Is That So?
This spring I reprinted a let
ter from Dee J. Poole of Magic
Valley, Ida., who was literally
being eaten out of his homestead
by hundreds of thousands of
iackrabbits. He said he had tried
footing them (by the thou-
Vands), also building supposedly
abbit-proof fences (in summer
they dug under the fences, in
winter they ran over them on
snowdrifts), and was about to
lose his mind. In writing to me
he asked whether he would be
morally justified in infecting the
rabbits with myxomatosis, a dis
ease deadly to rabbits.
In turn, I asked you readers
for the solution. Hundreds of you
responded from all over the land.
These letters I forwarded to Mr.
Poole. Here is his response:
"Now that spring work is
done, I can get down to answer
ing the hundreds of letters which
kind people sent to me.
The letter writers were over
whelmingly against the introduc
tion of the virus disease both on
moral and economic grounds.
(Three who were in favor of
using the virus seem to feel the
end justifies the means.) I'm in
clined to agree with the major
ity of the writers.
"Many of the writers offering
solutions said that the rabbits
could be put to good use for
chicken, hog or fox foods. Some
gave me the addresses of places
where rabbits may be sold, point
ing out that dressed rabbits
bring as high as 50 cents to $1
each.
"Several advocated the impor
tation of predators. A man from
Billings, for example, suggested
that we import coyotes to kill
off the rabbits.
Coma and Go in Cycle
"With this writer and others
I cannot agree that the extern
ination of coyotes and other
predators has caused the jack-
rabbit plague. The letters of our
pioneer homesteaders in this val
ley prove that the rabbits were
here in destructive hordes long
before mass coyote poisons were
used.
"Besides, recent experiments
by University of California and
U.S. Bureaeu of Land Manage
ment experts have shown that
the rise and fall of rodent num
bers has little relation to the
number of predators present. In
other words, rabbit numbers
come and go in great cycles re
gardless of their natural en
emies, because, I suppose of the
rabbit's tremendous reproduc
tive capacity coupled with food
supply. (Editor's Note: In his
book, The Sex Life of Wild
Animals, Eugene Burns deals
with this subject comprehen
sively). "My wife and I got a great
kick out of the suggestions that
we give up sheep farming and
make our fortunes by going into
some 'sensible' occupation like
mink farming or the processing
of rabbits for the mink farm
trade. As one writer put it: 'Man,
you've struck gold if you only
knew how to handle the situa
tion!' "Then there was the man who
suggested that we sell this 'rabbit-infested'
place and go to work
in a factory where we could
make a lot more money with
less effort and investment.
They Like tha Life
"I can't help but answer that
one. My wife and I are here be
cause we like farming and ranch
ing as a way of life. We have
tried city jobs in which we
could make a living with much
FIFTY-SEVENTH SEMI-ANNUAL STATEMENT
FIRST FEDERAL
SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION OF MEDFORD
MEDFORD, OREGON JUNE 30, 1956
STATEMENT OF CONDITION .
First Mortgage Loam '
Investments and Securities
Cash on Hand and in Banks
Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment, less depreciation
Total Assets ..
Members' Share Accounts ...
Loans in Process
Other Liabilities
Specific Reserves
General Reserves
Undivided Profits
y IUGEWE BURNS
Rangor-Naturalist
less effort. We don't aim to quit,
either now or in the future, be
cause the going gets rough in
spots.
"In the final analysis, your
publication of my letter has
brought us great help in decid
ing on a definite policy of sur
vival against rabbits. First, we
are thoroughly convinced that
the only effective long-range pol
icy is to eliminate the sagebrush
as far back from our fields as
possible. One writer told us that
rabbits will not cross land that
has been cleared of brush for
at least three quarters of a mile.
This we will do as fast as fi
nances permit.
"Hunting is another angle and
may prove an important one. We
had several letters from Mon
tana, especially, suggesting that
men would like to come here
and hunt rabbits and truck them
to eastern Montana for sale to
mink and other farms. Also rod
and gun clubs have expressed
interest.
All in all, we feel greatly
encouraged. We were particu
larly impressed by the friendly
interest shown by men and wo
men in all parts of the U.S. To
them we extend our thanks, and
also to you for reprinting our
letter. Dee J. Poole."
Copyright, 1956, by
Eugen Bums)
(Released by McCIure News
paper Syndicate)
Free: By special arrangement
with the editors of the Encyclo
pedia Americana, my panel of
judges will award each week to
the reader who sends me the best
true-life nature adventure, the
best nature observation, or the
best question on nature and
wildlife, a complete 30-volume
set of this world-famous refer
ence work in a handsome Seal
craft binding. Each week new
submissions will be considered.
Sorry, I simply can't answer
your many friendly letters,
Please address your letter to:
Is That So! care Medford Mail
Tribune, Box 575, Sausalito,
Calif.
Mrs. Lydiard Named
President of Firm
Mrs. Jane C. Lydiard, wife of
one of the founders of the Gro
ceteria, was elected president of
dates and Lydiard, Inc., at a
directors' meeting here Thurs
day night.
Melvin H. Hall, who has been
associated with the firm for the
past 30 years, succeeds the late
William A. Gates as. general
manager. Lowell Iverson will be
assistant manager.
Other officers of Gates and
Lydiard, . Inc., include Paul
Simth, vice president, Melvin
Hall, secretary, and Iverson and
Ross Minneci as directors.
The Groceteria was one of
Medford's first self-service food
stores, organized in 1920 by
W. A. Gates and William Lydi
ard. The concern was first
housed at Sixth st. and Central
ave. in a portion of the build
ing now occupied by the F. W.
Woolworth company.
Lebanon Voters Approve
Three Issues Friday
Lebanon (U.R) Voters here
okayed three measures Friday at
a special election.
Receiving approval was a
$141,000 bond issue to provide
additional funds, to make manda
tory additions and advisable
flood control precautions at the
sewage disposal plant the addi
tions were required by the state
sanitary commission.
Also approved . was $55,000
above the six per cent limitation
to make up a deficit in the gener
al fund and a $9,000 bond issue
for purchase of city street main
tenance equipment, now being
purchased on a rental plan.
ASSETS
LIABILITIES
..$196,269.76
.. 16,559.79
Total Liabilities
AN INSTITUTION DEDICATED TO THOSE
Steel Strike May Cause Lay
Offs of 100,000 This Week
Pittsburgh (U.R) Upwards
of 40,000 coal miners will feel
the pinch of the nationwide steel
shutdown when they return from
vacation next week, adding to
the more than 65,000 sideliners
already laid off by the United
Steelworkers strike.
Layoffs will mount even high
er in other steel-centered indus
tries should the contract dispute
remain deadlocked. The crippl
ing walkout is in its seventh day.
Efforts to end the strike, which
cut off 90 per cent of the nation's
steel production and sent 650,000
millworkers on the picket line,
remained at a standstill. Negoti
ators for the USW and the steel
producers made no more to re
vive contract talks which col
lapsed Saturday, six hours before
the strike began.
Federal Mediation Director
Joseph F. Finnegan, after separ
ate "exploratory conferences
with both sides Thursday, indi
cated he would contact the bar
gainers "early next week, pre
sumably to press for renewed
negotiations.
While settlement seemed far
off, the nation was getting con
tinuing reminders of the price
tag of an eventual basic steel
contract. Three more small steel
firms announced price increases
of about $8 to $14 a ton in antici
pation of higher labor costs.
United Mine Workers return
ing to the pits Tuesday after their
annual 12-day vacation may be
greeted by "No Work" signs.
An informed coal industry
source said 40,000 miners will
"either go on a shorter work
week or be laid off."
U.S. Steel Corp. announced it
would not reopen its "captive"
mining operations in Western
Pennsylvania, Kentucky or West
Virginia. The sole exception is
the Robena mine at Masontown,
Pa., the world's largest mechan
ized coal pit. The comany will
temporarily store the mined coal
in barges.
Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp.
said none of its 2,500 miners
would work until the mills re
open. 50,000 Rail Layoffs
The Railroad Retirement
Board estimated rail industry
layoffs at 40,000 to 50,000 since
July 1, the day the steel strike
began. An official said the rail
companies were hit "sooner and
harder" this year than in the
Officers Installed
At Lions Meeting
The annual installation of of
ficers and ladies night of Med
ford Lion's club was held Wed
nesday, June 27, at Tally-Ho.
Herbert Seitz was installed as
the 34th president of the club.
Louie Ruhl and Joe Tomjack
were installed as vice presi
dents. Deputy District Governor
Robert Dames installed the om
cers. International Counselor
Lee Mellish was master of cere
monies. Other officers installed were
Lee Knox, secretary-treasurer;
Edward Ashton, lion tamer; Lee
Mellish, tail twister; and Speed
Waters and Jerry Lausmann as
directors for two years. Jim
McGoodwin and Elliott Becken
are holdover directors.
SPECIEL SENATE CHAIR
Madison, Wis. (U.R) For
mer State Sen. Clifford (Tiny)
Kruefer, redistricted out of of
fice in 1954, filed nomination pa
pers Friday to get his old chair
back. It's a special chair, custom
built, to hold "Tiny" Krueger's
400 pounds.
.$2,711,300.41
. 144,000.00
. 163,634.36
6,960.30
. $3,025,895.07
. $2,665,996.32
146,108.60
660.60
300.00
212,829.55
..$3,025,895.07
WHO SAVE
mm
him
'3 I !.
56-day steel strike of 1952, the
industry's longest and costliest.
In the Chicago-Gary steel area,
8,000 railworkers were idled.
The board said 12,000 were fur
loughed in the Pittsburgh steel
district.
The American Trucking Assn.
said between 20,000 and 30,000
drivers and cargo handlers were
furloughed in five Eastern and
Mid-Western states.
Bureau of Land
Estimates Area
Bureau of Land Management
earnings in area I in fiscal 1957
are expected to reach $40,000,
000, nearly 12 per cent hjgher
than the $35,000,000 1956, in
come, James F. Doyle, area ad
ministrator, said Saturday.
The anticipated higher earn
ings are made possible by a $9,
676,860 appropriation, the larg
est in the history of area I, which
comprises Washington, Oregon
and California, accounts for
more than 40 per cent of the
total appropriation for BLM,
which for fiscal 1957 received
$22,914,300.
Increased Explained
The biggest portion of the area
I increase was for work in the
O&C lands where $1,730,285 has
Prolonged Strike
May Cripple Jobs
Portland (U.R) Builders
warned here Saturday that a pro
longed strike against the steel in
dustry could cripple construction
projects in the Portland area and
cause job layoffs but that no
effect of the walkout has been
felt yet in this area.
Oregon steelworkers negotiate
separately with employers and
are not involved in the dispute
which has closed the nation's
largest steel mills. But lack of
steel for fabricating locally could
result in project delays here.
A. H. Harding, manager of the
heavy construction department
of Associated General Contrac
tors, said lack of steel could slow
down work on the Morrison and
might be possible to divert steel
from less pressing projects if a
shortage should develop.
Harding added "I don't believe
the overall picture justifies any
alarm at this time."
l' i TREE BIKE fcBSU mWTrW-'!
f
Mrs. Lloyd Goble takes delivery of the Free Ford which is the 14th
car given by Fortune Service Stations.
LLYIU BE
NO NEED TO BUY
It's Fun to
Buy Gas at
On the Point -
Count Boxes
Kleenex 21c
With Any Gas Purchase f
Some 5,000- to 10,000 barge
workers have been idled by the
steel ' shutdown, according to
Chester Thompson, president of
American Waterways Operators,
Inc.
The 10,000 seamen who man
the 300 boats which carry iron
ore from Western ranges on the
Great Lakes face furloughs if
the strike continues to the end
of next week.
Management
1 Earnings
been allotted for forestry work,
$425,000 or fire contracts, and
$4,460,000 is for access roads.
These figures represent an in
crease of $870,275 over fiscal
1956.
The $4,460,000 allotted for
O&C access roads will be reim
bursed to the federal treasury
from timber sale receipts accru
ing to the O&C counties. The
system of access roads planned
and being built is essential to
proper management of the val
uable publicly owned forest
lands in the heart of Oregon's
Douglas fir country.
The second largest increase,
$340,290, was for lands and min
erals operations, and is earmark
ed to implement legislation de
signed to promote the multiple
use of all land resources, both
surface and subsurface, Doyle
said, the total lands and minerals
appropriation is $922,080. Reduc
tion of the backlog of applica
tions pending for lease or title to
lands and mineral resources is
the principal goal.
Program Aided
Soil and moisture conservation
work received a substantial in
crease from $339,750 in 1956 to
$488,400 in 1957. This will per
mit BLM to continue its leading
role in the Department of Inter
ior's 20-year program involving
the four other principal land
agencies and geological survey
for revitalization of public and
Indian lands, totaling approxi
mately 270,000,000 acres nation
ally. The benefits will be improv
ed watershed protection and ero
sion control, increased grazing
capacity, sustained ground water
level and lessened flood damage.
Doyle pointed out that $851,
594 have been allotted for fire
control work in the three-state
area, an increase of $76,667 over
fiscal 1956. Another $45,000 will
go for blister rust control in the
forest areas. Grazing administra
tion received an allotment of
$246,000, an increase of $23,000
over last year.
- JUST DRIVE IN FOR FREE TICKETS
FO
RTUH
South Central at South
Sunday, July 8, 1936
Osteopathic Buys
Cardioscope For
Heart Therapy Here
The Medford Osteopathic hos
pital has purchased a new Dal
lons cardioscope, an electronic
machine for heart therapy.
The purchase of the cardio
scope makes the Osteopathic the
first, hospital with a complete
"lifesaving team" between Port
land and San Francisco, accord
ing to hospital officials.
A research expert from the
Dallons company spoke to a
meeting at the hospital and
demonstrated uses of the ma
chine July 3.
The machine includes a cardi
scope, which keeps the doctor
constantly informed of the con
dition of the patient while under
an anesthetic; a cardiophone
which amplifies the heart beat;
a pacemaker which will start the
heart beat in case the heart
comes to a stand still during an
operation; and a defibrillator
which will bring the heart beat
back to normal in case an ab
normal rhythm develops.
Comment on Machine
.The Los Angeles Times news
paper, commenting on a cardio
scope machine installed recently
in a California hospital, explain
ed: "It makes it possible for the
surgeon, with a quick glance at
a round glass screen to see the
condition of the heart by inter
preting blue line patterns made
on the screen by the heart's
electrical activity. The markings
are identical in shape but larger
than those traced on paper with
ink by an electrocardiograph (an
older type heart machine)."
The Osteopathic hospital has
also recently installed an air
conditioning unit. The July 3
meeting was attended by most
of the osteopaths in the valley
and representatives from Can
yonville, Riddle, and Glendale.
V. E. Noel Named to
CP Planning Group
Central Point V. E. Noel was
named to the Central Point plan
ning commission by Central
Point Mayor Donald E. Faber
last week on the recommenda
tion of the city council.
Noel will replace Bill Ask
with, who resigned. Askwith,
chairman of the planning board,
submitted his resignation be
cause of his recent election to
the board of directors of school
district 6. The meeting dates of
the organizations conflict.
Askwith's term on the board
had one and one half years to
run.
Next
EM?
FREE
FORD
AUG. 31st
Riverside
MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE TIVK
n WARDS for
FURNITU
quantities
fruity to' save
2 PC. LIVING ROOM SET
Was 209.95. Tapestry cover. 2 only ..
2 PC. LIVING ROOM SUITE
Was 179.95. Modern styling. Brown
tapestry. .
2 PC. SECTIONAL SUITE
Was 198.95. Foam rubber cushions
2 PC. LIVING ROOM SET
Was 219.95. Green only. Foam rubber
2 PC. SECTIONAL
Was 189.95. Nylon upholstering. 1 only
7 PC. DINING ROOM SET
Was 265.95. Limed oak construction....
5 PC. DINETTE SET
Was 114.95. Black and brass finish
4
7 PC. KOROK DINETTE
Was 179.95. Chrome finish. Red chairs
5 PC. KOROK DINETTE, was 164.95
Chrome and gray table, heavily padded
chairs : .
5 PC. DINETTE SET, was 129.95
Black and brass. Korok table top. 1 only
Sip EVERY ITEM REDUCED
il Savings!... Weneedcustomersf
4 PC. BEDROOM SET, was 386.90
Desert sand mahogany veneers
4 PC. BEDROOM SET, was 407.90 "J"T
Wards Hallmark quality, dark mahogany
2 PC. BEDROOM SET, was 159.00
Bookcase bed, dresser, mahg. veneer.
HEADBOARD was 32.95
King size. Heavily padded. 1 only .
CHAIR WITH OTTOMAN , .
Was $96. Choice of brown or turquoise...
REG. 49.50 CHAIR
Maple finish. Brown tapestry cover...
OCCASIONAL CHAIR, was 54.95
1 only in pink tapestry .
HIGH CHAIR, reg. 15.95
Chrome. Padded seat, back
FLOOR
SCATTER RUGS, values to 5.50
24x36 in. Wide assortment styles, colors..
9x12 AXMINSTER RUG, was 95.40
Wards Tonelle. 1 only ,
9x12 WILTON RUG, was 107.40
Green. Floor sample -
RATTAN SHELL CHAIR, reg. 6.95
Rattan peel, wrought iron base
SWIVEL SHELL CHAIR, reg. 13.95
King size, rattan peel .,,,1 ,
GARDEN UMBRELLA, reg. 9.95
60 in. diameter. Color choice.
SUNTAN LOUNGE, reg. 21.95
Folding aluminium. Saran seat, back...
UtE
lipited
at WARDS
169.77
149.77
149.77
179.77
149.77
189.77
89.77
99.77
79.77
49.00
289.77
129.77
9.77
79.77
34.77
39.77
11.77
COVERINGS
'ords gotcha covered ... for less!
99
59.77
59.77
4.99
9.77
7.77
18.97
i