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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 1958)
Book Quashes General Belief Of Oregon Trail Pioneer Story Berkeley OP) The general American belief that the Ore gon Trail Pioneers won the Northwest Pacific Area for the United States is mostly romance, according to a book published by the University of California Press. The territory today might be either Russian or British controlled but for European diplomacy and the ramifica tions of the fur trade, accord ing to historian John S. Gal braith in his definitive volume on "The Hudson's Bay Com pany." "In that wider setting of diplomacy," Galbraith writes, "it is correct to describe the boundary dispute in North jyest American as a conflict between the ambitions of two great fur-trading companies, each eager to seize a maxi mum area for its present and future operations, and each convinced, with sound Justifi cation, that the other contem plated monopoly of the trade of the entire coast from Cal ifornia to the Arctic Ocean." Visualized Empire In 1799, when the United States was in its infancy, Al exander Baranoff, manager of the Russian American Company, planted a settle ment at Sitka. This settle ment was destroyed by Ind ians, but rebuilt in 1804 as New Archangel, the most southerly permanent occupa-. tion of the Russians on North American shores. Baranoff visualized an em pire embracing a large part of the Pacific Coast and established Fort Ross on Bodega Bay, Calif., in 1812. This was to be a Russian mili- oenter and a source of food supplies for the northern col onies. At the same time, the Hud son's Bay Company, a Brit ish fur monopoly with 200 years experience and a gov ernment behind it, had enter ed the rich Columbia river country. The Russians dealt mostly in sea otters and seals; the British company in river beaver and furs of land animals. Both companies operated under government charters and both were monopolies. The Hudson's Bay Company, however, was almost autocra tic in its control and served its own purposes first, its gov ernment second. The Russian company was intimately con nected with its government, being under the jurisdiction of the Russian Department of interior and administered by navel officers. American Annoyance Americans, in 1818, were merely a source of petty an noyance to the business of both monopolies. Russia com plained loudly to the U. S. government that American sea captains traded rifles and ammunition to the Indians, plying them with liquor which they dispensed whole sale. The Hudson's Bay Com pany deplored such traffic, but because of competition, used the same methods, when necessary. Take Course Bruce Grieb ler, 2 2 0 4 South Stage rd., Medford, and R. H. Wedlock, Grants Pass, both of Littrell Parts, Medford, recently re turned from Santa Monica, tary outpost, a fur traiding Calif., where they took a week-long course of training in advances in welding mater ials and techniques. The course was given by the Paci fic Coast regional office of Linde company, division of Union Carbide corporation I. Holiday Night Prices Effective 6 to 9 Tonight Only! FOUNTAIN SPECIAL! Homemade Cake Ice Cream Fresh! Tasty! Homemade cak and ice cream in choice of flavors. 6 to 9 P.M. Monday flight Only YARDAGE SPECIAL! POPLIfl and SAILCLOTH . First quality material in 36 to 40 inch widths. San forized. Make spring and summer sportswear out of these high quality fabrics. Reg. 69c yd. Russia excluded Americans from trading with Russian colonies during the Napol eonic wars, but the Americans persisted in smuggling, and the embargo was ineffective The Hudson's Bay Company now was determined first to put the Americans out of busi ness, if possible with the as sistance of the Russians, and then oust the Russians. The British succeeded in both aims. - ' The American traders had two weaknesses. Their capital was small and they were de pendent for profit on trade with the Russians. The British company re duced prices on goods to the coastal Indians below the American's cost of supply and wooed the Russians with of fers of supplies at lower prices than the Americans were able to match. Fur Desert The British company creat ed a "fur desert" as far as Americans were . concerned and the Americans withdrew The foundation for the downfall of the Russian mo nopoly already had been laid by a treaty signed with Brit ain in 1825 which granted the British the right of free navi gation of the coastal rivers forever. "With sound basis did the directors of the Russian American Company complain in later years that their gov ernment had sacrificed their interests," the author writes, for it had opened the coast al trade to the legalized at tacks of their competitors. Russia thus became a harm less competitor by 1840. Meanwhile, the Americans were moving into this empire overland. The fur trade and settlers mixed like water and oil. Each settler became a po tential trapper or trader and monopoly was broken. The British Company, for a time, tried to forestall this new form of competition by formation of the Pugets Sound Agricultural Company. This subsidiary offered set tlers land, stock and habita tion at extremely reasonable terms. A Hooker in It But the hooker was that the settlers could only lease the land, never own it outright. Besides they were compelled by agreement to assign half of the land's products to the company. "The history of the agricul tural company," the author writes, 'graphically illustrates the defects of a chartered trading monopoly as an in strument for the attainment of political ends." Yet, the; American settlers who came "unassisted" really did not win the disputed terri tory of "54-40 or fight" fame, Galbraith says. "Oregon fev er" of 1846 was a manifesta tion responsible for the Amer ican diplomatic victory in the final boundary dispute. The fact was that the Hud son's Bay Company had to retreat because the settlers ruined the fur business. Lowry To Head Group To Study Education Plans Salem IP) State Sen. Walter J. Pearson, chairman i of the Interim Tax Commit-' tee, has appointed a subcom mittee to study his controver sial "education tax" proposal. Pearson said he had "stir red up a hornet's nest" with the plan and that it deserved some study. The tax would take the: form of a sales tax to finance education and would provide some offset for state income ! or property taxes. Lowry Heads Group Sen. Phil Lowry, Medford, will head the education tax subcommittee. Members will be Pearson, Sen. Rudie Wil- helm, Portland; Rep. Clar ence Barton, Coquille; Rep. John Kerbow, Klamath Falls, and Rep. R. E. Schedeen, Gresham. Peaf son said the tax would save money through closer state supervision . of schools and might enable the state, to set up uniform pay scales for teachers. Hfc said study would be needed to determine just what kind of a sales tax would be needed to pay for educa tion, what credits would be given on state income tax and other problems. . Tax Structures Studied Sen. Wilhelm told the tax committee that his subcom mittee on gift and inheritance taxes, should be able to pre sent its recommendations by May or June. The subcom mittee is currently analyzing inheritance tax structures of Oregon, Washington and Cali fornia. Rep. Barton's subcommit tee on the forest fee and yield tax will devote at least an other session to study of that tax. Some industry representa tives advocated giving ad ministration of the4ax back to the State Forestry Depart ment, but Barton , said he thought the State Tax Com- misison was doing a good job of administering the tax now. The tax committee s next meeting will be in Astoria at a date to be announced. Monday, February 24, 1958 MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE FIVE Five-Cent Stamp Predicted Likely Washington (IP) Senate Republican Leader William Knowland said Saturday there is "a pretty good chance" the Senate will ap prove a temporary five-cent starrm on non-local letters next week. The California!! also told reporters he thinks the pro posed 7V& per cent pay in crease for some 500,000 post al workers will be approved, Probably the hottest floor fight of the session is expect ed to develop Tuesday when the Senate takes up the 750- million-dollar postal rate in crease bill. The main issue, simply stat ed, is whether the old lady in Dubuque should have to pay a nicKie to sena a letter to her cousin Minnie in Chicago. Granite was once a ret hot mass below the earth's surface. 3S1 yJJ Yd$. U 41! Monday Night Only NYLON OR SUEDE CLOTH LADIES GLOVES Your choice of nylon or cot ton suede cloth spring gloves. All white. Sizes. 6 to 8. Reg. $1.00 pr. Special BOY'S RIBBED NECK POLO SHIRTS Full cut, washable, fast color. 100 fine combed cotton. Sizes 4-16. Reg. $1.00. Mon day night only ' j.Ifbmlhnm co. Medford's Bargain Corner Truman Says He Can't Sing The Missouri Waltz single soldier in tne army could sing. ' ' "I always stand at atten tion, for both songs and al ways with regret that I can not appreciate the music of either of them." New York (W Don't get former President Harry S, Truman wrong. It isn't that he doesn't like "The Star SDaneled Banner" or "The Missouri Waltz." It's just that he can't sing them. At least, that's what Tru man told Band Leader Guy Lombardo in a letter replying to a Lombardo complaint. In an appearance on a television show Feb. 2, Tru man said that "The Missouri Waltz" was as bad -as "The Star Spangled Banner" musically. jjomDarao wrote a letter to Truman, and he received one in return, in which Truman said: "I cannot disagree with you that the Missouri Waltz may be a good piece of pop ular music, but in my opinion it is not a proper state song. ! "It is likely that I am Dre- judiced, but we both know that it takes a tenor, a bari tone and a bass to sing the ( i f 1 1 T1 T 1 i star opangieu onuuer. x nave never understood why it was not set to music that every Sixth & Central IT FORMER JUSTICE DIES Poughkeepsie, N. Y. IIP) Former New York State Su preme Court Justice John R. Mack, 83, died at his home here last Saturday. Mack made the nominating speeches for Franklin D. Roosevelt at the Democratic National Con ventions of 1932 and 1936. The Society of Medical Of ficers of Health of Great Brit ain has celebrated its 100th anniversary. Kennedy Suitor Now Seeks Job Havana (IB Dominic Elwes, who flew across the ocean from Britain in a search of a plane to wed pret ty Tessa Kennedy says he is looking for a job to support the young runaway heiress. Elwes said he and Tessa, 19, had moved into a small furnished apartment here and that he hoped to settle down soon with a job. He said he was ."going dot ty" over, attempts to get some ot his money out of England. Elwes, 26, said he had no particular training for any specific job but that he would take almost anything that would allow him to re main in Cuba with his bride. Elwes said he and Tessa have been spending their time with friends, particular ly with wealthy Jorge Suar ez Rivas, stepson of the cur rent Cuban ambassador to Great Britain and an old friend of Tessa's. The couple, who were pre vented from marrying in Brit ain because of the objections of Tessa's parents, flew to Cuba to wed. . Starts Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. HURRY for these tremendous savings now on at PICK'S APPAREL . . . We've gone all out to make this DOLLAR DAY EVENT the most spectacular ever! If Your Credit Is Good . . It's Good at Pick's FUR BLEND ANKLETS Lots of colors ... all sizes 9 to 11. Regular $1.00 Pr. SCOOTS 46 ONLY! Mostly all wool skirts in straight styles ... a few corduroy quilts. Values to 12.95 $2 oo COATS 7 ONLY! 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