FOUR MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE
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Flight o' Time
Medford and Jackson County
History from the files of The
Mail Tribune 10, 20, 30, 40
and 50 years ago.
10 YEARS AGO
Oct. 12, 1846 (Saturday)
Yesterday In some Medford
stores butter sold for the high
est price in the memory of the
oldest clerks.
From Arthur Perry's Ye
Smudge Pot column: Horticul
turists have started to see day
light, as the pears will soon be
all picked.
20 YEARS AGO
Oct. 12, 193S (Monday)
First fail meeting of the Rogue
valley chapter of the Reserve
Officers association scheduled
Wednesday.
A banquet will be given in
the Medford hotel Wednesday in
honor of Lieut. Col. C. L. Tinker
and Lieut. Col. Johnson of the
Army air corps.
80 YEARS AGO
Oct. 12, 1928 (Tuesday)
Jackson county to receive $1,
152,543.22 from O and C land
grant tax relief measure.
Enforcement of Medford's new
traffic ordinances commences.
40 YEARS AGO
Oct. 12. 1918 (Thursday)
Hugh Mitchell, state superin
tendent of the bureau of fish
eries, spent Thursday in Med
ford on his return from the Elk
creek hatchery.
Wilson headquarters will be
opened Friday In the Boyden
building.
50 YEARS AGO
Oct. 12. 1906 (Friday)
The annual Jackson County
Teachers Institute will be held
this year at Central Point, Nov.
12-14.
From Local and Personal col
umn: A. E. Reames is shaking
hands with Medford friends to
day.
What's the Answer?
Can Yon Get 4 of the 7?
Copr. 1933 Editorial Research
Report
1. Adlai E. Stevenson is a
graduate of Harvard, Yale,
Princeton, Penn State, Illinois or
University of Chicago?
2. About one-fourth, one-third.
one-half or two-thirds of all auto
drivers in the U.S. are women?
3. Social security tax for old
age retirement is now levied on
first $3,000, $3,600, S4.200, or
$4,500 of income? .
4. The U. S. Government does
or doesn't pay the travel expens
es of the U. S. team to the 1956
Olympic Games?
5. The "Little Brown Jug"
harness race is held every year
in New York, Maryland, Ohio,
Illinois or California?
6. Spain is or isn't now a mem
ber of U.N.?
7. A man is properly called a
ruffian for being rough, right
or wrong?
The answers: 1. Princeton. 2.
About one-third. 3. First S4.200.
4. Doesn't. 5. Ohio (city of Del
aware). 6. Is (admitted in 1955).
7. Wrong.
SCIENCE AGENDA DUE
Portland U.R) Outstand
ing medical specialists in psy
chiatry, internal medicine and
surgery will nead tne three-day
scientific agenda at the 82nd an
nual convention of the Oregon
State Medical society opening
Oct. 17 at the Masonic temple
here.
Compulsory Insurance
We have all frequently heard the remark :
"Why is it, when you're in an accident, the other guy
never has any insurance?"
Like all generalizations, this is not universally
true, but too often it is the driver without financial re
sponsibility either in cash or insurance who is at
fault in an accident.
Oregon's financial responsibility law was recently
tightened, and now requires evidence of insurance or
other assets from a driver once involved in an acci
dent. DUT THAT'S tame compared to the law passed this
year in New York state, which goes into effect
with cars registered for 1957.
It requires that ALL motorists and vehicle owners
show evidence of financial security. It has teeth, too,
ranging from revocation of both vehicle and drivers
licenses to fines and jail terms.
It is designed to protect the innocent victim of an
accident, and to assure that the driver at fault will be
able to assume his responsibility for any damages
arising out of the accident.
In New York, with some 5 million vehicle own
ers and 6V2 million licensed drivers, it is estimated
that about 700,000 persons do not now meet the
requirements of the act. They will have to meet it by
January or they won't get their vehicle licenses.
THE MINIMUM requirement of the law is insurance
1 totaling "10, 20 and 5" that is $10,000 for in
jury or death to one person in one accident, $20,000
for more than one person in one accident, and $5,000
property damage.
For those rejected by insurance agencies, there is
an "assigned risk" pool, supervised by the state,
which spreads the insurance on high-risk insureds
among several companies.
Other methods include" posting $25,000 in cash or
a property bond to show financial security proof.
But without one or the other, a New Yorker can
not drive.
THE NEW YORK law is somethng of a departure.
Only one other state, Massachusetts, has a com
pulsory insurance law for all drivers, although other
states have modified versions, as in Oregon.
Interestingly enough, insurance men generally do
not look with favor on compulsory insurance, feeling
that it is a step toward governmental control of their
business which is an understandable attitude.
They fought it in both Massachusetts and New
York, unsuccessfully. But, perhaps more important,
they are attempting to work out ways in which the
same end protection of the innocent driver can be
served without the compulsory feature.
One such is an "unsatisfied judgment" provision
in liability polices, which, when an insured is the inno
cent party in an accident but cannot collect damages
from the other driver, will pay him damages to which
he is entitled.
IT IS A FACT, however, that the, uninsured driver
remains a menace on the highway, and the New
York and Massachusetts laws are a reflection of the
popular feeling that something whether ittbe legis
lation or a broadening of insurance coverage through
other means must be done.
Being able to drive a car on today's crowded
highways is a privilege not a right and should be
limited to those who can drive safely, and who can be
made responsible for their actions. E.A.
Farm Forestry
The state department of agriculture has issued its
annual report on the total value of gross cash farm in
come in Oregon last year.
As might be expected, cattle and calves, wheat
and dairy products led the list, with $61,852,000, $46,
069,000 and $45,740,000 incomes, respectively, re
ported for them.
The fourth-largest farm income-producer, how
ever, might come as a surprise to some people. It was
forest products, which brought farmers a total income
of $22,387,000, which topped the fifth-largest, eggs,
by more than a half-million dollars.
THE FIGURES are a significant reflection of the im
1 portant growth of "farm wood lots" in recent
years, and how, if they are managed properly, they
can become a source of substantial farm income. -
In Jackson county, farm wood lots are chiefly lo
cated in foothill areas, where the edges of farms lap
over into wooded country.
But in the Willamette valley, as anyone who has
driven through it knows, the farm wood lots are fre
quently bits and pieces of old forest land which were
"missed" during the early days when trees were
cleared off hit or miss and as fast as possible to
provide acreage for crops.
FARMERS with substantial wooded areas have
three choices. They can let the woocf lots stand as
they are, which would provide them with no added
income ; they could sell them all as stumpage, or they
could take a leaf from the silviculturists and "man
age" their wood lots to provide a modest but contin
uing and long-range income, by placing them on a
"tree farm" status.
Progressive farmers have found that with a plan
ned program for harvesting of the trees, they can in
effect "eat their cake and have it too," with the ben
efits both of having the trees as well as a continuing
source of income.
And the fact that forest products is now f ourth in
the list of farm income producers, and is up nearly $5
million in one year, is proof that farm forestry is good
business. E.A.
Friday. October 12. 1956
Communications
Letters to the Editor must bear the name and address or the writer, although
under certain circumstances the use ot a pen name or initial tor publication
is permissible. The Mail Tribune reserves the right to edit all letters with a
view to clarification and condensation.
not exceed 400 words.
Truck Tax Answer
To the Editor: In answering
the questions contained in a fuU
page ad in the Medford Mail
Tribune, as part of my speech
last night in the Esquire The
atre, I inadvertently overlooked
the charge that I voted for a
1000 per cent increase in truck
tire taxes. This charge is com
pletely and absolutely false, and
I ask this opportunity to state
the facts of the case.
In 1955, I supported the Gore
bill (S. 1048). It contained no
provisions for taxes whatsoever.
The Fallon bill, introduced in
the house in 1955, did propose
heavy increases in truck tire
taxes. That biU never reached
the senate because it was de
feated in the house. However, I
worked against the Fallon bill
while speaking for the Gore bill
in the senate.
Furthermore, members of the
Oregon Trucking association
know that I was opposed to the
Fallon bill. In 1955, I introduced
an amendment that the ATA sup
ported, which provided that Ore
gon rules on sizes and weights
of trucks be kept in effect. My
amendment passed the senate
and became part of the road bill
that was finally passed this year.
In 1956, a new road bill was
introduced in the house, again
known as the Fallon bill. It
passed the house, and when it
came to the senate, I supported
various amendments that modi
fied it. The senate version of the
Fallon bill was supported by aU
trucking and logging groups. It
contained only moderate in
creases in gasoline taxes. I was
opposed as were many other
senators to any increase in tire
and gasoline taxes. Because of
our efforts, we were able to pass
a bill that had the endorsement
of the trucking and logging
groups.
It is a sad thing when the
people responsible for the smear
ad are willing to stoop to false
hood in a desperate attempt to
mislead the voters of Jackson
county. I am confident that such
smear attacks will boomerang
against them and make thous
ands of votes for me.
Thank you for the very fair
treatment you have given me,
both in your news and editorial
columns.
Wayne Morse,
. U. S. Senator.
Against Parking Measure
To the Editor: You, the voters
and taxpayers of Medford, have,
or soon will be, deluged with
propaganda concerning the off
street parking bill.
You will be told that over a
half-million dollars will be re
quired to complete this program
and that it will not cost the tax
payers a penny but in fine
print, you are asked to O.K. the
city's request to dig into the tax
payers' pocket if the proposed
program does not prove to be
self-liquidating.
In time the city hopes to have
about 275 metered off-street
parking spaces. Even being op
timistic about the income from
these meters they will be a long
way from their goal in the 10
year period. Hence the fine
print. Vote yes and you, the tax
payers, are obligating yourselves
into picking up the tab for the
unpaid balance.
Another neat feature of this
bill allows the city to assess part
of the cost of acquiring, clearing
and improving the property for
parking to adjacent businesses.
And where will most of these
lots be? Next to or near small
businesses resulting in undue
hardships on these places of
business. The result failure
for many, thereby giving more
business to the large downtown
places who won't have adjacent
parking lots to pay for but who
will benefit the most from such
action.
We therefore ask you to think
twice before you saddle yourself
with higher taxes by setting the
city up in a money losing ven
ture. Vote NO to Motor Vehicle Off
Street Parking Ammendment
No. 51.
M. J. Olsen
Member of The Small Busi
ness Committee Opposed to
Off-Street Parking Bill.
Rt. 1, Box 325
Medford, Ore.
Answers Ellsworth
To the Editor: I was astound
ed to read in the Oct. 5 Mail Tri
bune Mr. EUsworth's statement
that "the new -administration
has brought a climate favorable
to the smaU businessman."
The Eisenhower Commerce
Department says that small busi
nesses starting today have only
a 50-50 chance to last two years,
and the odds against survival for
ten years are four to one. New
business starts are 49 per cent
below the 1949-52 average and
the share of small, business in
U. S. industrial assets has
dropped 22 per cent.
But the most significant fact
of small businessmen is what has
happened to profits under the
present administration. The busi
nesses with assets of over $100,
000,000 have had their profits in
crease by 61 per cent, those
with assets over $1,000,000 are
up 45 per cent. On the other
hand, smaller businesses with
assets under a million have seen
their profits decrease 13 per cent
and the smaUest businesses,
those with assets under $250,000,
Letters submitted for publication must
have seen their profits plummet
52 per cent.
Apparently Mr. Ellsworth in
discussing the recession in the
lumber industry failed to men
tion the effect of the "hard
money" policies of the Eisen
hower administration and of his
own responsibility in cutting the
housing bill from 13o,000 family
units to 35,000 units.
Mr. Porter is willing to meet
Mr. Ellsworth on any platform,
anywhere, any time, to discuss
these important issues and oth
ers where the voters have the
right to know the facts.
M. E. Norton
Jackson County Chairman
Porter for Congress Com.
Box 85, Phoenix, Ore.
"Short and to the Point"
To the Editor: Having to fight
for High Hells Canyon Dam is
as ridiculous as having to sue
for any insurance you have al
ready paid for. The trouble with
our world is that we are spend
ing our money, time and effort
on re-establishing what is al
ready and rightfully ours. Thank
God true statesmen like our
Senator Morse haven't stopped
fighting or we would lose our
shirts.
Sue Jackson
2017 S.W. Second Ave.
Portland, Ore.
What Ike Said Before 1952
To the Editor: "It is my con
viction that the necessary and
wise subordination of the mil
itary to the civil power will be
best sustained and our people
will have greater confidence
that it is sustained when life
long professional soldiers, in
the absence of- some obvious
and overriding reasons, abstain
from seeking high political of
fice. This truth has a possible
inverse application. I would
regard it as an unalloyed trag
edy for our country if ever
should come the day when mil
itary commanders might be
selected with an eye to their
future potentialities in the pol
itical field rather than exclu
sive judgement as to their mil
itary abilities."
"Politics is a profession; a
serious, complicated, and, in
its true sense, a noble one."
"In the American scene I see
no dearth of men fitted by
training, talent and integrity
for leadership. On the other
hand, nothing in the interna
tional or domestic situation
especially qualifies for the
most important office in the
world a man whose adult years
have been spent in the coun
try's military forces. At least
this is true in my case.'
This statement was taken from
a letter given to Leonard V.
Finder, publisher of a Manchest
er, New Hampshire, newspaper.
The man who sent this-letter
the man who wrote it and the
man who termed it as "Final
and "Irrevocable" was Dwight
D. Eisenhower, on Jan. 23, 1948.
Of course everyone knows
that he changed his mind, which
is unimportant when compared
with the statement which is 100
per cent true.
Evidently there are Repub
lican candidates in Oregon that
do not agree with Mr. Eisen
hower when we see the manner
in which they are trying, to woo
veteran votes using past military
records as evidence of political
knowledge and know-how. Cer
tainly all veterans can be proud
of their service to this country
but it should be remembered
that there are men like Woodrow
Wilson and Franklin D. Roose
velt that were never in any mil
itary service but gave their lives
for their country as surely as
any soldier.
Ken Corliss
1564 Myers lane
Medford, Ore.
The War Veteran's Viewpoint
To the Editor: There is a defin
ite pattern running through let
ters to the editor, in campaign
literature, and in the snide re
marks of Republican campaign
ers that indicates a planned at
tack emanating from Republican
headquarters against top Demo
cratic candidates because for
honorable reasons they necessar
ily served their country in time
of war in other capacities than
in the military services. In short,
they are being attacked with the
implication that they lack patri
otism or loyalty simply because
they are not war veterans.
This is most unfair and a shab
by form of smear attack that is
also a direct insult to the vast ma
jority of the citizens of Oregon
who are likewise without mili
tary service record, and honor
ably so. After all, 80 per cent of
our entire population in this
country are non-veterans. Are
they, too, to be discredited be
cause of this? The very thought
is repulsive!
As to veterans, themselves,
they have long ago learned that
non-veterans are among their
best friends in the halls of Con
gress, state legislatures and high
administrative offices, while far
too often their fellow veterans
are among their most vigorous
ODDonents.
An example of this is Con
gressman Walter Norblad, was
the only member of the Oregon
Congressional delegation to vote
against the Veterans Pension Bill
HR 7886, while his non-veteran
Oregon colleagues voted for it.
Too, It was President Elsenhow
er, a veteran, and Gen. Omar
Bradley, a veteran, who gave the
veterans the anti-veteran philoso
phy of the so-called Bradley re
port At our state level, Elmo Smith
and Mark Hatfield, both veter
ans, voted in the 1955 session of
the Oregon legislature to kiU
SJM 5, a bill urging Congress to
enact legislation to provide a
pension for the aging veterans of
World War I, while their oppon
ents for the respective offices of
Governor of Oregon and Secre
tary of State of Oregon, Bob
Holmes and Monroe SweeUand,
non-veterans both, voted in sup
port of veterans. Many more ex
amples could be given. .
Obviously, it would be as ab
surd to judge a candidate for
public office on the basis of "vet
erans" or "non-veterans" ts it
would be to judge him on the
way he parts his hair, if any, and
we veterans are well aware of
that fact.
What is the candidate's posi
tion on the issues, his general
character, his reputation for hon
esty, integrity and ability
these are the things that count.
Norman R. Howard
War Veteran and State
Representative.
W. W. (Bill) Campbell
Legislation Chairman
Veterans of World
War I,
Department of Oregon
Portland, Ore.
More Gold Tales
To the Editor: When the old
Greenback mine, located on Tom
East creek, a tributary of Grave
creek, around 25 miles north of
Grants Pass was at high produc
tion in 1897 and 1898, so, the
saga goes,the bullion taken from
the mine at month's end was pro
cessed into three small bricks,
amounting to around $7,000
each. The manager had a span
of driving horses hitched to a
spring wagon, after loading the
gold in a hand satchel prepara
tory to driving to the bank to
meet the miner's payroll. Tossing
the bag in the rear of the vehicle,
the hostler and his companion hit
up a lively rate of speed over
mountainous dusty roads. Having
driven to within several miles of
Grants Pass, the two men were
hailed down by the shrill voice
of the farmer who had picked up
the bag of gold that had bounced
out of the open rig a few miles
back in the cloud of dust.
Another episode was in the
mystery sale of an $800 nugget
from the old China gap "pocket"
found by Chinese on Syxes creek
in the early days, above Wimer.
Seems like the core of the shal
low deposit was almost all in one
single chunk of gold. Anyhow
the subtle method was to slice
the chunk into three parts before
taking it to a bank for sale. It is
reported the gold buyer, being
somewhat skeptical too, held
back the first trophy until the
entire three parts were eventu
ally bought and matched togeth
er perfectly.
Bert Kissinger,
520 Boardman
Medford, Ore.
Foods For Winter
To the Editor: A short while
back, an M-T editorial comment
ing on the sharp coolness and
extra heavy dew of a morning
was full warning that summer
was on the way out with the
coming of autumn and winter
time.
As we older grow, the sign
language of changing seasons is
of increasing interest and more
noticeable, some very odd. Like
a recent morning when that
homey sound came to me, scrap
ing of the breadboard sound-
language, telling of hot biscuits
for breakfast, the kind made
from the flour bin and leavened
with sour-dough starter. Now
a nicely browned biscuit of this
kind, weU anointed with butter
and sugared-honey (the poison
oak kind that makes you immune
to the vile weed, s'fact, tried it
myself) and you've really got
a breakfast. We both recalled
those joyous days of long ago,
'specially of a Sunday morning
with luxury of sleeping late, we
listened to the promising music
of Ma scraping the bread-board
that meant hot biscuits for break
fast. Mighty soon now along with
frosty mornings, sour-dough
pancakes will be a-coming. Top
ped off with ham or bacon fry
in es and water eravy. you have
L"laripin good eatin'." Born and
raised in gravy-dish Michigan, it
sure was heart-Warming to find
the same here in Oregon. Up in
the northwest, like Washington
state, the gravy dish is not so
well known.
It is most noticeable how food
habits of our youth stay with us.
Foreign people here, Italian par
ents especially, try so hard to
have their children, boys most
ly, marry into Italian families.
This way they will have the food
they are used to which is so
conducive to a happy married
life, with much less reason for
recourse to the weary way of
divorce.
There's the old story of the
young bride who just could not
prepare a pot of beans like the
husband's Ma used to. One day
she chanced to scorch them. She
didn't care, was mad anyway,
put them on the table. Her young
husband's face lighted up as with
smacking lips he said, "Oh honey
darling, you've made 'em right
at last, just like Ma used to
fix 'em up."
F. J. Clifford
1211 West Main st
Medford, Ore.
Babson Lists Views
On 4-Day Work Week
BY ROGER W. BABSON
Babson Park, Mass., Al
though I am not, and never have
been, opposed to unionism as
such, I m u s t
take up the
cudgel against
the r e c e ntly
merged AFL
CIO's forth
coming drive
for a four-day
week rather
than increased
wages, as an
nouncedby president.
Roset W BabtoD
George Meany,
For years, labor has striven
not only for higher wages and
more fringe benefits; but also
for shorter hours. Today's stand
ard 40 hour week is a far cry
from the conditions that pre
vailed not so very many years
ago, when the 12 hour day was
common practice, six days a
week. Those back-breaking, soul
destroying times are gone for
the U. S., and I am sure that no
one regrets their disappearance.
But how far can the pen
dulum, with safety, now swing
in this new direction? I well
realize that, as a result of our
unprecedented technological and
industrial development, it is no
longer necessary for men to work
the interminable hours of yester
year in order to produce suf-
ficent goods to meet modern
day requirements. But this
change must continue to come
slowly.
An Ill-Timed Move
Of course, if Labor's drive for
a temporary shorter work week
had been launched back in the
depression days of the early
"thirties," I would have felt dif
ferent about it. At that time mil
lions of unemployed were walk
ing the streets looking for jobs.
If the working hours of all who
then had jobs had been reduced,
there could have been jobs for
everybody. But what might have
been right then, as a temporary
expedient, could be seriously
detrimental today to the wel
fare of all our people.
Since our economy is a vibrant
and rapidly growing one, I can
see great potential danger in
producing less during an impend
ing greater overall demand.
Workers would have to produce
W
Editorial Comment
STEVENSON FOR PRESIDENT
The Republican party has told
us that they have no man other
than Eisenhower they think can
win. Their only chance, they are
telling us, is with a 66-year-old
man who has had two serious ill
nesses within 18 months. They
are asking us to send again to
the most important office in the
world this man who, if he were
in any other capacity, would be
retired upon the demands of his
family, his physician and his
close friends. And, on top of
that, they are telling us that we
can gamble on his tenure because
they are giving us as his succes
sor, should he be unable to com
plete four years of service to us,
a man they think is fully equip
ped to lead this great nation, vice
president Richard M. Nixon.
In a few words, this party is
saying to us that it is so bank
rupt of talent that it cannot offer
to us a man in good health and
full vigor and fully capable of
leading these United States. They
can only offer us an ailing man.
And they cannot give to us a
trusted and tried man to succeed
this man if he should falter. They
can only present to us a man who
has not gained the trust of Amer
icans, a man who is openly mis
trusted by many, a man who has
never proved to the American
people that he has the qualifica
tions to guide them in the office
of the Presidency.
That is the best the Republi
can party can do in 1956. It is
clear that that party cannot re
gain control of the House or Sen
ate in 1956 and it is asking the
people to retain its control Of the
White House with these candi
dates. The people do not, and will
not have to accept this offering.
The Democratic party has again'
given them the opportunity to
support one of the best prepared
men for the Presidency in the
history of the country. This time
that man, Adlai Stevenson, is
washed clean of a record that
was not of his making and he
comes to the people in the full
greatness that is his.
This newspaper believes the
American people have a rare op
portunity to elect a truly great
man. We are firmly convinced
that Adlai Stevenson would be
one of the great Presidents of all
time. He has been tested in gov
ernment and his record is one of
courage, enlightenment .and full
understanding of all that our
highest office demands. The
Democratic party has not forsak
en its responsibility. It has given
the people its best man. .
The East Oregonian believes
that all this age calls upon the
people of the United States to do
what Adlai Stevenson can lead
them to do. (Pendleton East
Oregonian.)
CUTTING SERVICE ON
THE SHASTA
We are glad to note that the
California Public Utilities com
mission has ordered an investiga
tion of Southern Pacific's an-
20 per cent more during the
four work days to compensate
for the lost fifth day. Unless
further automation could make
up the difference, they would
merely be holding their own
as far as production is concern
ed, rather than increasing it to
meet expanding requirements.
Increased use of automation is
a slow and expensive develop
ment. It cannot happen in four
years or eight years.
A Step Backward
We are living in prosperous
times. Our people never had it
so good. We are practically fully
employed at high wages; our
purchasing power is enormous
and our every-day living needs
tremendous. To retard produc
tion under such circumstances
would be little short of a crime
a move contrary to that which
has made America great AU
material prosperity stems from
increased character and produc
tion. "More things for better peo
ple at right prices" is a key to
our continued economic well
being. I forecast that our No. 1 Pub
lic Enemy continues to be the
threat of further inflation over
the longer term. Today's 52-cent
dollar is one of the chief reasons
why we must pay around $3,000
for an automobile that only a
few years ago cost about one
third as much. The best way
to lick further inflation or to
forestall it is by increasing pro
duction, not by producing less.
Inflation is the result of an un
balanced ratio between output
and consumption. We can boost
consumption by intensifying and
improving advertising and sell
ing efforts, but there is no way to
compensate for lost output. This
will be of great importance if we
are faced with more competition
from foreign goods.
Decreased production is a
direct threat to Mr. and Mrs.
Consumer. It means fewer goods
and higher prices. The proposed
shorter work week is ill-timed
and impractical, under present
conditions. We cannot remain
prosperous by producing less,
but only by producing more.
Ten years from now, further
machinery developments should
give us a four-day week; but it
cannot safely come at once.
nounced plan to reduce service
on the Shasta daylight train be
tween Portland and San Francis
co to three trains a week. Service
is now daily in both directions.
The authority of Oregon's
Public Utility Commissioner
Charles Heltzel over such sched
ule changes is challenged in a
suit now awaiting decision by
the Oregon Supreme Court, so
he is evidently in no present
position to move in the S. T.
case.
Before the schedule is reduced,
the railroad should be required
to show the extent of its losses
and even if it shows them we
doubt that it is justified in re
ducing this service on its main
line. Every business institution
renders service that does not
pay, as part of its over-all opera
tion. The Capital Journal deliv
ers several thousand papers daily
on rural motor routes that do
not pay their operating costs
plus the cost of the newsprint
because we think this is part of
our job, to serve the people of
our area.
Doesn't a railroad which is
now prosperous, as shown by its
operating statements, owe a
similar responsibility to the peo
ple whose patronage makes it
prosperous, even if the prosper
ity is contributed by freight
rather than passenger revenues?
We'd like to see a determination
on this point by a commission
representing the public before
the trains are taken off. Salem
Capital Journal.
Hearings Slated
On $P Service
Salem (U.PJ Public Utilities
Commissioner Charles H. Heltzel
said Thursday he was preparing
to hold hearings on the adequacy
of passenger service under a new
schedule announced by South
ern Pacific for its Shasta Day
light run.
Southern Pacific has announc
ed a three round trip a week
schedule for Shasta trains in
stead of the previous daily runs.
Heltzel said the commission
has power to hold hearings and
made a determination with re
spect to the adequacy of exist
ing passenger service. But he
added that a recent Circuit
Court decision, now appealed to
the State Supreme Court, ruled
that the commissioner had no
power to suspend time tables
reducing railroad passenger serv
ice prior to a hearing.
A similar procedure was nec
essary in the case of the South
ern Pacific Rogue River trains
and In a case involving the Port
land Traction Compar.y inter
urban passenger service.
Salem (U.R) The State Agri
culture Department has called a
hearing Oct. 23 to amend certain
Oregon standards for commer
cial jams, jellies, fruits and vege
tables to conform with new
federal regulations.