"must conform with the concept
of equality of taxes held by the
people of Oregon. This is par
ticularly true in Oregon where
the people can and do partici
pate in the legislative processes.
2. Our tax system must raise
enough money to meet demands
for service placed upon the
state by the people.
3. It must be flexible enough
to produce revenues under vary
ing economic conditions.
4. It should be convenient
as convenient as any tax is for
the taxpayer and economical for
the government to administer.
5. Our taxes should in no way
hinder the growth or develop
ment of our state.
"Those who feel that drastic
tax reduction is necessary must
recognize that this can be done
only if we are willing to elimi
nate services." the governor
sdded.
Biggest Business
"Government services are the
biggest business in Oregon," the
governor said. "The state oper
Organization o! Bar
Group Completed
Organization of the Jackson
County Bar association was com
pleted by local lawyers at a
noon meeting yesterday.
Previously, attorneys here
have belonged to the State and
Southern Oregon Bar associa
tions. The new group supple
ments these, and is for lawyers
in Jackson county only. Mem
bers feel the organization will
enable attorneys to meet their
needs in this immediate area
more effectively.
Paul Haviland was eleated
president at the meeting at the
Rogue Valley Country club; Bob
Duncan was named first vice-
president: W. G. Kellington sec
ond vice president; James Main
secretary, and Kent Blackhurst
treasurer.
Constitution and by-laws of
the association were adopted by
the 33 members attending.
Moore Endorsed by
labor Council Here
The Medford Central Labor
council Wednesday night en
dorsed District Judge Rawles
Moore as a candidate for reelec
tion in the coming election.
His name will appear on the
non-partisan ballot opposing At
torney O. H. Bengtson. The
candidate receiving a majority
will appear in the general elec
tion. Since there are only two
candidates, the winner in the
primary is virtually assured of
election.
Speaking at Wednesday's
meeting were Thomas Reeder,
Medford attorney and candidate
for district attorney, and At
torneys Edward C. Kelly, Robert
Dickev and Robert Duncan. The
latter three spoke on behalf of
Judge Moore.
Pro-Western Defeat
Seen in Ceylon Vote
Colombo, Ceylon (U.R)
Returns from the first section of
a three-part national election in
dicated today a crushing defeat
for the nro-Western government
of Prime Minister Sir John Ko-
telawala.
With 42 of the 95 parliamen
tary.- seats at stake in the first
day of balloting, the- leftist op
position ousted many govern
ment representatives, including
six Cabinet ministers.
snow surveys for both agencies,
said even those Oregon agricul
tural areas that were hard-pressed
for water last year will have
ample supplies.
He said an above average
snow pack, coupled with the
wettest watershed soils observed
in many years, assured better
than usual late summer stream
flow throughout the state.
utlines
ates among other things a vast
highway system, finances a ma
jor portion of our educational
system, provides a variety of ag
ricultural services, protects the
public health and administers a
broad program of public wel
fare. Which of these, and the
dozens of other functions of our
state government, can we safely
discontinue?"
Salem U.R) State Sen. Leo
V. Ohmart of Salem predicted
today that the Legislature In
terim Committee on Taxation
would recommoned repeal of
the 45 per cent surtax on per
sonal income in Oregon.
He told the Oregon Tax clinic,
attended by about 300 interest
ed legislators and tax organiza
tions, that he believed some sort
of a sales tax would be recom
mended as a substitute.
Ohmart made it clear that re
peal of the surtax would depend
upon finding an adequate alter
nate source of income for the
state. He said he regarded the
surtax on incomes as unfair.
Employment Takes
Upturn in County;
Outlook Said Good
Good weather during the
latter part of March caused a
considerable upturn - in- employ
ment in Jackson county, accord
ing to John J. Patton, manager
of the Medford employment
office.
Most of the increase, Patton
said, was because regular lum
ber industry crews, which were
laid off . during bad winter
weather, were recalled. New
hiring increased slightly, he
added.
Non-agricultural job place
ments increased 63 per cent over
February, while agricultural
placements remained the same,
Patton said.
Estimated Unemployment
Unemployment as of March 31
was estimated at 1,720 including
300 women. The total is 19 per
cent below February, and 9 per
cent below the same period in
1955, Patton said. New claim
for unemployment compensation
dropped sharply because of good
weather.
New applications for work last
month totaled 397 compared to
254 in Febwary and 363 in
March, 1955. New claims filed at
the local office numbered. 56b
last month, 737 in February and
700 in March, 1955.
Patton said the outlook -for
employment this summer is
good. "Agriculture and construc
tion both appear to be headed for
a big season," he noted.
The local office is completing
the annual program, of aptitude
testing in Jackson county high
schools, Patton said. The senior
class this year includes several
who will be looking for perma
nent job opportunities, he said,
and employers are invited to con
tact the local office for assis
tance in securing graduates.
General Heating in
Orchards Here Today
Low temperature of 24 degrees
here this morning resulted in the
first widespread peach and pear
orchard heating of the season,
according to Cliff Cordy, county
agent for horticulture.
Cordy said that scattered heat
ing started at about 3 a.m., but
became general later in the
morning.
Some peach orchard heating
was reported Monday night when
the temperature also was 24 de
grees. Since then, Cordy said,
pears have reached the stage of
development where cold could
be damaging.
The county agent said that
heating this morning was started
before any cold damage could
result to the fruit buds.
Corvallis (U.R) Masonic
lodge in Corvallis has announced
that it would rebuilt its fire
ravaged building .
Frost reported that the snow
cover above 5000 feet is 130 per
cent of the 15-year average. Be
low that level the snow cover is
173 per cent of the average. In
western and southwestern Ore
gon the snow cover has de
creased at only the lower eleva
tions while normal to above nor
may increases have occurred at
the median and high elevations
Ike To Ask Boost
In Appropriations
For Defense Items
Guided Missiles,
Aircraft Listed
Washington (U.R) President
Eisenhower will ask Congress
soon to boost defense appropria
tions for "critical items" such
as guided missiles and aircraft,
congressional sources said today.
The amount of the anticipated
request was not revealed. But
some informed sources said they
expect it to be "quite large."
The disclosure follows Demo
cratic criticism that the admin
istration has been lagging in the
weapons development race with
Russia.
Breakdown Asked
At a recent hearing of the Sen
ate Armed Services Committee,
Chairman Richard B. Russell
(D-Ga.) asked the Air Force to
furnish a breakdown on what
use it would make of an extra
$1,500,000,000 if Congress should
vote it.
The Air Force has not yet
replied, the committee said.
Sen. Leverett Saltonstall
(R - Mass.) Senate Republican
whip and ranking GOP member
of the Armed Services group,
and Sen. James H. Duff (R-Pa.)
another committee member, con
ferred at the White House Wed
nesday with President Eisen
hower on military matters,
including the guided missile
program.
Adequacy Questioned
Neither, however would" di
vulge details of - the subjects
covered.
Democratic members of the
House Military Appropriations
Subcommittee and some senators
have questioned the adequacy
of the administration's defense
budget.
The subcommittee has been
holding closed hearings on Pres
ident Eisenhower's defense pro
gram. ICC Sets Meeting
On Shipping Order
Washington (U.R The Inter
state Commerce Commission has
scheduled a meeting Monday to
reconsider controversial car
service order 910", an informed
source said today.
In order, which western Ore
gon lumbermen have been pro
testing vigorously, goes into ef
fect Sunday midnight.
The ICC meeting Monday is
thought to have been called as a
direct result of a request made
Thursday by Sen. Warren D.
Magnuson (D-Wash.) that order
910 be held up or amended to
exclude lumber shipments until
a hearing can be held on its
economic effect on the north
west lumber industry. Magnu
son is chairman of the Senate
Interstate Commerce commit
tee, which gives him probably
the greatest leverage of any
member of congress over ICC
matters.
DOW-JONES AVERAGES
New York (U.R) Dow-Jones
final stock averages: 30 indus
trials 521.05, up 4.48; 20 rail
roads 171.58, up 0.17; 15 utili
ties 67.14, up 0.06, and 65 stocks
182.70, up 0.92. Sales today were
about 2,600,000 shares compared
with 2,950,000 yesterday.
Two Tornadoes in Texas;
Heavy Rains
By UNITED PRESS
Tornadoes returned to the
Southwest on the heels of one
of the most devastating, twister
barrages in the nation's history.
A tornado damaged from 150
to 200 homes at Bryan, Tex.,
yesterday, but there were no
deaths or injuries. Police said
probably the reason was that it
was a rooftop twister which
never did "get right down to the
ground."
Another torpado funned was
sighted above Port Arthur, Tex.,
but apparently did not touch the
grcund. Up to four inches of
rain doused the state and four
persons were killed when their
car crashed on a rain-slicked
hgihway.
In Bryan, the twister tore the
roofs off homes and demolished
two warehouses.
the past month.
Frost said snow cover in the
major river basins ranges from
170 per cent of average in the
Willamette basin to 91 per cent
of average in the Owyhee basin.
He predicted that April
through September flows of
streams in 12 major Oregon
basins would rank in the top 10
per cent highest flows for that
period in their historical record.
Medford
51st Year 24 Pages
1 W 3 5T TLA "tit; WWfMiSMl Wnl t:
fqiii w. - m ? I A-ISf I III e
SPRING IS HERE The high school boys shown above strol-'
ling along Main st. in downtown Medford were among about
30 who showed up in bermuda shorts at school this morning,
with no advance warning to school authorities, and who were
at first asked to change to more customary garb. After some
confusion and misunderstanding, the boys and the school offi-
'Common Sense' in
Board Size Ruling
Expected by FHA
Portland (U.R) Federal
Housing Administration spokes
men indicated today its officers
would use "common sense" in
enforcing a new rule which -has
resulted in many boards now
manufactured by the lumber in
dustry not conforming to FHA
standards.
A slim 132 of an inch was the
difference.
Standards Not Met
The order said that all boards
marked three-fourths of an inch
under a newly-adopted West
Coast Lumber Inspection
Bureau's rule failed to meet
standards. FHA rules call for
2532 inch boards in lumber
used for sheating of walls and
subflooring.
Charles A. Bowser, assistant
commissioner in charge of under
writing for the FHA, said in
Washington, D.C., he saw little
cause for alarm. He said he ex
pected field inspectors would
"use common sense" in enforc
ing the memorandum.
Ruling Worded Loosely
He added he believed the rul
ing was worded loosely enough
to provide loopholes which re
gional officers could cut to fit
local .situations. The notice said
that American Lumber Stan
dards must be complied with un
less revised "or at least until a
majority of the industry agrees
on some other standard thick
ness." Home builders here conferred
with mortgage and FHA officials
and an official said afterwards
the situation probably would be
taken up on the national level.
Douse South
It was the first re-appearance
of tornadoes in the Southwest
since an onslaught of twisters
came raging out of the area
Monday night.
National Red Cross headquar
ters in Washington said its sur
vey showed 46 "verified" deaths
in the two-day, 12-state storm.
There were 800 injured, 389
homes destroyed, 1,272 hcvies
damaged, and 1,560 families af
fected, the Red Cross said.
Snow in Rockies
Heavy rains included 2.65
inches at Shreveport, La.; 2.72
at Birmingham, Ala., and 2.24
at Jackson, Miss. Wintry weath
er returned to the West, bring
in gone to three inches of snow
to the central Rockies.
In the northern Midwest,
floods posed the major weather
threat.
d ifor Summer S
They are streams in the Mal
heur, Burnt, Imnaha, Grande
Ronde, John Day, Deschutes,
Hood, Willamette, U m p q u a,
Rogue, Klamath, and Warner
Lake basins.
The only worry, Frost said,
was that the snowpack melt
could be carried off in an or
derly manner. Many areas re
ported they would use the bonus
MEL
.-r
(Landis-Shangle photo)
Bermuda Shorts Result in Minor
Dispute at
About 30 Medford High school
boys showed up for school this
morning wearing bermuda
shorts.
At 9 a.m., after some discus
sion between spokesmen for the
boys and school authorities, they
were asked to leave to get into
more conventional garb.
Instead, they moved in a group
into downtown Medford, enlist
ing support for their "cause"
that of comfortable dress on a
beautiful spring day.
Other Conferences
As the morning wore on, there
were other conferences with
school authorities, a decision on
policy, and an agreement on an
accepted standard of springtime
dress. The dispute died down
and things got, back to normal.
In the future, boys can wear
bermuda shorts so long as they
conform to accepted standards
for that type of informal garb, it
was agreed between the students
and the school authorities. There
will be no "extremes," they
agreed, either as to the length
of the shorts or as to other
garments.
During the morning discus
sions, the slightly - embarrassed
school authorities, half-way sym
pathetic with the boys, pointed
out, however, that it is their
endeavor to persuade students
to avoid the extremes of non-conventional
dress, since they are
distracting to the educational
process. They also explained
that they don't want to make
any hard-and-fast rules about
clothing, but that if the situation
had been approached a bit dif
ferently, the initial confusion
could have been avoided. The
boys agreed.
'Legal' Right
Leonard Mayfield, city school
superintendent, who was un
aware of the situation until after
the boys had left the school
campus for downtown, chuckled
somewhat ruefully and admitted
the boys have a "legal" right to
wear what they want as long
as it is within the limitations of
decency. But he explained the
schools' efforts have been to edu
cate youngsters to the commonly
accepted proprieties and cus
toms. He said it is the same as
their attempts to discourage girls
from wearing slacks and shorts
to school. ,
Four spokesmen for the boys
appeared at the Mail Tribune of-
Weather
FORECAST: Variable high
cloudiness tonight and Satur
day. Low tonight 32. High
Saturday 65.
Temp.
Highest Yesterday 60
Lowest this Morning 30
water to build reservoir reserves
for next year or would cultivate
marginal lands not normally in
production.
A survey showed the state's
20 major irrigation reservoirs
80 per cent full of water, 17
per cent more than average.
The water supply outlook for
the entire Columbia Basin was
described as "excellent."
R. A. Work of the Soil Con-
i, APRIL 6, 1956
cials got together on a plan which will allow the boys to wear
the shorts as long as they go along with commonly-accepted
standards of bermuda dress. (Bermuda shorts it was explained,
should come within an inch of the knee.) By noon, after the
boys' forays into downtown Medford, the matter was settled,
pretty much to everyone's satisfaction.
High School Today
fice at mid-morning, protesting
the first ruling of the school au
thorities, but they came back
about noon to explain the matter
had been settled. They agreed
their plan to wear shorts, de
veloped during the week with no
word to school authorities, might
not have been the way to go
about it.
Conform With Standards
And they said they're willing
to go along with the bermuda
shorts standards suggestion, and
to conform other accepted stand
ards of dress otherwise. They
said they would be willing to
see that this is carried out.
The spokesmen were Kenneth
County Polio Fund
Drive Sets Record
Jackson county residents set
an all-time record in contribu
tions to the March of Dimes cam
paign last January, it was an
nounced today by Aubrey Lo
per, campaign treasurer.
Loper's report showed total
contributions for the fight
against polio totaled $37,849.35.
Campaign expenses were $829,
which left a net of $37,020.35.
Each year since the first March
of Dimes drive in 1935, Jackson
county has exceeded its previ
ous year's collections. The 1956
Riverside Traffic
Light Being Installed
' A traffic actuated signal light
at Riverside and Stewart aves.
is being installed by Steek Elec
tric company of Roseburg, ac
cording to Vernon Thorpe, Med
ford director of public works.
The state will meet half of the
estimated $9,900 cost and the
city and county one fourth each.
Bids on the project were opened
in November.
Thorpe said Medford traffic
records indicate 18 accidents oc
curred at the intersection during
1955. Traffic on Stewart ave.
and in the left turn lanes off
Riverside ave. will actuate the
lights.
Reef Hot Lava Flow
Creeps Down Mt. Etna
Catania, Siciliy (U.R) A
smoking red hot stream of lava
crept 3000 feet down the side of
Mount Etna today in the second
day of the volcano's eruption.
The' lava coursed alongside the
hardening mass that gushed from
the volcano last month. It ap
peared headed for the same un
inhabited valley where the last
eruption petered out.
1
eosoro
servation Service, said the basin
had the heaviest snowpack re
ported since an expansion of the
snow survey system in 1936. He
said that so far there was no evi
dence of significant snow melt
in upper areas, and that "ad
verse climatic conditions during
the snowmelt period would pro
duce extremely damaging flow
volumes at many points."
Tribune
Price 5c No. 14
Taplett, son of Mrs. Lane Tap
lett, 919 Dakota st.; John Bel-
lack, son of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer
Bellack, 1475 Crater Lake 'ave.;
David Bosworth, son of Mr. and
Mrs. H. P. Bosworth Jr., 2425
East Main st., and Ed Reinking,.
son of Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Rein
king, 1409 Kings highway.
Bill Barker, a member of the
school board who also runs a
men's clothing store, admitted
to a biased point of view regard
ing the situation.
"I wear them myself, some
times," he said, "and I like to
wear them and to sell them. From
a strictly non-school board and
biased viewpoint, I vote for 'em."
drive exceeded last year's efforts
by $3,826.43. Jerry Lausmann,
Medford, was chairman' of the
county campaign, which was
sponsored by the Medford Lions
club.
50 Per Cent Retained
Of the net amount, $18,510.18
will remain in the county to
care for local cases while the
other 50 per cent has been sent
to the headquarters of the Na
tional Foundation for Infantile
Paralysis, where it will be used
in the Foundation's patient care
program, research and educa
tion. , '
Medford set the pace for col
lections in the 14 county areas
with a total of $21,220.41. Ash
land was next with $6,562.71,
which was an MOD record for
that city.
Collections in other towns
were Central Point $1,997.26;
Eagle Point $1,224.87; Camp
White $409.88, Phoenix $1,
143.01; Applegate $435.51; Butte
Falls $458.69; Gold Hill $627;
Jacksonville $529.51; Rogue Riv
er $2,023.54; Shady Cove-Trail
$443.22; Talent $467.97 and
Prospect $305.83.
Medford's largest fund-raising
effort was the Crater Lions
club's television auction which
brought in $5,309.37. Second in
line was the Mothers' March
which raised $4,407.72. Total
amount raised by the Mothers'
March in the county was $5,
805.24. Man Sentenced to
Prison Term Today
Leon A. Hurd, 24, Yakima,
Wash., was sentenced in circuit
court this morning to four years
in the state penitentiary for bur
glary. Hurd previously pleaded
guilty. He was arrested by sher
iffs deputies on March 26.
Both Sides Agree
To Immediate Order
For Cease Fire
Initial Barrage
Blamed on Egyptians
Jerusalem, Israeli Sector
(U.R) ,New fighting broke out
early today on the Gaza Strip
between Israeli and Egyptian
troops. But a United Nations
spokesman said each side had
agreed to an immediate case fire.
Israel said Egyptian artillery
opened up a 8 a.m. (10 p.m. PST)
on an Israeli unit in Kissufim, a
key Israeli communications cen
ter astride the Gaza frontier, and
spread an hour later to the
Beairy Sector, six miles north.
An Egyptian spokesman
charged in Cairo that Israeli
unjts opened fire first.
Observers Move In
Casualties were not announced
in today's second round which
again brought the threat of all
out war to the Middle East.
A U.N. spokesman said both
Egypt and Israel agreed to ac
cept U.N. cease fire orders this
morning and that all was quiet
along the strip. He said 15 truce
observers were sent to the front
lines and that U.N. headquarters
in New York was being kept in
formed. .
The emergency was so grave
that Maj. Gen. E. L. M. Burns
cancelled a trip to Rome where
he had planned to meet U.N.
Secretary General Dag Ham
marskjold leaves New York to
day on an urgent peace-seeking'
mission.
Flagrant Breach Charged
Burns cabled Hammarskjold
he would await him at the "Hill
of Good Counsel" overlooking
the Isreali-Jordan no man's land
outside Jerusalem.
A spokesman for the Israeli
Foreign Office condemned the
new Gaza Strip fighting as a
flagrant breach of the armistice
and "accused Egypt of trying to
keep tension in the war-threatened
sector at the boiling point.
Israel reported the new fight
ing only a few hours after the
United Nations had brought an
end to day-long fighting in the
Gaza Strip that Egypt said killed
42 persons and wounded 110
others Thursday. .
Third GD Topic
Is French Crisis
The. present French crisis in
North Africa and its relation to
the United States will be consid
ered next week- in the third
topic of the Great Decisions se
ries, "What U.S. Policy for
North Africa?"
A condensation of the fact
sheet on the topic will appear in
Sunday s issue of the Mail Trib
une and the problem, will be dis
cussed on radio and TV pro
grams and in other groups
throughout the week.
Broadcasts relating to the pro
gram will be heard on KYJC
from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday;
KMED, 9 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday;
and KWIN in Ashland from 8 to
8:30 p.m. Monday. The weekly
television program is Tuesday
from 2:30 to 2.45 p.m.
The Great Decisions program
brings information on foreign
affairs, disseminated through
press, radio, television and writ
ten material, for use in informal
discussion.
The organization committee
is headed by Medford Attorney
Don Hansen.
Installation Starts
On Bartlett, Main
Installation of an eight-inch
water main on Bartlett st., from
Main st. to Fourth and on Fourth
st. to Front st. began today by
city crews.
The project is largely for in
creased fire protection, accord
ing to Robert L. Lee, assistant
water superintendent. Three new
fire hydrants will be included
in the improvement.
City Manager Robert Duff
said that the city hopes the pub
lic and business operators will
"be tolerant" of the incon
vience, because the new main
will help Medford's fire situa
tion and improve the city's fire
rating.
25 Traffic Deaths
Reported in March
Salem (U.R) Twenty-five
traffic deaths in March brought
Oregon's 1956 traffic toll to 79,
the Traffic Safety Division re
ported today.
The March toll was lower
than the first two months of the
year. It also was lower than
March a year ago when 33 were
killed in traific.
Seventy-two Oregon drivers
were temporarily grounded last
month because of bad driving
records.