Submits
New M
laste'rn
Proposal
on
DETENTION HOME
CONTRACT LET
Th county tourt this morning unanimously agreed to accept
the lo bid t S84,540 submitted by Bessonett and Graff for con
truVo f tfw proposed county juvenile detention home.
The court's action foUowed a meeting this morning between
the court, contraetori and architect in which an opinion from
O District Attorney Thomas Reeder wag read and discussed. Mem
bers of the court asked for the opinion on legal aspects of the
contract with social emphasis on negotiations for reduction of
total cost of the prejact.
Tbm contractor's $I4,50 bid, plus the architect's fee of $5,076,
will bring total estimated cost of the building to $89,636. Total
allocation for the detention home was $90,000. Voters approved
$65,000 and $25,000 was added by the court when it was decided
to add an administrative wing to the building.
Original Bid
Original bid by Bessonett and
Graff was $92,183. The court.
contractors ana arcnueci nave i
been negotiating for the past
several days to reduce the cost.
Some changes in plans for the
building were discussed, includ
ing changing the heating system
from oil to gas, changing types
of locks, light fixtures, wall tile
and milar phases of original
plans.
ncJn requesting an opinion from
Yap district attorney, the court
-SskPd about legality ol nego
tiating with the low bidder
to reduce construction costs.
Reeder cifed a law requiring a
court or other public authority
to call for new bids on a project
if mat ritl or substantial
changes in plans are made after
original opening of bids.
Reeder said it was hi opinion
that this la would apply to this
case, and th court could not
properly gward the contract to
the lowest responsible bidder if
It considers the changes to be
material or substantial.
Mattor of La-
He further stated "I cannot
advife you as. to whether or iot
the changes you contemplate are
materttl or substantial as a mat
ter of law. That is your decision
to mafce."
Would Rais No QuMtion
He pointed out that calling for
new bids for construction of the
detention home based upon re
vised specifications would raise
no question whatever as to the
legality or propriety oi me
court s decision. However, fie
told the court failure to adver
tise for new bids would not nec
essarily result in legal risk if
the court decided the changes
were not material or substantial.
After considerable discussion,
members of the court agreed the
changes were only minor, and
would not alter the structural
design of the building. They is
sued the following statement:
"In making the award of this
contract, the court has taken
Into consideration the district at
torney' opinion as requested by
this court and is of the opinion
thai inaimiirh a there are no
.ri9l nr- iihatantiat rhanses.
i
dTee? thl 2Si ti j
the opinion."
Officials, Engineer .
To Meet Tomorrow ,
Three Medford city officials
will negotiate with W. C.
(Dutch) Williams, state highway
engineer, tomorrow in Salem to
seek agreement on several con
ditions in plans for a Highway
99 freeway along the Bear
Creek-Hawthorne park route.
The committee, composed of
Mayor John Snider, City Man
ager Robert Duff and Council
man Robert Van Sickle, will re
port back to the city council on
the Salem session at its March
19 meeting. Mayor Snider named
the committee earicr this month.
A resolution conditionally co
operating with the highway de
partment in its decision to con
struct the .proposed freeway
through the center of Medford
was passed by a 6-2 council vote
Feb. 19.
The resolution stipulated the
highway commission agree to
provide access roads, decelera
tion lanes, parking facilities, re
placement and preservation of
public recreational facilities and
landscaping along the route be
fore the council gives the free
way final approval.
Radio Highlights
The Medford-Eugene state
tournament basketball game
will be broadcast by stations
KYJC (1230 kc) and KMED
(1440 kc) starting at 7:30 to
night. Sports Bulletin
Eugene (U.R) North Salem
edged Ontario 41-40 in a thrill
ing finish today to join Marsh
field. Lincoln and Benson
among teams to qualify for
the quarter-finals of the state
class A-l high school basket
ball tournament here.
Dennis McKee. captain for
North Salem, led a late rally
which brought hie team from
behind an eight-point deficit.
Jim Litchfield scoring the win
ning basket after a pass from
McKee wiih seconds to play.
5 ! Governor Holmes
To Officiate at
Pear Festival Here
Gov. Robert D. Holmes will
officiate at Pear Blossom Festi
val ceremonies at Hawthorne
park this year and appear as
grand marshal during the festi
val parade. Jay Pierce, president
of the festival committee, an
nounced today.
Appearance of the governor
at the festival is one of several
reasons the festival's April 27
date will not be changed, ac
cording to Pierce.
The possibility of changing
the festival date to earlier in
April or late in March was con
sidered this morning at a festi
val committee meeting at the
Holland hotel.
Festival officials indicated
the date might be set ahead sev
eral weeks to coincide the cele
bration as nearly as possible
with the season's first budding
of pear blossoms.
Bloom Reached
Full bloon for D'Anjou and
Barflett varieties could be
reached as soon as April 1 or
even late in March, which is
about 10 days earlier than aver
age, according to Don Eerry,
county horticultural agent.
Other reasons for confirma
tion of the original festival date
were that an earlier celebration
would conflict with April "sales"
planned by local merchants and
that it was too late to reorganize
the committee's schedule for
festival activities.
Pierce also reported that Sen
ator G. Mennen Williams, Michi
gan Democrat, may be in Med
ford April 27 to participate in
the Pear Blossom Festival.
A wheelchair parade for
Camp White residents to be held
at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28. at
Camp White, also was an
nounced.
High Court Upholds
Ellison Decision
Salem (U.R) The Oregon Su
preme Court today affirmed the
refusal of the Jackson County
Court to dismiss an indictment
against Arthur William Ellison
for contributing to the delin
quency of a minor.
Ellison contended that he had
not been brought to trial at the
next term after the indictment
was returned. The high court
found that Ellison was indicted
at the October, 1955, term and
that at his request, he was grant
ed additional time to plead. He
entered his plea in the January
term, but by order of the Cir
cuit Court, the case was con
tinued to the April term when
he was brought to trial.
Salem (U.R) A resolution
calling for establishment of a
lieutenant governor's office in
Oregon has passed the House 43
16 and now goes to the Senate.
"My, What Lovely
! I'
i : r-x
! 111
Property Seizure
Completed by IRS
Agents Yesterday
Orchards, Downtown
Buildings Are Included
Internal revenue agents yes
terday completed seizure of
property valued at more than
$1,250,000 owned by Walter H.
and Evelyn Leverette for non
payment of taxes.
The seizure was the largest in
the history of Oregon, and one
of the largest in the Pacific
northwest, according to agents.
Seizure was for non-payment of
back income taxes extending
over a period from about 1942
to 1951 and involving about
$600,000. according to agents in
the Portland internal revenue
office.
Property Seized
Property seized Included 10
pear orchards, a cold storage
plant near Voorhies crossing, the
Leverette building in downtown
Medford, and Leverette's resi
dence on Highway 99 south of
Medford.
The orchards are in the vi
cinity of th cold storage plant
near Voorhies crossing, agents
said, with the exception of the
Table Top ranch in the Table
Rock area northeast of Medford.
Equipment as well as buildings
was seized. Total land involved
in the seizure was about 3,100
acres, agents said.
Tagging of properties started
yesterday morning at the Or
chard Park cold storage plant
and was completed about 3 p.m.
yesterday with seizure of the
Leverette building at Main and
Grape sts. Notices of seizure
were placed on directories in the
Leverette building, both at the
Main aid Grape st. entrances,
agents said.
Businesses operating in the
Leverette building will not be
disrupted in the seizure, agents
indicated.
Offered For Sale
The property will be offered
for sale at an auction, agents
said, within a reasonable length
of time. Legal notices of the sale
will be published, they noted.
Participating in the seizure
were Irving Damitz, Portland; L.
C. Thurmond, Eugene; and Oral
Bell, Douglas Shepherd and Earl
Grey, all of Medford.
Leverette was found guilty of
income tax evasion several years
ago, and served a short term in
federal prison upon conviction.
Two Are Sentenced
In Circuit Court
Two men were given peniten
tiary sentences, one man was
placed on probation, a woman
entered a plea of guilty and an
other man was arraigned this
morning in circuit court.
Jerry Leander Stewart, 18, of
718 Victory St., Apt. 4, was sen
tenced to one year and six
months in the penitentiary for
probation violation. Elmer Boyd
Gravelle, 26, post office box 23,
Jacksonville, was sentenced to
one year and six months in the
penitentiary for using a motor
vehicle without the owner's per
mission. Mrs. Hazel Annette Farmer,
18, of 1100 East Main St., entered
a plea of guilty to a charge of
forgery by endorsement and her
case was continued pending re
ceipt of FBI records.
Jack Derwood Simer, 56, of
1813 California st., Jacksonville,
was placed on two years proba
tion for uttering and publishing
a false check. Melvin L. Haakin
son, 24, Shady Cove, was ar
raigned on a charge of grand
larceny and his case was con
tinued pending receipt of FBI
records.
SOUTHEAST
ASIA
COJFERErJCE
C H I N A"
. I fifTM
51st Year
Ur
24 Pa
"
Bei -anon Wins Two Confidence
Votes; Blames 'Certain Powers'
Cairo Declared
Dictating Current
Events in Mid-East
Grave Concern Over
Egypt's Threat Voiced
Jerusalem, Israel (U.R)
Premier David Ben-Gurion won
two votes of confidence in parli
ament today after blaming
Egypt's intention to return to
the Gaza Strip on "certain big
powers."
The motions of non-confidence
were introduced by the opposi
tion Herut (Freedom) Party and
by the General Zionists, both
right-wing groups which fought
the Israeli decision to withdraw
from Egypt.
The motions called on the Is
raeli government to honor its
pledges not to permit the Egyp
tians to return to uaza. Ben-
Gurion said, "This country will
stand by its pledges."
The vote on the Herut resolu
tion was 53 to 24. The vote on
the General Zionist resolution
was 51 to 23.
Ben-Gurion won both votes
although one of his leftwing
coalition parties the Adhut
Avoda with four deputies left
the Knesset (parliament) when
the voting began.
The Ahdut Avoda (Unity of
Labor) teamed up earlier with
another left-wing coalition mem
ber, the Mapam (United Work
ers) to oppose Ben-Gurion's pol
icy of withdrawing the Israeli
Army from Egypt.
Today's parliamentary rebel
lion boiled up almost without ad
vance warning.
The Developments came as
Israeli officials said current ev
ents in the Middle East were
being "dictated from Cairo" but
that responsibility in the explo
sive situation rested with the
United States.
Israel was disclosed to have
made diplomatic representations
to Washington, London and Par
is during the past 48 hours ex
pressing grave concern over the
threat of the return of the Egyp
tian army to the Gaza Strip.
An Israeli official summed up
the Israeli attitude in the Middle
East as this: . It is no longer
merely a question of Egyptian
Israeli relations.
"The situation now is the
question of whether the world
community will permit Egyptian
President Gamal Abdel Nasser
to go on pushing his weight
around with impunity, whether
it be in Gaza, the Gulf of Aqaba
or the Suez Canal, in defiance
of other people's rights to work
and live peacefully," the official
said.
New Patrolman Joins
Medford Department
Ronald Clair Clawson, 25, of
119 Portland ave., Medford, has
joined the Medford police de
partment as a patrolman on the
third platoon working from 4
p.m. to midnight, Police Chief
Charles Champlin announced to
day. Clawson replaces Ronald G.
Hopkins, who resigned recently
to go to New Mexico.
Clawson has lived in Medford
for about three years. He came
here from Beaver City, Neb.,
and graduated from high school
there. He is a Navy veteran and
has had three years of overseas
duty. Clawson is married and
has three children.
DOW-JONES AVERAGES
New York (U.R) Dow-Jones
final stock averages: 30 indus
tiials 472.53, up 2.22; 20 rail
roads 142.92, up 1.12; 15 utilities
71.19, up 0.21, and 65 stocks
167.11, up 0.84. Sales today were
about 1.840.000 shares compared
with 1.600,000 shares Tuesday.
Bulletin
Harana UR' Unidentified
assailants attacked President
Fulgeneia Batista's presiden
tial palace at 3:25 p.m. with
gunfire. Heavy firing was con
tinuing at 3:40 p.m., and was
being returned from Inside
the palace.
.-.1
., h ei' 'i',. T 4.V'' -CiMnmnMinfilliBnliiree1, ifilili; i!:-
RECEIVE EAGLE AWARDS At a ceremony
Monday night at St. Mary's academy three
Crater Lake Area Scouts received Eagle
Awards. The awards are made to Boy Scouts
who have earned 21 merit badges and have
proved to be outstanding leaders in the
church, schools and community as well as
the scouting program. Above, council com
missioner J. A. McDougall reads one of the
letters received by the boys from National
Porter 'Reliably
Informed' Suicide
Note Was Forgery
New York (U.R) Rep.
Charles O. Porter (D-Ore.) said
today he has been "reliably in
formed" that a suicide note left
by
a Dominican pilot in which
he confessed the murder of Ore
gon aviator Gerald L. Murphy
is a forgery.
Porter charged in Congress
last week that Murphy's death
was linked with the disappear
ance ( of Columbia University
Professor Dr. Jesus De Galindez.
Magazine Reports Kidnap
Life magazine had reported
that De Galindez was kidnaped
and that Murphy was the pilot
of the plane that took him to the
Dominican Republic.
Murphy disappeared last De
cember while he was prepar
ing to return to the United
States.
The Dominican government,
under pressure from the U. S.
State Department, explained
Murphy's disappearance. It said
Octavio De La Maza, a Domini
can Airlines pilot who commit
ted suicide in a Ciudad Trujillo
jail in January, left a note in
which he confessed knocking
Murphy off a cliff into shark
infested waters.
Can't Conceive of Reason
Porter said he had been "reli
ably informed that the FBI has
found De La Maza's suicide note
to be a forgery."
"I cannot conceivably see any
reason why such a finding
should be suppressed. Nor has
the State Department given a
reason," Porter said.
The freshman congressman
criticized the "soft policy" of
the State Department toward
non-Communist dictators.
High-Octane Gasoline
Taken from Plane
Theft of 190 gallons of high
octane gasoline from a twin-engine
Beachcraft airplane owned
by Mercy Flights, Inc., sometime
between Feb. 28 and March 6,
was reported today by Medford
police. Value of the gasoline was
$70.30, police said.
The theft occurred while the
plane was parked near the Mer
cy Flights hangar at the Medford
airport, it was reported. George
E. Milligan, chairman of Mercy
Flights, reported the theft.
Police also reported the theft
yesterday of two gas drums con
taining 65 gallons from the
Rogue Valley hospital construc
tion site at 2825 Barnett rd.,
Medford. Value of the gasoline
was about $22.75, officers said.
EGON; WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1957
School Board Accepts
Teacher Resignations
Seven . teacher resignations
were accepted by the Medford
school board last night, and five
teachers were elected for posi
tions in the district.
The board received resigna
tions from Mrs. Doris Ness, sec
ond grade teacher at Jackson:
Mrs. Gwen Weaver, third grade
teacher at Roosevelt; Mrs. Patri
cia Blake, second grade teacher
at Roosevelt; Miss Jane Jeldness,
Miss Yvonne Keith and Miss
Marian Forsythe, all teachers at
Medford High school, and Earl
Covey, teacher at Jefferson.
Resignations were accepted
after the board reelected all
teachers in the district.
New Teachers - -
New teachers are Arnold De
Paul, who will teach social
studies at Medford High; John
L. Smock, who will teach at one
of the junior high schools; Mrs.
Betty Pruett, primary teacher;
Ronald Weatherford, intermedi
ate instructor in the elementary
program; and Miss Janice Crisp,
who will teach girls health and
physical education at Medford
High.
DePaul comes here from Twin
Falls, Ida., High school. Smock
instructed at Central Point Jun
ior high, and Mrs. Pruett comes
to Medford from Eagle Point.
Weatherford taught at Jefferson
school in 1955-56, and moved to
Nampa, Ida., where he held an
administration office. Miss Crisp
comes to Medford from Spokane,
Wash.
In other business last night
the board discussed preliminary
plans being prepared for fifth
and sixth grade West Side stu
dents to participate in a camp
program featuring science in
struction. The camp classroom
experience study is being spon
sored by Southern Oregon col
lege with the cooperation of the
Medford school district.
School Superintendent Leon
ard Mayfield read correspond
ence from congressional repre
sentatives in Washington, D.C.,
the National Education associa
tion, and state officials concern
ing federal aid to schools. The
Weather
FORECAST: Partly cloudy arly
tnnisht. Increasing cloudiness
Ut tonight, rain on Thurs
day. Low tonight 30, high to
morrow 30.
TFMPFR ATL'RE .
Ficht tr4y . 47
Lowest this Morning 31
Our Skies Tonight
Sunrise ' 6:27 a.m.
Sunset - 6:115 p.m.
Monnset Thursday 5:14 .m.
Pull Moon,..- March IS
PROMINENT STAR
Reiculus. near the Moon.
VISIBLE PLANETS
Jupiter, high in south
east 10:2S p.m.
Mars, set 11:15 p.m.
Saturn, low In southeast 2:28 p.m.
Price 10c
Tribune
United Press Full Leased Wire
No. 303
Scout Executive Arthur A. Schuck. The boys
are, left to right, Jerry Mathern, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Edward Mathern, Medford; Bill
Benson, son of. Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Fries,
Ashland; and Dick Clark, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Gerard Clark, Medford. Mathern and
Clark are members of Air Explorer squadron
14. and Benson is a member of Troop 114,
Ashland.
board sought information to de
termine whether or not Medford
would qualify for federal aid.
Mayfield told the board indi
cations are that any federal aid
would be available only to dis
tressed districts. A distressed
district is one which is bonded
almost to capacity and demon
strates a need for additional ex
pansion. He noted that Medford
has not reached its bonding ca
pacity, and would not be eligible
for federal aid.
Plans and the program for
preparing the 1957-58 budget
were reviewed by the board,
which indicated it would have
the budget prepared the latter
part of May.
Eisenhower To Sail
Aboard Navy Cruiser
Washington (U.R) President
Eisenhower today announced
that he expects to leave by Navy
cruiser from Norfolk, Va., late
Thursday for a leisurely cruise
to Bermuda where he is due
March 20.
The President, who has been
suffering from a head cold,
cough and inflammation of the
left ear for some time, had hoped
to go to Florida for a few days
prior to his Bermuda conference
next week with British Prime
Minister Harold Macmillan.
He told his news conference
today however, that he had de
cided not to go to Florida, but
would seek out sunshine aboard
a Navy cruiser during what he
called a very slow trip to Ber
muda. He is scheduled to reach Ber
muda next Wednesday.
Hollywood (U.R) Blonde
screen star Kim Novak hss en
tered Cedars of Lebanon Hos
pital for a rest and a checkup.
Shower Activity To Return
To Medford Area Thursday
Shower activity is forecast for
the Medford area Thursday after
a brief period of relief today,
according to the Medford weath
er bureau.
Rain totaling .05 of an inch
was recorded at the Medford
station Tuesday. State police re
ported valley roads and high
ways in good condition this
morning, and chains were not
required on mountain passes.
A new storm moving in from
the coast will bring scattered
snow flurries to elevations
above 2.500 to 3,000 feet some
time tomorrow, weather bureau
officials said.
Four inches of new snow was
recorded on the Siskiyous Tues
day bringing the total there to
Eisenhower Gives
No Details at
News Conference
Negotiations Said
Up To HammarskjwIW
Washington (U.R) President
Eisenhower revealed today that
the United States has submitted
to the United Nations new pro
posals for dealing with the Mid
dle East situation.
But the President made it
clear at his news conference that
it is up to the United Nations to
take the lead in making arrange
ments for negotiations aimed at
settling problems of the troubled
Middle East.
Mr. Eisenhower gave no de
tails of the U.S. proposals which
he said have been communicated '
to U.N. Secretary-general Dag
Hamiriarskjold. But he said
Hammarskjold plans to leave for
the Middle East Saturday.
The President said he had not
heard of late news reports from
Cairo to the effect that the
United Nations and Egypt had
agreed that Egypt will take over
civil administration of the Gaza
Strip.
A newsman asked the Presi
dent whether he would like to
see Egypt delay plans to take
over civil administration of
Gaza.
Without replying directly, the
President said he would like to
see arrangements made which
the United Nations and Ham
marskjold believe would be most
effective in bringing out nego
tiations to settle Middle Eastern
problems.
The president said he talked
this morning about the Middle
Eastern situation with acting
Secretary of State Christian A.
Herter.
The President said it is Ham
marskjold who is conducting the
negotiations and who is going
to the area Saturday. Since the
problem is in a negotiating stage,
the President said he would not
predict the outlook. But he
added that Hammarskjold does
know the American position on
Middle Eastern problems.
While Mr. Eisenhower did not
elaborate, it was understood
that the United States does not
quarrel with Egypt's legal right
under the 1949 armistice to ad
minister civil affairs in Gaza.
The United States believes, how
ever, that Egypt should not press
its case now because of the pros
pect that such a move would
create a grave new crisis in the
Middle East
Medford Population
Lisfed As 21,979
The population of Medford is
now estimated at 21,979, includ
ing about 1,300 people in the re
cently annexed Kenwood-Grand-view
district, City Manager Rob
ert A. Duff said today.
This is an increase of nearly
1,900 from the official popula
tion of Medford at this last year,
which was certified at 20,083 by
the state board of census, Duff
said. '
The new estimated, based on
a number of indicators, was for
warded to the census board this
week, with the understanding
that an accurate enumeration of
the Kenwood-Grandview district
will be made soon, the city man
ager reported. The 1,300 figure
estimated for Kenwood - Grand-
view is not based on the same
criteria used for the rest of the
city. If it is inaccurate, the over
all total will be changed.
City officials through the
state make estimate for their
cities, which are then certified
by the census board, and are
used as the basis for distribution
of certain state funds on a per
capita basis. The new totals are
not expected to change Med
ford's status as the fourth-lar
gest city in the state, following
Portland, Eugene and Salem.
On the basis of preliminary
estimates, Eugene is now slight
ly larger than Salem, displac
ing It as the second-largest in
the state.
i5 inches. The Green Springs
and Cave Junction both had
one Inch of new snow yester
day. New snow at Prospect yester
day was three inches, bringing
the total at roadside to six
inches. Sexton mountain report
ed seven inches of new snow.
Seventeen inches of new snow
were reported at Crater Lake
National park at 8 a.m. today,
bringing the total at bead
quarters to 128 inches. Park of
ficials said it was snowing light
ly at that time this morning.
The south and west roads to
the park were reported open but
chains were advised. The road
from headquarters to the rim is
dosed.