Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, August 07, 1958, Image 1

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Medford mail tribune., August 07, 1958, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextMM Ok M JVI Ml IV 53rd year Medford 26 PAGES Irogjimeeirs T Com&iiniiLfle Sttirnke Wage and Travel Clauses Rejected By 6 To 1 Vote Negotiations With Mediator Slated Portland (LTD Members of the Operating Engineers throughout the state have voted 6-1 to continue the more than four week old strike against the Associated General Contractors. The next hope for a settle ment in the dispute lies in ne gotiations today in the office of the federal mediator in Portland. The union voted to reject the wage offer and travel clauses of the proposal, and accepted the working condi tions sections of the offer. Greater Majority Portland members of the union voted last week to re ject those sections of the con tract by an even greater ma jority. The strike-lock-out which has halted more than $400 mil lion worth of heavy construc tion in Oregon and Southwest Washington brought Navy and Air Force representatives to Portland Wednesday to meet with union officials. Both the union and the mil itary refused to reveal what was discussed. Deadline Extended For Entering Fair The entry deadline for 4-H club members wishing to en ter the 4-H county fair has been extended, Glenn Klein, county agent announced to day. Klein said that the exten sion was necessary because several hundred fair premium books, entral blanks, and iden tification buttons apparently did not reach potential en trants. Approximately 400 of the packets have been miss ing for a week, he said. All 4-H club members who have not received their entry blanks are to contact the 4-H extension office in the coun ty courthouse immediately, Klein said. He also requested that persons having extra pre mium books turn them in to him. Boy Treated, Released After Bike Accident Alonzo Everett Alexander, of 33 South Front st., was driver of a Yellow Cab which struck an 8-year-old boy on a bicycle near the intersection of South Grape and Ninth sts. yesterday, according to city police. John Darrell Leavens, 610 South Oakdale ave., was treat ed for cuts and abrasions at Sacred Heart hospital after the accident and released. No citations were issued, police said. National Guard to Hold Series of Sunday Drills Both Medford companies of the Oregon National Guard will begin a series of Sunday drill periods Aug. 10, it was reported today. The units, Company A and Headquarters and Headquart ers company, both of the 1st battalion, 186th infantry, 41st division, will assemble for rollcall at the Medford arm ory at 7:30 a.m., and will spend a full day in the field. Drill activities will center in the Camp White National Guard area, where the com panies will divide into their specialized platoons for train ing. Company cooks will feed the troops lunch in the field. MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 1958 U.S. Broadens Proposal for Emergency Assembly Session United Nations, N.Y. (UPD The United States today broadened its proposal for an emergency session of the U.S. General Assembly to permit a wide-swinging debate on the Middle East. The session would open formally Friday. A U.S. proposal submitted previously to the U.N. Secur ity Council called for an as sembly session to discuss only the plight of Labanon. Today's revision suggested the assem bly consider the situation in both Lebanon and Jordan. The Security Council met, at the request of Russia, in the U.N. headquarters to discuss the U.S. resolution. Also on the agenda was a Soviet pro posal calling for an emer gency convocation of the 81 member assembly to discuss the withdrawal of U.S. .and British troops from the Mid dle East. The U.S. resolution was to be taken up first, and ap peared certain to be approved by the 11-member Security Council. There can be no veto in the voting. Soviet Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev dumped .the Mid dle East issue into the lap of the General Assembly in a sudden shift in tactics, appar ently a result of his talks with Chinese Communist leader Mao Tse-tung in Peiping last week. In so doing, Khrushchev re jected Anglo-American pro posals for a summit ' meeting within the council which he denounced as a tool of the United States. But Soviet and Red Chinese propaganda machines were go ing all out to put the blame on the West for torpedoing the summit talks. The official Communist Party newspaper Pravda asserted Russia "has emphasized that -in the pres ent tense situation the swift summoning of a conference of the heads of government at a summit level is particularly necessary." Red Chinese newspapers supported Khrushchev's oppo sition to a summit-council meeting and criticized the United States for insisting the assembly should discuss its resolution ahead of the Soviet resolution demanding with drawal of U-S. and British troops from Lebanon and Jordan. There were signs, mean time, in Washington and Mos cow that the "crisis" atmos- Baseball AMERICAN LEAGUE Washington ...... 4 8 C Boston 8 11 1 Griggs, Clevenger (2), Valenlineiii (7) and Court ney, Sullivan and While. NATIONAL LEAGUE Pittsburgh 2 7 0 Milwaukee 3 6 2 Friend and Foiles; Spahn and Crandall. The Sunday drills, insti tuted throughout the state for many Guard units, will last until 5 p.m., and will be the equivalent of two of the week night drill periods, with the men being paid for two drills. It is reported they will be held twice each month, in place of the four week-night drills of the past. After the Aug. 10 drill, the next is scheduled for Aug. 24. Reason for changing to the Sunday full day was not an nounced by state Guard head quarters, but it is believed the full day is thought to be more effective for training purposes than the short week ly drill periods. 1 Decft phere in the Middle East was dissipating. The U.S. Navy disclosed it had called off the four-hour "alert" put into effect in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets immediately after the Anglo American troop landings in Lebanon and Jordan. And in Moscow, Soviet newspapers published a re port from the Ministry of De 'Oh, Great! That's All I Needed" Convention Set for Judge Nomination A non-partisan nominating convention, to choose a can didate for Jackson county judge, will be held here in two weeks, it was announced today. . Several members of the legal profession in Medford announced they are sponsor ing the ' movement. It is de signed to insure that there will be a legitimate candidate for the post in the event pros pective court actions rules out DA Can Take No Action in Case The district attorney's of fice can take no further action in the disputed nomination of Robert G. Danielson as dis trict judge, District Attorney Thomas Reeder said this morning. Reeder explained that the only proper proceedings which his office can take in such a case are in the nature of "quo warranto." He re ceived the written opinion of the state supreme court this morning in which the court rejected a bid by him to have it decide, which, if either, of the candidates for district judge here had been nomin ated. "I have no standing to pursue the matter in circuit court in light of the supreme court's opinion," Reeder stat ed. "The only remedy left is for the parties themselves to file some proceedings in cir cuit court." The supreme court ruled yesterday that proceedings in the nature of quo warranto are limited to disputes of the right of a man already hold ing a public office to hold the position. Therefore,' it rea soned, the district attorney's action was premature because Judge James Main's right to hold office is not being contested. Price 1 0 cents Tribune No. 119 fense announcing the conclu sion of military maneuvers in the Caucasus and Turkestan which border on Turkey and Iran. The maneuvers began July 18 at the height of the Middle East crisis. Under United Nations rules, an emergency session of the assembly must be convened within 24 hours after the coun cil votes such a calL E. Roy Bashaw, Medford, or Robert G. Danielson, Ashland, as candidates. (The two were on the pri mary election ballot, but the status of each is uncertain due to Danielson's having moved from the county prior to the election, then receiving .the most votes.) Nominating Convention It was explained that a nominating convention of at least 250 registered voters can make . a nomination for the position. Efforts will be made to attract at least that many people to the meeting, which will be held in the Esquire theater, 416 East Main st., at 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21. If court action determines that either Bashaw or Daniel son is a legal candidate, the convention candidate will not be eligible to be on the ballot, sponsors stated. But they declared the re sult of court action is uncer tain at present, and that for the sake of the integrity of the courts, one legitimate can didate should be presented. Otherwise, they said, a write in campaign would be the only way to select a district judge. Legal notices calling the convention will be published in : Jackson county's three newspapers tomorrow. They include the names of 30 elec tors, five in excess of the required number, who are official sponsors of the meet ing. The movement was spear headed by several Medford attorneys. Little Girl Drowns In River at Dunsmuir Dunsmuir, Calif. " ' (UPD Victoria Anne Youell, three-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford L. Youejl of Sac ramento, Calif., was swept to her death in the Sacramento river here Wednesday afternoon. Hoffa Promises To Restore Money To Welfare Fund Pledge Follows Perjury Suit Threat Washington flJPD Teamster President James Hoffa, threat ened with possible perjury action,' promised the Senate Rackets Committee today he would restore part of the money paid to a prize fighter from union welfare funds. Hoffa pledged the repay ment after Chairman John L. McClellan (D-Ark.) called for a Justice Department inves tigation of possible perjury in the testimony Hoffa gave to the committee last year. Call for Ouster , At the same time, commit tee members called for the ouster of Teamster Vice Presi dent Owen (Bert) Brennan, because of his alleged asso ciations with gangsters and criminals. Hoffa's original story came into direct conflict today with testimony by former heavy weight Embrel Davidson who told the committee he receiv ed a $75 weekly salary from the Teamster welfare fund while working for Brennan, who was his manager. The perjury question arose when McClellan said conflicts between Hoffa's testimony of last fall and that of fighter Davidson today necessitated a Justice Department investiga tion to "determine who per jured himself." "Definitely, such conflicts could hardly be any misun derstanding," McClellan said. He also observed that the records appeared to back up the story Davidson gave the committee today. , Someone Lying "Either Davidson perjured himself or Hoffa was not tell ing the truth when he testi fied before," McClellan said. Migratory Labor Hearing Set Aug. 18 The state interim commit tee on migratory labor will hold a public hearing at the Jackson county courthouse, Medford, at 1:30 p.m. Mon day, Aug. 18, to gather in formation concerning migra tory labor in this area. v Information gathered will concern the use of and the need for migratory labor in this area, conditions of em ployment and working condi tions, housing and sanitary conditions, educational oppor tunities, welfare and health services, community services and any other information of interest to the committee. Rep. Don Willner is chair man of the group. Committee members who are expected to attend the hearing here in clude Sen. Truman A. Chase, vice chairman; the Rev. Dan iel W. Wessler, secretary; and Dr. Hoyt C. Franchere. ield To Attend GOP Roundup Here Secretary of State Mark Hatfield, Republican candi date for governor, will attend the Republican Roundup at Hawthorne park Monday, Aug. 18, James M. Ragland, general chairman of the roundup, has announced. The Roundup is being spon sored by the Young Republi can club, Jackson County Re publican Women's club and the Jackson County Republi can Central committee. A barbecued chicken dinner will be served at the 6:30 p.m. picnic, with Arthur Van Leeuwen in charge, Ragland said. Those who wish may supply their own . dinners. Tickets for the chicken din ner may be obtained from pre cinct committeemen and wom en, from members of the spon soring organizations, or 'at Robinson Brothers store, 114 East Main st., Medford. Dinner music and enter tainment are planned. Camp White Man Hurt In Scooter Accident Floyd Henson White, box 391, Camp White, suffered serious head injuries Wednes day night when' his motor scooter overturned on High way 62 between Hilton rd. and Delta Waters id., city police reported. - White was taken to Sacred Heart hospital, by Medford Ambulance service where his condition was later described as poor. 'Human uspeot m Arson Case Witness Tells of Seeing Fire Set At Cleaning Plant Missing Uncle 'Definite Suspect' Pontiac, Mich (UPD Human torch Frank Kierdorf died to day at St. Joseph Mercy Hos pital only hours after police produced a witness who saw a Flint arson job on which he was believed to have been burned. Doctors said Kierdorf 's heart apparently stopped beat ing at 8:25 a.m. (p.s.t.) but he wasn't pronounced dead until 8:30 a.m. The 56-year-old ex-convict who was business agent for a Flint Teamsters Union local, staggered into the hospital early Monday with burns over 85 per cent of his body. He said he had been turned into a human torch by two un identified men who "took me for a ride," but police have been breaking down his story piece by piece. ' Witness in Custody State Attorney General Paul Adams today confirmed that police had in protective custody a witness to the ex plosive burning of a dry clean; ing establishment at Flint. He also disclosed that Kier dorf's missing uncle, Herman Kierdorf, was a "definite sus pect" in the arson job. Adams said that a half hour before Kierdorf died the vic tim apparently roused from his coma and tried to raise his arms and speak. But he was not able to talk. ' "I don't think Kierdorf made an honest statement at any time since he arrived at the hospital," Adams said. Davidson; billed as a mys tery witness, told the com mittee he drew $75 a week from the teamster welfare fund while working for Brennan. Committee Counsel Robert F. Kennedy quoted from the transcript of Hoffa's testimony last fall in which the Team ster leader said Davidson got no money from the union. "Then that wasn't true, was it?" Davidson was asked. "Like I said, I got a check every week for '$75," the for mer Negro boxer replied. Kennedy said Hoffa testi fied that he and Brennan owned Davidson's contract in 1952-53 and that most of his fights were in the Detroit area. Council To Approve One-Way Couplet The Medford city council is expected to give official authority to the Main st. Eighth st. couplet at its meet ing tonight. The couplet is scheduled to go into effect tomorrow morn ing, but a prior city ordinance is required. Other business on the coun cil agenda for tonight's, meet ing, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the city hall council cham ber, includes a report on the City Sanitary Service rate in crease reauest: and considera tion of declaring the neces sity of acquiring property tor the Eiehth st. extension be tween Riverside ave. and Bear creek, in case current negotia tions with property owners fail. Accident Victim Taken to Portland ; Donald Glenn Schrag, 27, of route 4, box 447B, Medford, was taken to the Veterans Ad ministration hospital at Port land at 10:30 a.m. today by Portland Air ambulance. Schrag, who was injured in an automobile accident July 11, has been at Rogue Valley hospital in critical condition since that time, it was report ed. Schrag was still unconsci ous at the time of his transfer to the Portland hospital, offi cials said. The patient was the driver of a car involved in an acci dent with a station wagon on Culver rd. a half mile from Phoenix. Four other persons were injured in the accident. Torch' 'TORCH DIES Frank Kierdorf, Teamster Union official who was burned over, 85 per cent of his body Monday, died in a Pontiac, Mich., hospital today. He is shown here being questioned in the hospital. Police believe Kierdorf might have been involved in the burning of a dry cleaning plant. He had claimed that he was set upon by two mysterious men and his clothes ignited. Police have found numerous loop holes in his story. . , Couplet To (Open City officials received final word from the state highway department today authorizing the Main St. Eighth st. couplet to be opened tomorrow at 7 a.m. Effective at that lime traffic will be routed, on Main St., one-way west from Riverside ave., to Elm St.; on Eighth St., one-way east from Elm st.' to Riverside ave.; on Elm st., one-way south from Main st. to Eighth it. Traffic signs and signals have been installed to con trol the couplet's operation. City police plan to patrol the streets closely, according to Lt. Rollie Pean. . Seasonal Increase Noted in Area Jobs Some seasonal increase in employment was noted dur ing July, according to John J. Patton, manager of the Medford office of the state employment service. Job openings increased over June, he said, but did not reach the level of a year ago. There were more clerical and professional job oppor tunities but the demand for unskilled help was somewhat lower than usual, he added. . Employment' in Jackson county at the end of July had declined from the June level when large numbers of stu dents were entering the labor market. There were an esti mated 878 ' unemployed at the end of July, compared to 920 at the end of June. The estimated unemployed July 31, 1957, was 800, and at the end of June a year ago, there were an estimated 1,150 un employed in the county. Basis for Estimates . Unemployment estimates are based on those who are regularly on the labor mar ket, Patton noted, and do not include transients or those seeking temporary employ ment in the fruit harvest. - A labor dispute involving operating engineers halted construction work on the' Tal ent project, Patton noted,' but men. involved in labor dis putes cannot draw unemploy ment compensation benefits while the dispute is in pro gress. The shutdown caused layoffs of persons not directly involved in the strike, and some of those filed claims for compensation keeping the to tal higher than usual . this time of the year. . ' Pear and peach thinning WEATHER FORECAST: Partly cloudy to night and Friday. Low tonight 60. A little cooler Friday with high near 90. - Temp. Highest Yesterday 98 Lowest this Morning 60 Our Skies Tonight Sunset today 7:25 p.m. Sunrise tomorrow 5:10 a.m. The Moon, at Last Quar- - ter .-. . 9:48 a.m., rises tonight at 11:25 p.m. PROMINENT STARS Arcturus, in the west 9:46 p.m. Antares, low in , south- . . west - 10:59 p.m. The conteUation, Libra (the Scales) in the southwest at 9:21 p.m., is found between the above two stars. lies; were completed during July, and picking started the last couple days of the month. The main harvest will not get un der way until this month, Pat ton noted. All state employ ment offices are cooperating in a program designed to re cruit sufficient domestic help to complete the pear harvest. No Mexican Nationals ' No. Mexican nationals are in the area at this time, Pat ton pointed out, and none will be used as long, as the supply of domestic help proves ade quate to do the job. When the harvest gets into full swing he noted, the local unemployment is expected to go to a low level. Not every one will be able' to work in the harvest, since ladder work is too heavy for most women and teenage youths. The lumber and plywood industries increased activity last month, and with whole sale prices increasing employ ment in the lumber industries should remain steady at least for the immediate future. Work opportunities in gener al, he said, should increase steadily throughout August, and are expected to remain at a high level until the second half of September. Donors Needed to Give Blood for Operation Six more donors are needed for blood, for a 4V-year-old girl who will under go open heart surgery in Portland next week,- the Jackson county chapter of the American Red Cross said today. - . . The local chapter is spon soring the operation, and 30 pints of blood will be needed, Red Cross officials said. Blood will be flown to Portland im mediately after .drawing at 12:15 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12. Persons who have B posi tive type blood, and who have donated within the past year may register as donors, the Red Cross said. A total of 40 donors 'are needed to assure 30 pints, officials said. The blood will be drawn just prior to the regular visit of the Bloodmobile here Tues day. The Bloodmobile will be at the Red Cross office, 60 Nine Entombed Below Decks in Blazing Vessel Crash Occurs at Entrance To Bay Newport, R. I. (UPD Two tankers, one loaded with a million gallons of choline,, crashed in flames in thick fog today, killing at least 15 men and injuring 36. At noon (8 .m. p.s.t.), five hours after the collision, nine bodies were found entombed below decks in the larger of the two ships. Six other men died when they leaped into . the fiery sea after the collision off Fort Adams. Of the injured, 31 were held in hospitals,for treatment and five were released. Several of the hospitalized were report ed in critical condition from burns. The ships, the 10,000-ton S. S. Guilfoil out or Philadel phia, and the coastal tanker S. S. Graham, collided in a half-mile channel at the en trance to Narragansett Bay. The collision occurred with in sight of the still-beached wreckage of the Norwegian freighter Vebteville, which ran aground last September. Captain Dies With Ship The Guilfoil skipper, Capt. M. Eden, Port Arthur, Tex., perished with his ship, which later went aground off Fort Adams. Flames and smoke spewed from both vessels five hours after the collision, punc tuated by a rocking explosion. The Graham burned fierce ly at the southern tip of Rose Island in Newport harbor. At one time, the heat was so in tense that fireboats could not get near the vessel and it had to be towed off the shore. The Graham carried a crew of 12'. Engineer Melvin J. Wroten, aboard the fully-loaded Gra ham, said "it was like a stick of dynamite. It was awful ( and it was beautiful and, oh my God, I lived through it." Wroten was the last to leave the Graham with Capt. Karl. Anderson, Chester, Pa. He said the fire flashed along the port side of the ship, then gasoline-fed flames licked to the starboard side where the men were attempting to launch a lifeboat. . "We all ran forward," he said "and dove into the water. By the time the lifeboat hit, it was all aflame. But most of the men were calm and all but one boy wore' lifejackets. I got to him a few minutes after we .were in the water. Fire Everywhere "Fire . was everywhere. I didn't even see the other ship." Wroten said it was "like watching my home go boom." He said after he was picked up by a coast guard boat, "I sat down on the deck and just shook. There was noth ing else to do." Geyserof Water Comes from Break ; A 40-foot geyser of water burst from a broken main at the intersection of Mae and Stevens sts. early this morn ing, city police reported. The city water department reported that service was re stored , shortly after 10 a.nu The eight-inch pipe served ap proximately 15 customers along Stevens st., according to Robert L. Lee, water super intendent. '' "We believe the break was caused by defective pipe," Lee said. He described it as a "watermelon split," six to eight feet in length. Hawthorne ave., between 1 and 6 p.m., with a quota of 290 pints. Those who have thus far donated blood for the special drawing include John Flagg, Douglas Gordenier, Mrs. Les ter Harris, Mildred Main, Dale Flowers,-John Hensen, Fran cis Kirk, Mrs. Oscar Nord strom, Mrs. Ethel Schulz, Bert Staats Jr., Milton Acker, Mrsl Nelda Bristiin, Sam Colton; Victor J. David, Thomas W-" Dugan, Joan Driscoll, Leon F. Offenbacher, Anne Palmer, C A. Rasmussen, Allen Sterton, Thelma Tolles; Lindsay Vin sel, Patricia Watson, Mrs. Thelma Williams, Robert Ste--vens, Elinor . Cheney, J. V. Marshall, Charles Offenbach er, Mary Moffett, Kermit Greenwood, -Vernetta Brain-erd.-Gale Culy, Thelma Edi son, and Darrell Davis.