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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1956)
Recommended - A feature rtory on a usw method of measuring moisture In toil In orchards appears oh pave 14 of today's Mail Trifeona. 5 1st Year Ml County Budget Approved by Committee; Salaries Raised The Jackson county budget committee Friday afternoon ap r proved the 1956-57 budget. Ma- jor changes provided saiary in creases for seven elected offi cials. 10 sheriff's deputies, chief deputies in three other depart ments, the bookkeeper-payroll clerk, two health department employees, and two superinten dents at the county farm home, and two road department em ployees. Ihe revised budget total is $2,645,389.07 as compared with the original estimate of $2,636. 818.47. Members of the commit tee said no tax levy would be necessary this year. The budget was balanced by increased O&C receipt estimates. ADDroval of the budget fol lowed by an all-day public hear ing, which drew what observ ers called a "surprisingly small crowd. Officials Raised Raises for elected officials are as follows: County judge from $5,000 to $5,760: county commissioners from $4,800 to $5,520 each; clerk from S4.500 to $5,400; treasur er from $4,500 to $5,040; sheriff from $5,000 to- $5,520; assessor from $5,000 to $5,520 and engineer-surveyor from $8,100 to $8,824. Some people present when these increases were approved expressed the opinion that the raises were not sufficient. The committee agreed but stated the relatively small increases rep resented a "step in the right direction." Deputies Get Increases The following salary increases were approved for 10 sheriff's deputies: First deputy from $4,200 to $4,600; second and third depu ties from $3,960 to $4,234; fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth depu ties from $3,969 to $4,164 and ninth, 10th and 11th deputies from $3,720 to $3,960. Other chief deputies raised from 53.821.40 to $3,965 were one each in the county clerk's office, assesor's office and tax departments. Salary of the bookkeeper payroll clerk was also raised from $3,821.40 to $3,965. One health department employee re ceived a salary increase from $3,960 to $4.2000 and another received an increase from $3,600 to $3,821.40. At the Jackson county farm home a raise from 3.146 to $3,400 was approved for the superintendent and a raise from $3,036 to $3,400 for the assistant superintendent. Lai Changes In the road department the draftsman's salary was raised $4560 to $4,800 and the chief clerk's salary was rised from $3,630 to $3,821.40. Final increase for the sheriff's salary and salary increases for fhe two road department em sployees were approved after the hearing ended. Salary for the sheriff was originally approved 'Gee Everything Except Guts" Medford United Press Full Leased Wirt 30 Pages as 5,400 and was changed Sat urday morning to $5,520. During the Friday morning portion of the hearing, the com nvttee agreed to cut a $100 item in the district attorney's budget for tax forclosure and trimmed theb oard of equalization budget from $2,000 to $1,000. Detention Home Discussed Considerable discussion took place during the morning ses sion regarding the proposed juvenile detention home. It was stated that only $65,000 had been approved by .voters for construction of the home and recommendations were made against budgeting an additional $25,000 for construction of an administration wing in the home. County Judge Rodney Keat ing proposed at the May 23 committee meeting that $25,000 be transferred from the court house building construction fund to finance the wing. The county court subsequently toured other detention homes in the state and returned with reports that homes containing administrative wings in the same building appeared to be functioning more efficient ly than others. Some protests were still aud ible in the afternoon portion of the hearing, but the committee ruled the item for the admin istration wing would remain in the budget. ' Rebels, Communists Fight Gun Duels as Uprisings Continue Berlin (U.R) Polish rebels fought gun duels with Commu nist troops from rooftops and windows Saturday in the third straight day of "their uprising against Red rule in Poznan. Eye witnesses said the death toll Weather Conditions Indusive to Fires Atmospheric conditions are be coming "ideal for fire outbreaks" in local forest areas, officials at the Oregon forest patrol head quarters on Table Rock rd., re ported Saturday. Falling humidity and wind, both indusive to fires, have been noted in recent days, officials said, and are expected to con tinue. Only fire reported this past week was spotted at 11:45 p.m. Friday in the Prospect area. The blaze, believed to be mancaused, covered about one-half acre but resulted in no damage. It was re ported by the look-out at White Point tower. Among those voicing opposi tion to the administrative por tion of the building were rep resentatives of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce legisla tive committee. Frank Van Dyke, chairman of the group later said some members of the committee had been under the erroneous impression the admin istrative facilities and the de tention home were to be housed in separate buildings. The chamber of commerce group, raising frequent ques tion about the budget, also rec ommended that the committee seriously consider having adequ ate personnel on duty at the county jail at all hours to per mit attorneys to contact prison ers. Personel Talked It was stated that two sheriffs deputies are required to ac company visitors to the jail and at the present time there are not sufficient officers on duty to permit jail visits between the hours of 5 and 7 p.m. and 3 and 8:30 a.m. It was explained, how ever, that the sheriff and dep uties are on call at all times and are available in cases of emergency. The chamber committee sug gested that the constable's of fice be combined with the sher iff's office. The budget com mittee took no action on this recommendation. "might run into the hundreds." Returning businessmen said the city e,arly yesterday sounded like a battlefield in wartime, then quieted later. Strikes Continue They said strikes were con tinuing in the city. Thousands of workers were reported threat ening to stay off the job unless the government releases prison ers seized in a continuing round up of riot leaders that -netted more than 300 men, according to the Reds. City officials said the bodies of 38 identified rebels, Commu nists and soldiers were buried Saturday, although Warsaw radio said later that funeral services were held for 48. Returning British businessmen said in West Berlin that Commu nist sources admitted 70 dead and 300 wounded. Several said there were at least 100 dead and one said the figure "might run into the hundreds." Armed Camp The city was an armed camp. Tanks clanked, through the streets, jet fighters shrieked overhead and jeeps filled with soldiers careened through the streets. The rebels, workers and mem bers of the anti-Communist un derground, fought back with ma chine guns, grenades, Molotov cocktails, and rifles. Food was reported short. Loot ers smashed into closed stores. The civilian population, control led by a curfew, appeared sullen. Transportation, except for taxis and military vehicles, was non existent. ; Two City Bus Be Suspended Two city bus lines will be suspended during the summer months, it was announced yester day by Ralph Matthews, man ager of Evergreen Buslines. He also said a readjustment in inter-city fares has been request ed by the company, and will go into effect if approved by the public utilities commissioner. Both changes would become effective July 10 if approved, he reported. The routes to be suspended are the East Main st. line, which goes to the Rogue Valley Coun try club and back, and the west side line on Oakdale and Stewart aves, and Orchard Home dr. It MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, JULY 1, 1956 (no) AGc Mm Nation's 650,( Steel Workers Go On Strike Today Negotiations Break In Deadlock Saturday New York (U.PJ The Na tion's 650,000 basic steel workers went on strike in 27 states early today six hours after the collapse of contract negotiations. Following their traditinal po licy of "no contract, no work," members of the United Steel workers Union (AFL-CIO) refus ed to enter the mills on the mid night shifts in what could be the worst strike in the nation's key industry since a paralyzing 56 day walkout in 1952. Talks Break Down Contract talks in the "neutral territory" of New York City broke down at 6 p.m. (EDT) after the 45th session between the un ion and the industry's big three U.S. Steel, Bethleham and Re public. The chief deadlocks were on the issues of a wake increase and length of contract. The nationwide walkout clos ed all but a few mills which have agreed to extend the pres ent contract. Ninety per cent of the nation's steel supply was choked off. It was estimated the strike will cost $40,000,000 a day, and, if it lasts for a prolonged period, cut critically into nearly all U.S. business and commerce. The giant steel industry al ready had ground to a halt as USW pickets carrying strike pa- cards went on the pickets lines some of them hours before the strike deadline. To protect their multi-million dollar installations, the steel companies had been banking their furnaces and shut ting them down for three days. The strike, which will cost the nation 2,100,000 tons of steel pro duction each week, went into ef fect without government inter vention. Labor Secretary James P. Mitchell said the government had no present plans to enter the picture. The union never publicly dis closed its contract demands but it has been reported seeking a 20-cent hourly raise during the first year of a three-year con tract. The industry which first offered a five-year, no strike con tract later suggested a four-year, four-month pact providing wage boosts of 7.3 cents hourly each year, plus other benefits. (See Story page 2) Pear Harvest May Start August 9 Rogue valley growers will start harvesting the 1956 pear crop Aug. 9, according to a ten tative preduction from the Rogue River Valley Traffic association. The estimated date was set by John Higdon of the Medford ex periment station and Cliff Cordy, county horticultural agent. They caluclated on a formula using temperature factors of the fruit taken six weeks from full bloom. The formula has been used suc cessfully in some areas of Cali fornia. The Aug. 9 starting date will vary in some parts of the valley but will hold true for the major ity of orchards, they said. Approximately 4,500 pickers will be needed during the season to harvest a crop which is expect ed to reach 3, million boxes of fruit. Routes Will This Summer is planned to resume service on the lines when school starts again in the fall. The rate readjustment, if ap proved, would go into effect at the same time as will increased fares requested by Greyhound and Trailways bus lines. On the Medford-Ashland run all fares except the maximum one, 35 cents, would be increased by 5 cents. On the runs to Central Point and Jacksonville, mini mum fares will be made 20 cents. The latter changes will affect only passengers using intermed iate service, and the fares to Central Point and Jacksonville themselves, now 20 and 25 cents respectively, will not be changed. j COMMAND DECISION These National Guard officers from Medford planned and directed operations of Company A, 186th infantry regiment, in the two-week training encampment at .Fort Lewis, Wash. Left to right are 1st Lt. Bert W. Riebe, executive officer; 2nd Lt. John J. Harding and 1st Lt. Jack C. Phillips, pla toon leaders; and 1st Lt. Oran C. Chastain, company commander. National Guardsmen returned home Saturday afternoon. More pictures and a story on their encampment appear on page 14 of today's Mail Tribune. (Oregon National Guard photo) Second Phase of SP I ea ring Postponed The second phase of a hear ing on Southern Pacific's aban donment of rail passenger ser vice in Southern Oregon has been postponed until Aug. 7, it was learned here baturday. The hearing, originally sched uled to be held in Grants'Psss on July 10, instead will be held in the Federal Court room in the Medford post office build ing in Medford, site of the earlier portion of the hearing. SP requested the postponement because some of its officers are Medford Is Named Eagles Confab Site The Dalles (U.R) Some 1,200 delegates and their families wound up th three-day state convention of the Fraternal Order of Eagles here Saturday with a downtown parade and sessions highlighted by the elec tion of officers. During the closing sessions yesterday afternoon, the conven tion named Medford as the site of next year's meeting. . Harry Seavy, Albany, was elected junior past president of the organization with Diem Roskoski, Portland, named as president. Francis Baker, Herm- iston, was elected vice president and William Bigoni, Portland, named as chaplain. Edna Pierce, Tillamook, was named as junior past president of the auxiliary, and Gladys Plummer, Sheridan, elected president. Grayce Johnson, Pendleton, was chosen as vice president, and Waunita Walters, Prineville, as chaplain. Sports Bulletins Portland U.R) Port land racked up its fifth' straight win here last night by rolling to an 8 to 1 win or er Vancouver in the second game of the Pacific Coast League series between the two clubs. Weather FORECAST: Continued clur with sliehtly warmer after- , noons through Mondy. Hirh Sunday S3; Low 45; High Mondav V TEMPtBATURE: Hichut yesterday 19 Lowest yesterday 43 Our Skies Tonight Sunrise . Sunset . 4:38 a.m. 7:52 p.m. Moonrise Monday .. 12:03 a.m. New Moon July 7 VISIBLE PLANETS Saturn, in the south .. 9:11 p.m. Jupiter, sets 10:ltfl p.m. Mars, rises 11:37 p.m. and is now nearly as bright as Jupiter cr 'gs otherwise engaged elsewhere. Earlier Hearing At the earlier hearing, testi mony opposed to the action of the railroad was heard; on Aug. 7 SP will be given an opportun ity to present its side of "the case. . - - - --- -. The matter was brought be fore the Oregon public utilities commissioner by three lawyers and state senators, Philip B. Lowry of Medford, Gene L. Brown of Grants Pass, and Paul E. Geddes of Roseburg. They filed a complaint charging the SP with disregarding the rights of the people of southwestern Oregon to modern, efficient rail transportation, after the SP dis continued its last passenger train running between Eugene and Ashland. Under Obligation At the earlier hearing, wit nesses alleged the railroad had 'deliberately" killed off its pas senger service along this line since the main line was moved east of the mountains. They ar gued that since the Cascade line south of Eugene provides the railroad with substantial freight revenues, the SP is un der obligation to provide pas senger service to the area. The PUC hearing is not con cerned with the railroad's legal obligations under its original franchise, which may be adjudi cated in the federal courts later. County, City Start New Fiscal Year The Jackson county ' court house and the Medford city hall were open for the last Saturday morning yesterday. Under the new budgets for the fiscal year beginning today, both city and county officers are on a 40-hour working week instead of 44-hour week. The vcourthouse will be open to the. public weekdays as usual from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. County officers working in the court house will come to work half an hour earlier, at 8 a.m. The city hall will be , open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Porky Eradication Contest Gets Under Way in County The year-long porcupine era dication contest sponsored by the Kiwanis club and the Jack son County Chamber of Com merce opens today. All persons between 12 and 18 years of age who live in Jackson county are eligible to compete. The idea of the contest is to eliminate porcupines, which are causing damage to timber and orchards. A total of $500 worth of prizes donated by lo cal lumber and logging firms will be given at the end of each quarter. Grand prizes are plan ned for the end of the year. J Press Full Leased Wire Price 5c u 127 PASSENGERS, CREW ABOARD; WRECKAGE FOUND Winslow, Ariz. (U.R) Two giant luxury airliners carrying 127 passengers and crew members crashed into the Grand Canyon Saturday and a high Air Force search and rescue officer said it was believed they possibly collided in the air to produce history's worst commercial aviation disaster. Wreckage of a four-engined TWA Super-Constellation, which disappeared yesterday morning about the time it would have been m the identical area at virtually the same altitude as a four-en-' gir.ed DC-7 of United Airlines, was sighted by two brothers, Palcn and Henry Hudgin, operators of the Grand Canyon Airlines. It was strewn along the bottom of a big canyon, the character istic triple tail sections of the "Connie" virtually the only portion of the plane unconsumed by fire. A quarter-mile away, in the little Colorado river, the brothers said they believed they spotted the wreckage of the UAL plane. The site was only about a quarter of a mile from the TWA wreck age. If there are no survivors of the two planes, which were flying a near-parallel course after taking of! from Los Angeles this morning headed for Chicago and Kansas City, it would be the greatest commercial air disaster in nearly a half-century of flying. "It is very likely a collision occurred, said Capt. Byrd Ryland, from March Air Force Base, commander of the search operations. Boyer Reelected Central Chairman Bob Boyer was reelected to another two-year term as chair man of the Jackson County Democratic Central committee at a meeting Friday evening. His reelection is looked upon as an endorsement by local Democratic workers of his can didacy for the stale chairman ship of the Democratic party, which he announced last week. Boyer, a Medford attorney, is also a candidate for the state leg islature from Jackson county. Mrs. Neva Clarke, Jackson ville, was elected vict chairman of the party here. She succeeds Mrs. Marion Lusk of Medford. Larry Sheehan, Rogue River, and Marcus Norton, Phoenix, were named first and second alternates to the chairman, and Mrs. Myrtle Newton, Ashland, was elected alternate tc the vice chairman. . Mrs. Frances Hamilton, Cen tral Point, was named secretary. and Charles Shepherd, Medford, was elected treasurer. Mark Mc Kenzie, Medford, was elected "congressional c o m m i tteeman, and Mrs. Donna Straus, Sams Valley, is the new congressional committeewoman. Other business transacted by the committee included setting July 29 as the date for the an nual Democratic party picnic. It will be held at TouVelle State park, starting at 12:30 p.m. It is hoped to have one of Oregon's two Democratic senators as a speaker. Harry Birch Named To State VFW Post Roseburg (U.R) James C. Gilroy, Portland, was elected as department commander of the State Veterans of Foreign Wars as the group wound up its an nual state encampment here yesterday ' afternoon. Some 500 members and mem bers of the organization's auxil iary, named Pendleton as the site for next year's encamp ment. Harry Birch, Medford, was named as senior vice command er, and Harry Liebel, Eugene, was chosen as junior vice com mander. Contestants are to kill porcu pines, abiding by contest rules and state and federal' forestry regulations. Porcupine noses are brought to the county clerk's office in the court house or to the Prospect office of Elk Lum ber company. There they will be given a $1 bounty per nose and a receipt. Prizes are awarded on the basis of the number' of bounty receipts collected by contest ants. The Kiwanis club plans to is sue a circular soon containing contest rules and a list of com panies which are helping with prize. Subscribers To report Improper or non-delivery of the Mail Tribune phone 2-6141 before 6:45 pjn. dally an 3 1030 a m. Sunday. If regular delivery arrlvea ahnrt ly after you call please notify office thus eliminating special messenger service. No. 87 Smoke Reported; Hear Radio Report! Ryland reported he talked to the Hudgins and they reported they spotted smoke about 11:15 a.m., but thought nothing of it until they heard radio reports that two airliners were missing. The two planes were due to check in over Tuba City, in the heart of the Painted Desert area on the watershed of the Grand Canyon at 11:32 a.m., at which time their flight plans called for them to be only 1,100 feet apart. When they heard of the miss ing olane. the Hudgins flew back to the scene and identfied the tail section of the big red "Connie." This was reported to search and rescue headquarters here just before dark. Area Inaccessible "From the amount of stuf and the distribution of it and the way the planes were de molished, it looked like there wouldn't be any life here," Henry told Ryland. Hudgins said the TWA wreck age lay scattered down the scopes of Chuar Butte, west of the mouth of the Little Colorado river and about 45 miles due west of Tuba City, where the planes were to have checked in by radio at 11:32 a.m. (PDT.). They never checked in. Over head, blanketing the entire painted desert area, the sky wag filled with typical desert thund erstorms, flashing lightning and prting-up towering white thund erheads, filled with turbulence, above the storms. Physicians stood by "on the ready" for transportation into the area should the morning sun reveal signs of life around the wreckage. The search and rescue unit was figuring log istics on food and water so that they can be dropped into the scene if survivors are located. Helicopters scanned the area at low altitude this morning. Search headquarters here said a plane would fly over the area at daybreak to determine if it will be possible to parachute men to the scene of the wreckage. If that is impossible, it is antici pated it may take two days to reach the wreckage on foot. Rugged Terrain The park ranger said it will be almost impossible to send a ground party into the area lie cause of the rugged terrain. Ryland said it was possible the rescue teams would have to use rafts on the river to approach thf! scene because of the difficult terrain. - If none escape, the twin crashes would be the worst dis aster in commerical aviation history. Only one plane crash in nearly a half century of fly ing would have exceeded it in fatalities the crash . of C-124 Globemaster Air Force plane near Tokyo in 1953 which 129 servicemen were lost. Both airlines remained close mouthed. W. A. Patterson, pres ident of United Airlines, took an unprecedented step and flew to Winslow, Ariz., to head a 35-man investigating team. Winslow sources said that TWA planes from the coast were bringing in another team to set up headquarters in Winslow, which is on the southern edge f the Fainted Desert. r.
