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United Pres Full Leased Wire
United Press Full Leased Win
No. 283
14 Pags
MEDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1957
fo)(
Legislators Face
Busy Schedule as
6llj Week Starts
Number of Problems
Due Further Study
Salem U.R A number of
problems, including the big one
of taxes, will be up for further
xtudy as the Oregon Legislature
starts its sixth week here today.
The Senate Taxation Commit
tee has set a public hearing for
Thursday on a Republican-sponsored
bill to make it impossible
for the state to levy a property
tax. Sen. Warren Gill, Lebanon,
a sponsor of the bilL appealed
for pi-partisan support, but a
dispute over the bill was ex
pected at the hearing
To Air Controversy
The Hells Canyon controversy
also will get another airing
Wednesday night when the Sen
ate State and Federal Affairs
Committee holds a public hear
ing on a memorial urging fed
eral construction of the high
dam. The memorial has already
passed the House.
Ready for intrrduction 7n the
Senate is a bill to set the ad
valorem tax ratios of utilities
30 per cent higher than on other
classes of property.
Scheduled for House introduc
tion is a bill by Rep. Guy Jones,
q Salem, to make the state's in
decent literature law more en
forceable. Jones said he was re
moving "unenforceable" restric
tions against bloodshed, violence
and similar themes.
To Examine Interest Rates
The House Committee on Fin
ancial Institutions will examine
the problem of interest rates
charged on motor vehicle sales
contracts Tuesday. It is consid
ering legislation setting out in
terest rates that may be charged
ft long and short-term contracts.
A bill appropriating $516,283
for a permanent meat inspection
program will be examined Tues
day by the House Agriculture
Committee.
The last Legislature authoriz
ed a pilot inspection program
for those covered by federal in
spection procedures.
Playwright Indicted
On Contempt Charges
Washington (U.R) A federal
Grand Jury today indicted Ar
thur Milfer. playwright husband
(-of Marilyn Monroe, on charges of
Contempt of Congress.
he jury returned a similar in
dictment against Otto Nathan,
,tew York University professor
and exefiutor of the estate of the
late Albert Einstein.
Miller will be arraigned on
fjie two-count indictment March
1. He faces a maximum penalty
if Convicted on both counts of
Ako years in prison and 52,000
fine.
Milly in a statement issued
through his attorney said he
would sk dismissal of the in-k-dictm&it
on grounds that refusal
a to answer "irrelevant questions"
of a congressional committee "is
not punishable."
Oregonan Nominated as
Wildlife Commissioner
Thomasfille, Ga. (U.R) Presi
dent Eisenhower today nomi
nated Arnie J. Soumela of Ore
gon to be th2 first commissiontr
of fish and wildlife in the In
terior Department.
Lowry, Littrell
PUC Power To
Salem (U.R) Bills were in
troduced in the Legislature to
day by two Jackson county Re
publicans to give the public
utilities commissioner the pow
er to order "reasonably ade
quate" service in all areas now
served by railroads.
Under present law, the com
missioner must first hold
lengthy hearings before he can
suspend changes in rail service.
Sponsored by Lowry, Littrell
Sponsors of the bills were
Sen. Philip Lowry and Rep. E.
A. Littrell. Lowry said the
Southern Pacific's halt of pass
enger service on its Siskiyou
line south of Eugene in August,
1955. pointed up the need for
the legislation.
"The pressing need for this
legislation has been shown sev
eral times in Oregon," Sen.
Lowry said. "In August, 1955,
'I'm Fine. Of Course, Every Once In A While
I Go Like This"
Combined Tax Levy in
City Among Lowest
Medford has the lowest com
bined tax levy among cities in
the state with a population of
more than 10.000. according to
an analysis of 1956-57 budget
levies made by the bureau of
municipal research, University
of Oregon.
The combined tax levy is 62.8
mills. The report also showed
that Mcdford's city levy of 18.7
mills is 3.8 mills below the aver
age city levy of 22.5 mills for
all Oregon cities.
In the 10,000 to 25.000 pop
ulation group, Medford's city tax
is 6.1 mills lower than the av
erage of 24.8 mills. City offic
ials pointed out that because of
annexations, some areas of Med
ford have acquired a different
tax base than older portions of
the city.
About $24,592,895 out of $25,
026,206 of the assessed valua
tion of Medford bears a 62.8
combined tax rate, it was report
ed. Bonded Indebtedness
City officials said $86,792 of
the assessed valuation in the
southeast Medford area pays a
4.6 millage levy to the Phoenix
school district for bonded in
debtedness at the time of an
nexation to Medford.
About $20,464 of the assessed
valuation in the Wilson Park'
and Jefferson school area, for
merly a part of the Kings High
way water district, pays a 17.4
millage levy for indebtedness to
the district. ,
President To Shorten
Vacation in Georgia
Thomasville, Ga. (U.R) Presi
dent Eisenhower plans to cut
short his Georgia vacation and
fly back to Washington because
of the Middle East Situation,
United Press learned today.
Presidential Press Secretary
James C. Hagerty did not deny
that the President is planning to
fly back to Washington early,
possibly tomorrow, but indig-
monthly denied any reports that
a residual cough bothering the
President had anything to do
with the plans. If he goes, Hag
erty said, it will be only because
of the "international situation."
Sponsor Bill Giving
Order Railroad Service
Southern Pacific discontinued
all passenger service on its Sis
kiyou line south of Eugene. The
commissioner's order to continue
service was held by the Marion
county court to be invalid until
a hearing was held. These hear
ings have now extended over a
period of many months, and all
of southern Oregon is still with
out rail passenger service.
Monopoly Claimed
Sen. Lowry observed that the
same thing had happened earlier
in the Coos Bay area, and that
only prompt action by the Cali
fornia Railroad Commission kept
the Southern Pacific Shasta day
light service in regular opera
tion. "When Southern Pacific aban
doned passenger service in south
ern Oregon." Sen. Lowry said,
"it also promised tha the change
would mean improved freight
The average combined tax lev
ies on a 50 per cent assessed
valuation basis of all Oregon
cities of more than 5,000 popu
lation is 58.4 mills, compared to
Medford's 45.2, the report show
ed. ,
A total of 54.9 per cent of the
assessed valuation of the state
is in Oregon cities, the report
showed. The proportion of as
sessed -""valuation of Jackson
county In cities is 49.4 per cent.
Michel Receives
10-Year Sentence
Clarence Edward Michel III,
23, F.oseburg, was sentenced to
10 years in the state peniten
tiary today in circuit court for
assault with a dangerous wea
pon in connection with the
shooting last month of a high
way maintenance crewman,
Burse H. Cathey, Eagle Point.
Michel, who previously plead
ed guilty to the charge, was ar
rested Jan. 25 a short time after
Cathey was shot through the
abdomen on the Tiller-Trail
highway, nine miles north of
Tiller. Michel told officers he
fired the shot after Cathey and
another highway maintenance
crewman expressed reluctance
to pull his stalled car from a
dtich with the snowplow they
were operating.
Cathey was hospitalized for
several weeks after the shooting.
Also receiving penitentiary
sentences this morning were
Gene Norton, 26, Corvallis; Jim
Carl Dunbar, 53, Albany; and
Charles Edward Zachary, 25,
route 1, box 284, Talent.
Norton received a one-year
sentence on a charge of non-support,
Dunbar received a one
year sentence on a charge of ob
taining money by false pretences
and Zachary received a one-year
sentence on a charge of contrib
uting to the delinquency of a
minor.
Tacoma 'iU.R) Funds invest
ed by Weyerhaeuser Timber Co.
in expanded facilities last year
reached the highest level in the
firm's history, the company has
announced.
service. Since then, the railroad
has cut down freight service to
and from the area and confront
ed shippers with new rate in
creases. Southern Pacific has
long had substantial control of
the economy of southern Ore
gon. Their monopoly of the tre
mendous freight shipments from
that area is one of the largest
-in the United States. It is our
hope that these two bills will
help eliminate some of the dem
onstrated evils of that mon
opoly." Unenlightened Bureaucracy
Sen. Lowry said that the ac
tions of the railroad's manage
ment had convinced him that it
was one of the "most unenlight
ened bureaucracies I have ever
encountered. He added: "The
motto of the so-called friendly
Southern Pacific ought to be
"the public be damned'."
Israel Wi
Negotiations Said
Near Stalemate
Firm Guarantee of
Security Demanded
Washington U.R) Negotia
tions between the United States
and Israel on the withdrawal of
Israeli forces from Egypt were
near a stalemate today.
Israel Sunday rebuffed the
latest U.S. attempt to arrange
a withdrawal, demanding firm
guarantees that its security and
shipping rights would be pro
tected once Israeli forces pulled
out of the Gaza Strip and the
Gulf of Aqaba area.
President Eisenhower replied,
in effect, that the United States
was not prepared at this time to
grant Israel any more assurances
than it already has offered.
Plan Called Secure
A withdrawal under the Amer
ican plan, the President said in
a statement at his Thomasville,
Ga., vacation retreat, would pro
vide Israel "a greater source of
security . . . than an occupation
continued contrary to the over
whelming judgment of the world
community."
The President also made pub
lic Sunday a memorandum on
this country's two-point plan for
arranging an Israeli withdrawal.
In return for such a with
drawal, the United States prom
ised that it would work to have
United Nations forces move into
the Gaza Strip and the Gulf of
Aqaba area. It also said it
would declare that it considered
the gulf an international water
way open to the shipping of all
nations, including Israel.
Secretary of State John Foster
Dulles and Israeli Ambassador
Abba Eban held their third dis
cussion on the American plan in
48 hours Sunday afternoon.
Dulles relayed the results of
their talk to the President at
Thomasville.
Presidential Press Secretary
James C: Hagerty described the
results to newsmen as "nega
tive." No definite time was set for
another meeting a develop
ment which, coupled with
the President's strongly worded
statement, indicated that the two
countries were far apart.
Increase in Oil
Prices Criticized
Washington (U.R) Major oil
companies had "no business"
raising prices on gasoline and
fuel oil. Sen. John A. Carroll
(D-Ohio) said Sunday.
Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey (D
Minn.) also criitcized the com
panies for deciding they "can
fool the American people into
thinking" the price boosts were
justified.
Carroll, a member of the joint
Senate subcommittee investigat
ing the increases, said they "may
have been needed by some inde
pendents." But he denied that major oil
companies were forced to raise
prices because of higher operat
ing expenses and rising labor
costs.
Carroll said that one purpose
of the Senate hearings is to show
the need for "greater responsi
bility" on the part of firms
which "control" a vital com
modity. Democrats Show Unity
On Civil Rights Matter
San Francisco '(U.R) Demo
crats emerged from a week end
meeting today with a show of
unity on the thorny problem of
civil rights.
They accomplished this feat
by adopting a civil rights resolu
tion that in mild tones urged
Democratic members of congress
to get behind civil rights leg
islation. Weather
FORECAST: Fair nd mild
through Tupsdav. Low to
night 2S. High Tuesday 66-68.
TEMP.
Hichtut Yesterday
Lowest this Mornlns 2
Our Skies Tonight
Sunrise
7.04 a.m.
Sunset 5.47 p.m.
The days are now rrowtnr long
er and the nichts shorter at
the rate of 17 minutes per
week.
Moonrise 11:12 p.m.
Ijist Quarter Feb. 21
VISIBLE PLANETS
Mars, high in south
west S:2S P-m.
Jupiter, low in east 8:39 p.m.
Saturn, rises - . 2:50 a-m.
Call for Dockmen
Expected Soon
Under New Pact
Agreement Reached
In Sunday Meeting
New York (U.R) The In
ternational Longshoremen's as
sociation was to decide today on
when to call dockers back to
work under the terms of a new
three-year agreement reached in
negotiations Sunday night.
' Representatives of the 45,000
member independent ILA and
the New York Shipping Associ
ation announced the agreement
which ended a five-day walkout
by longshoremen in Atlantic
coast ports from Maine to Vir
ginia. It was not likely that long
shoremen would return to work
before late today at the earliest.
To Work Out Contracts
Subcommittees of the union
and shippers were to meet in
the federal mediation offices to
day to work out contracts cover
ing carpenters, checkers and oth
er crafts in the ILA.
There was a possibility that
the union might advise the long
shormen to return to the docks
without waiting to work out all
contract details andt he neces
sary formal membership vote on
ratification.
The contract, retroactive to
Oct. 11, 1956, provides a 32-cents-an-hour
package wage in
crease. Longshoremen will get
18 cents an hour over the cur
rent $2.48 hourly rate the first
year and seven cents in each of
the two succeeding years. It ex
pires Sept. 30. .1959.
Negotiations! n the tugboat
strike in New York, meanwhile,
were reported to be making en
couraging progress toward set
tlement of the 18-day-old walk
out by 4.000 members of the Na
tional Maritime Union AFL-CIO.
Jensen Sentenced
To Die April 5
Circuit Judge H. K. Hanna
today sentenced James Norman
Jensen, 27, Larkspur. Calif., to
die in the state gas chamber on
Friday, April 5.
This was the third time Judge
Hanna pronounced this sen
tence on Jensen, who was con
victed by a jury nearly three
years ago of the first degree
murder of Mrs. Fern Hile, Med
ford housewife.
Jensen's attorney, Edward C.
Kelly, appealed the case to the
state supreme court, which up
held his conviction. Jensen was
returned to Jackson county and
sentenced to die on Sept. 21.
1956.
Kelly then appealed the case
to the U.S. Supreme court and
won a stay of execution for Jen
sen until the U.S. court investi
gation could be completed. After
the appeal was denied by the
high court, a petition for rehear
ing of a motion and a petition
to set aside the denial of the
first petition were also filed
with the U.S. court. The second
petition was denied earlier this
month.
Suez Salvage Work
At Virtual Standstill
Ismailia, Suez Canal Zone
(U.R) United Nations salvage
work on the Suez Canal was at
a virtual standstill today. Two
tiny Egyptian vessels sailed the
full length of the canal Sunday
and small cargo vessels now ply
between Port Said and Suez
with cargo but two major wrecks
still block international ship
ping. Informed sources said the
U.N. salvage team which is cost
ing the United Nations 520,000 a
day will be unable to meet its
March 10 deadline unless full
scale work resumes immediately.
It has not been mentioned
openly here, but the whole oper
ation appeared to hinge on the
question of . Israeli withdrawal
from the Gaza Strip and the
coast of the Gulf of Aquaba.
Portland (U.R) Gov. Robert
D. Holmes will speak at a lunch
eon meeting of a statewide high
way traffic safety conference
here Friday.
Portland 1U.R) There are at
least 700 more aliens in Oregon
today than a year ago, it has
been reported.
Traffic, Airplane
Crashes Fatal To 8
Persons in
By UNITED PRESS
At least eight persons died ac
cidentally in Oregon during the
week end, six as the result of
traffic mishaps and two in a
plane crash.
In addition, two Seattle teen
age boys were killed when a car
slammed into the Washington
side of the Interstate Bridge
near Portland at a high speed.
Harold Dean Royse, 24, Al
bany, was killed last night when
Elks Club Student
Government Day
Program Starts
Mrs. Edith S. Green, Con
gresswoman from Oregon's third
district, will be guest speaker
at the Student Government day
banquet at 6:30 p.m. today in
the Elks temple.
Mrs. Green's address wll bie
gin at 8 p.m. She will be intro
duced by Dick Woodcock, ex
alted ruler of the Elks. Jimmy
Dunlevy will be master of cere
monies. Student Government day ac
tivities were to start with regis
tration at 1:15 p.m. today. Oaths
of office were to be adminis
tered to the student officials at
2:30 p.m. "At 3:30 p.m. student
groups were slated to appear on
programs at radio stations
KMED and KYJC. A program
at KBES-TV was scheduled for
5 to 5:30 p.m.
'Get Acquainted' Meeting
The banquet tonight will be
preceded by a "get acquainted"
meeting at 6 p.m. for students,
their parents, city and county
o f f i c i a Is and distinguished
guests.
On Tuesday students will re
port to the offices of the offi
cials with whom they will work
for the day at 9 a.m. At noon,
officials and student counter
parts will be guests at lunch in
the Elks club and from 2 to 5
p.m.,. students will tour various
interest spots in the city and
county.
Students will conduct a city
council meeting in the city hall
at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday following
a regular official city council
meeting at 6:30 p.m.
The annual Student Govern
ment day program is sponsored
by the Medford Elks lodge.
Polls Open Today
In District 6C
Central Point Polls will be
open between 2 and 8 p.m. for
school district 6C patrons to vote
on two separate bond issues to
taling $235,000 to finance class
room addition and athletic field
improvements at Crater High
school.
Polling places will be at the
Hanby elementary school gym
nasium in Gold Hill, at the Sams
Valley school and in the Crater
High school music room.
Legal voters who have lived
in the school district for the past
six months and who registered
at least 30 days preceding the
election are eligible to vote.
United Nations Takes
Up Debate on Cyprus
United Nations, N.Y.iU.R)
The United Nations took up the
Cyprus issue for the third time
in threey ears today and the
bitter debate was expected to
strain the Western alliance in
the critical Mediterranean area.
Britain' Turkey and Greece,
NATO allies who are deep in
arguments over the, future of
the island, are prepared for at
least a week of debate in the
General Assembly's main po
litical committee.
DOW-JONES AVERAGES
New York (U.R) Dow
Jones final stock averages: 30
industrials 467.40, off 0.67; 20
railroads 152.40, off 0.69; 15 ut
ilities 70.04. up 0.15, and 65
stocks 165.38, off 0.24. Sales to
day were about.1.800,000 shares
compared with 2,060,000 shares
Friday.
Pendleton (U.R) Leland
Swanson. 34, has taken over as
city manager here.
Oregon
his car crashed into the rear of
a loaded hay truck two miles
eest of Lebanon. Police said the
impact of the crash knocked the
truck and its load of baled hay
an estimated 200 feet.
In Albany Saturday, three-years-old
Stephen Lee Farmer
was killed when he was struck
by a'backing car in a food store
parking lot.
Motorcyclist Killed
David Delbert France, 22, Du-
fur, was killed Saturday after
noon when the motorcycle he
was riding and a car collided on
The Dalles-California highway
about five miles south of its
junction with Highway 30.
Injured fatally in Friday night
accidents were Norman Sabin,
28, Klamath Falls, who died
when he was crushed under his
car after a jack gave way, and
Clarence Elston Cubbage, 32,
Portland, whose parked car was
struck by another vehicle while
he was putting license plates on
his car.
State police said Leo F. Blan
ton, Powers, died Saturday from
injuries suffered Friday when a
log truck load spilled on top of
his truck.
Plane Wreck Kills Two
The plane crash, near Condon,
claimed the lives of Leo B. Hell
ing, 55, Portland insurance man,
and Sgt. David R. Reed, 29, an
Air Force man who was station
ed near Condon.
A stolen car fleeing from po
lice crashed into the Interstate
bridge north of Portland early
Sunday, killing two Seattle
youths. Police said the car was
clocked at 110 miles an hour
while it was being chased. The
State Patrol identified the vic
tims as Timothy Wade Fisk, 19,
and Dean E. Watson, 16. The
1956 Lincoln Continental was
demolished beyond recognition.
Knowland Predicts
Doctrine Approval
Washington (U.R) Senate Re
publican Leader William F.
Knowland predicted today that
the Senate will approve a modi
fied version of President Eisen
hower's Middle East doctrine by
"better than a two-to-one vote."
The Senate was to open de
bate on the resolution late today
with Chairman Theodore Fran
cis Green (D-R.I.) of the foreign
relations committee as leadoff
speaker.
Green was prepared to recom
mend approval of the resolution
as it was modified by the Demo
cratic majorities of his commit
tee and the armed services com
mittee. President Eisenhower has
agreed to accept the Democratic
changes, thus lessening the op
position that his proposal might
otherwise have encountered in
the Senate.
Frost Forecaster Slated
To Arrive Here March 15
William Rogers, meteorologist
from Pamona, Calif., official
frost forecaster for this area,
will arrive in Medford on March
15, according to C. B. Cordy,
county horticulture agent.
Broadcasts of frost warnings
for fruit growers in the Rogue
valley will begin a week to 10
days after Rogers arrival, de
pending on bud development,
Cordy said.
Queen Gets Noisy Welcome;
Fall Visit To U.S. Slated
Lisbon, Portugal (U.R)
Queen Elizabeth II began a
three-day state visit to Portugal
today to the sound of cannon,
the roars of a crowd of one mil
lion persons and the screeching
of thousands of boats in the Ta
gus river.
Travel in Ancient Barge
The Queen and the Duke of
Edinburgh, who are reported
planning to visit the United
States next September, came
ashore from the royal yacht Bri
tannia in an ancient barge row
ed by 40 oarsmen. The weather
was perfect after a week end of
storms.
Thousands of ships, sailboats,
freighters, coasters, harbor bar
ges, rowboats anything that
Charred Remains
01 23 Bodies Taken
Out of Basement
Firemen Search
For Other Victims
Warrenton, Mo. U.R) Fire
men searched through the still
hot debris of a home for the
aged today for more bodies of
the 71 persons burned to death
when fire and explosion mush
roomed through the old three
story building.
The charred remains of 23
bodies were taken out of the
basement into which all these
trapped inside tumbled when a
muffled explosion caused floors
and walls to fall. Searchers
hoped to. find others as the de
bris cooled.
Dr. F.' H. Knigge, Warren
county coroner in charge of the
search, said there was no hope
that any of the 71 persons listed
as missing was still alive. .
Knigge said few of the bodies
would be identified because
most of them were reduced to
little more than ashes.
The fire broke out in the 62-year-old
building during visiting
hours. Authorities said more
than 225 persons, including pa
tients and visitors, were in the
building at the time.
Those inside had only a few
minutes to escape, between the
time the fire was noticed and
the floors plunged into the base
ment. One witness. Warren Stewart,
a filling station operator who
was across the street at the time
said the blast of flame that
swept through the building ap
peared to have been caused by
some kind of gas. . " -
Knigge said it had been deter
mined that no visitors had been
lost in the holocaust. He said it
appeared the final death toll
would be confined to 71.
Cause of the fire was not de
termined. -Gov. James T. Blair
Jr., ordered a three-phase - in
quiry into the blaze, one of the
worst disasters of its kind in the
nation's history. Blair said in
vestigations would be made by
the Highway Patrol, the Divi
sion of Health and Welfare and
a Fire Underwriters Bureau.
The institution, the Katie
Jane Memorial home, was for
merly the Central Wesleyan col
lege which closed in 1941. It
occupied three of the old col
lege buildings. The one that
was swept by fire was in the
center of the old campus. The
others, occupied by other pa
tients and administrative of
fices, were not damaged.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
said the Katie Jane's license re
newal had been held up by the
state as the reuslt of a recent
inquiry because the electrical
wiring had not been inspected
by a competent electrician.
The newspaper said that Dr.
James R. Mason, director of the
Division of Health, had inform
ed Blair there was some reason
to believe the wiring might
have been overloaded.
Heroic bystanders climbed
ladders to pull people from the
windows, injured persons were
laid on the lawn until they
could be removed to nearby
homes and stores for emergen
cy treatment, and a temporary
morgue' was set up across the
street to handle the bodies.
W. S. O'Sullivan, owner of
the home, said he was at a loss
to explain the cause of the blaze
in the recently renovated build
ing. He said they had 194 guests (
and an undetermined number of
visitors.
would float awaited the Bri
tannia at the river mouth to
welcome the Queen as her yacht
slipped into the harbor at a
dead slow pace, escorted by
British and Portuguese men of
war.
Pending Visit Told
As the Queen arrived with the
Duke after a two-day "second
honeymoon" aboard the yacht,
official American sources in
London said the royal couple
will visit the United States next
September for a week or 10
days.
They are to visit New York,
Washington and Jamestown, Va.,
which is celebrating its 350th
anniversary as the first perman
ent English colony in the United
States.
i