Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, January 22, 1959, Image 1

Historic Oregon Newspapers

Medford mail tribune., January 22, 1959, Image 1

Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR

About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 22, 1959)

Page of 24 Next Prev Issue Next Text PDF JP2 (4.7 MB) Clip/Print Image

Return to Top

Page of 24 Next Prev Issue Next

Newspaper Page Textiu la mm MODS T r" DM Nooimei Hxdftedos Tools S'taft 53rd Year Medford 24 PAGES Ike Urges GOP To Stop Acting Like Dozing Elephant White House Asked To Do the Same - Des Moines, Iowa-flJPB-Pres- ident Eisenhower called on the Republican party today to stop acting like a sleeping elephant between election campaigns. Rep. Richard M. Simpson (R-Pa.) immediately snapped back with a demand that the White House do the same. Simpson, chairman of the GOP Congressional Campaign committee, was given a round of applause by Republican Na tional committee members who have long felt that the President was too indifferent toward political activity. Must Tell Nation Eisenhower also told the National committee that the GOP must immediately tell the nation what it stands for in terms' of long-range goals. Simpson asked the White House to take the lead in that project, too. The President's suggestions for a GOP comeback plan to recoup from the defeats of 1958 were contained in a mes sage to the opening session of the committee's two-day meet ing. Vice President Richard M. Nixon also telegraphed the meeting that the party must campaign on a year-round basis. Simpson said his campaign committee was already at work writing a Declaration of Republican principles. t Hibernating Elephant Cued to Alcorn's demand that the GOP must begin cam paigning1 on a year-round ba sis, Eisenhower, told the com mittee: "I deeply regret that, some people look upon our party as a kind of hibernating ele phant who wakes with ". a mighty trumpet blast at elec tion time and then rests calm ly until the next campaign. "Political activity must be a matter of unremitting ef fort. It must go on 365 days a year if we are to maintain the vitality that has made our nation great." Public Hearing Set by Planners A public hearing on a zone change request for property on East Jackson st. near Gen essee st. to permit limited commercial use is slated for a special Medford planning commission meeting tonight. The planners, scheduled to convene at 7:30 p.m. in the city hall council chamber, are also to consider granting tentative approval .to the Blossom Hill Terrace subdi vision plat, presented by Mark Goldy. The hearing concerns prop erty currently zoned for resi dential use on the north side of Jackson st. A branch of the Rogue Valley State bank would be erected if the zone change is approved, inform ed sources indicated today. The council must also pass on the request if the planners recommend its approval. The proposed subdivision submitted by Goldy would be situated at Crater Lake ave. and Buckshot rd. 'Alfalfa' Switzer, Former Child Film Star, Slain North Hollywood, Calif. -IUPD- Carl (Alfalfa) Switzer, 31, the freckled face child ac tor in the old "Our Gang" movies was shot' and killed Wednesday night in a wild battle over a $50 debt. His former business partner was booked on suspicion of mur der today. Shot in Stomach Switzer, known to his friends as Alfalfa, the char acter he played in the old series currently being re-run across the nation on television as "The Little Rascals," was shot in the stomach by M. S. (Bud) Stiltz, 38, police reported. MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 1959 Recreation Added to Uses In Bear Greek Sub-Basin The state water resources board agreed here yesterday that recreation can be a beneficial use of water in the Bear creek, Applegate river and Little Butte creek sub- basins. The board, meeting in the Jackson, county courthouse auditorium, voted . to include this use for the three sub-basins in recommending its over all Rogue River Basin pro gram to the Legislature. It also asked State Engin eer Lewis A. Stanley to turn down for an indefinte period any future requests for Bear creek water rights for irriga tion. Stanley said he would issue an order to this effect today. Proposed Program Recreation, in the board's proposed pfogram presented to the public here yesterday morning, was considered a beneficial use only for . the other four sub-basins in the Rogue system - the Upper, Middle and Lower Rogue riv er and the Illinois river. But after discussion at that 'session and during the noon recess, the board agreed it should be included for all seven sub-basins. Other beneficial uses rec ommended for Bear creek are domestic, municipal, industry, irrigation, wildlife and. fish life. Not recommended are power, mining and pollution abatement. v Stanley stated that exclud ing additional Bear creek ir rigation water rights would protect the needs of the Med ford and Rogue River Valley irrigation districts. All Appropriated He said that Bear creek's water is "100 per cent appro priated" now, and that the ad ditional water expected after completion of the Talent rec lamation project would sup ply rights already existing. The irrigation districts served by Bear creek hold rights, it is understood, to con siderably more water than what has been available to them. Granting future rights, of ficials explained yesterday, would lead to one of two things. If those granted the rights were to receive water, it could mean an encroach ment on prior claims. Other wise, granting more rights would lead to confusion and an increased administrative burden. Stored Water Stanley explained, however, that the moratorium on future rights would not apply to stored water in Bear creek's tributaries. .Board members assured the audience that their proposal to rescind or amend existing legal restrictions on Rogue basin water use would not in terfere with rights now in ef fect. DOW-JONES AVERAGES New York-OJPD-Dow-Jonet final stock averages: 30 in dustrials 595.69; off L97; 20 railroads 166.17. off 1.07, 15 utilities 92.02. off 0.49. and 65 stocks 207.70. off 0.90. Sales today were about 4,250.000 shares compared with 3.940.000 shares Wed nesday. Stiltz, a welder, said the for mer juvenile star who in re cent years was down on his luck and had several run-ins with the law was threatening him with a knife when he shot him. Violent Argument The two men got into a vio lent argument over the debt which arose over a bill invov ing a reward for the finding of Stiltz's missing dog. Switzer drew a knife and screamed, "I'm going to kill you, you s.o.b." Stiltz said. "I took the gun away from Alfalfa and he threw the knife at me," Stiltz said. "That's when I shot him." - Bill Jess, president of the Rogue Basin Flood Control and Water Resources associa tion, asked the board why it did not .include power as a beneficial use for the Apple gate sub-basin. A board member replied that power use "is not consid ered economically feasible on the Applegate as far as we know." This statement, it is understood, is based on a re cent finding of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 'which is currently conducting a second study of the Rogue. Pollution Abatement The board recommends that pollution abatement be ex cluded from beneficial uses for Rogue basin water since Site Announced For New Junior High in Ashland Ashland The site selected this week for a new junior high school in Ashland is lo cated east of Walker ave. be tween the Southern Pacific tracks and East Main st., ac cording to Stanley Jobe, sup erintendent of the Ashland schools. The 22-acre site is located about 300 feet northeast of the first site selected, he said, which is being considered by Southern Oregon college for future expansion. Surveys and appraisals will start immediately, Jobe said. Iowa st. would be extended from Wightman st. to Walker ave., he added, to provide bet ter access. Six Property Owners Jobe said the six property owners who have acreage in the area have been contacted. Purchase of the land and construction of a new junior high school building would be financed by a bond issue, which will be placed before school district patrons as soon as specifications and informa tion regarding bonds is pre pared. The proposed site is in the southern part of the city, Jobe said, since the city apparently is growing in that direction. The school board began con sideration of a new junior high school after the top floor of- the present building was closed by the state fire mar shal. . Architect for the new struc ture is Wayne Struble, Med ford, an associate of James Payne, Salem. Gibbon Rd. Home Destroyed by Fire Central Point - A one-bedroom house, owned and oc cupied by Mr. and Mrs. George Silvers, on Gibbon rd.. was destroyed by fire this morning. Central Point rural fire men, summoned about 5:30 a.m., found only the shell of the house remaining when they arrived. The front of the structure appeared to have been more involved in flames. A. neighbor turned in the alarm after hearing a crack ling sound and noting the light from the blaze. The Silvers were not at home at the time of the fire, firemen said. Fourteen firemen answered the alarm with two pumper trucks and two tankers. . Union Woodworkers Strike at North Bend North Bend, Ore. (UPD About 780 members of Local 7261, International Wood workers of America, went on strike against Weyerhaeuser Timber Company here today in a dispute over firing of a worker. Washington TOPD The Army will draft 8,000 men in March, the Defense Depart ment has announced. Price 10 Cents Tribune No. 261 the water supply is limited and other uses should take precedence. But members stated yester day that this did not imply pollution would be tolerated. "We intend," Robert Root, member from Medford, said: "that pollution be stopped be fore it gets to the stream ra ther than use river water to dilute it." Two primary and five sec ondary sewage treatment plants are currently operating in. the Rogue basin, some of them at or near capacity, ac cording to the board's find ings. "Many of those plants are not operating at peak effic iency," Root commented. Caused by Industries Asked about prevention of pollution caused by indus tries such as paper mills-, John D. Davis, chairman of the board, replied: "Under our proposed program, indus try would come in on our terms or not come in at all." He said "a great many re cent developments in effluent treatment" make it possible for such industries to oper ate without polluting the river water. Col. D. H. Barber, McLeod, said continuous policing would be necessary to enforce requirements for such treat ment. "I don't think a law to prevent something happening will prevent its happening all the time," Col. Barber said. Endorses Recommendation The board . formally en dorsed its recommendations for the . Rogue basin in the afternoon session. Root, chairman of its pro gram committee, said the board would now seek legis lative action through a hear ing before the House state and federal affairs committee in Salem.' If no legislator submits the recommended program as a bill by Feb. 2, he said, it could be submitted as either a bill at the board"s request or a committee bill. Frondizi .To Tell Oi Economic Plans Washington -(UPD- Argen tine President Arturo Fron dizi was to outline his coun try's economic plans to Presi dent Eisenhower today. Frondizi's White House call was the only "business" ses sion scheduled with Eisen hower during his current four day state visit to Washington. Argentina .last month re ceived $329 million in cred its from the U. S. and the International Monetary Fund. Frondizi was to tell the Pres idetn the role the credits play in stabilizing the Argentine economy. Miners Believed Trapped by Water Pittston, Pa. -(UPD- Rising waters of the Susquehanna river broke into an anthracite mine of the Knox Coal Co., at nearby Port Blanchard to day About 30 men were be lieved trapped, police said. "The whole river just poured in," police said. '('The water is coming up through the shaft. We don't know just how many miners were down there but it appears to be about 30. It looks pretty bad.". WEATHER FORECAST: Cloudy with occa sional light rain tonight and Friday. Low tonight 38. High Friday 52. Temp. Highest Yesterday 41 Lowest This Morning 36 Prec. to 10 a.m. Today, Trace Our Skies Tonight Snnset today 5.11 p.m. Sunrise tomorrow 7:34 a.m. Moonset tomorrow 6:23 a.m. Full Moon Jan. 24 PROMINENT STAR Sirius, in the southeast 7:51 p.m. VISIBLE PLANETS Venus, sets .6:16- p.m. 7:24 p.m. . 3:20 sum. . 6:07 a.m. Mars, high in south Jupiter, rises Saturn, rises TODAY In Oregon History (A Centennial Feature) JAN. 22, 1856 Josephine county was this day created by the Territor ial Legislature, and includes a part of western Jackson county. The county is named for Josephine Rol lins, daughter of the discov erer of gold on the creek that also ' bears her name. Kirbyville is to be county seat. Pedestrian Killed When Struck by Car on Biddle rd. Charles Delbert Miller, 83, of 1358 Biddle rd., was killed Wednesday at 5:45 p.m. when he was struck by an automo bile on Biddle rd. between McAndrews rd. and Morrow rd., according to city police. Miller, who was walking on the highway at the time of the accident, is the third traffic fatality in the county in as many days, and the first within the city this year. Operator of the vehicle, police said, was Claud Walter Hoover, 43, of 315 Erie st., Medford. He told police that he was traveling south on Biddle rd. when he saw something "flash" on the side of the road. He said the pedestrian appeared in front of the right fender and he was unable to stop in time to avoid hit ting the man. Miller was reported to have been wearing dark clothing at the time of the accident. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Conger Morris, funeral directors. Kenneth Williams Dies at G. Pass Grants Pass- (DPD -Kenneth Roy (Ken) Williams, 68, a veteran of 14 seasons of major league baseball and one of the great sluggers of his time, died at his home today. Williams had been under treatment for a heart condi tion for several years. Williams', who spent 10 years with the' St. Louis Browns, was named a mem ber of the all-time St. Louis all-star team in 1957. In 1922 he batted .332 in 153 games and led the American league in home runs with 39. A native of Grants Pass, Williams is survived by his widow, Ethel M. Williams, and two sons, Ken Williams of Santa Clara, Calif., and Jack Williams of La Puente, Calif. Bids Opened for Sanitary Sewer Job Warren H. Conrad, Med ford contractor, is apparent low bidder for constructing a sanitary sewer on Temple dr. from Crater Lake ave. to Gary st., Medford public works of ficials reported today. Conrad's bid, $4,798, is 14.5 per cent over the engineer's estimate of $4,190.35, officials said. Bids were opened at city hall this morning. ' Other reported bidders in clude Frank Kanehl, $5,323; R. A. Heintz Construction company, $5,305.25; M. C. Lininger and Sons, $7,900.25 and F. L. Somers, $7,188. Kanehl and Heintz are from Portland. Lininger and Som ers are Medford contractors. Juveniles Returned On Car Theft Charge A 15-year-old Gold Hill boy and a 16-year-old Rogue River youth were returned to Jack son county Wednesday by sheriffs deputies from Mad ras on charges 'of grand lar ceny of an automobile. The boys appeared in' dis trict court this morning, and were remanded, to 4he Juve nile court. , Vs Portland-DPD-Bids will be opened next Monday for a new National Guard Armory in Oswego. Salem-TOPD-A bill scheduled for introduction in the Ore gon House -would protect newsmen from penalty for de clining to identify news sources. Throng Screams Approval as Castro Speaks fiewsmen From 22 Countries Gather Havana -UPD-Cuba and its colorful capital of Havana seethed with excitement today over the start of the "war crime" trials of more , than 600 Batistianos in Havana's Cabana Prison fortress across the bay from Old Havana. Any doubt the populace was solidly behind the "revo lutionary justice" of Fidel Castro almost vanished yes terday afternoon when a crowd of nearly one million persons scramed their approv al and cheered wildly at everything Castro said. Global Publicity The Havana trials will be conducted in the full glare of global publicity and almost 400 newsmen from 22 coun tries were in Havana to see them start and to hear per sonally from Castro as he answers world-wide criticism at a news conference today. The influx of newsmen rep resenting newspapers, maga zines, television, radio and newsreels was spotlighting the trials and executions in an unparalleled manner. The wraps were off-there is no longer censorship and news men are free to write any thing they like. Havana meanwhile was slowly recovering some of its traditional gaiety. An indica tion was Wednesday's mass meeting at the Presidential Palace when the enormous crowd waved banners, sang the national anthem and shouted "viva Fidel" at the top of their lungs. Fight for View They fought for a close-up view of Castro in a spectacu lar demonstration of hero worship. They cheered madly as he arrived at the palace in an army : helicopter and began speaking to them. His remarks dealing with a free and democratic Cuba of the future were punctuated with thunderous applause. Scores of women and men fainted in the above 90 degree heat as they milled about in front of the palace. U. S. Stands Ready To Resume A-Tesfs Washington (DPD The United States is ready to re sume above-ground tests of nuclear bombs "in a relatively short time" if the talks at Geneva on banning atom test ing collapse. It may set off underground blasts in any case. Chairman John A. McCone of the Atomic Energy com mission told a news confer-: ence that the testing grounds in the Pacific and in Nevada both are being kept ready.. The U. S. has promised not to test atomic weapons for one year from the start of the Geneva talks Oct. 31 unless Russia does. President Eisen hower in effect extended this voluntary ban another eight months when he asked no money or tests in his budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. .But McCone told, reporters yesterday that he thinks this country will set off some un derground atomic blasts dur ing the new fiscal year to test the peaceful uses of nuclear explosives. , The AEC wants to find out if underground atom explo sions can be used for such peaceful purposes as tapping buried oil reserves, digging harbors and loosening ores. Money for such tests is in the budget. Somers Low Bidder On Eighth St. Work F. L. Somers, Medford con tractor, was low bidder for constructing an embankment for the Eighth st. extension from Bear creek to the Boy Scouts' headquarters,' Med ford officials said today. Bids were opened at 11 a.m. Somers' bid of $4,900 equaled the engineer's esti mate for the project. Other bidders include M. C. Linin ger and Sons, Medford, $5,600, and Tru-Mix Concrete company, Medford, $7,350. Springfield-TOPD-Jack Live ly, Springfield, a member of the Oregon Centennial Com mission, has been honored as the "senior outstanding citi zen" of the city. "Why Don't You End The Cold War?' Duncan Assures No Railroading Attempt Due in Legislature Salem -(DPD- House Speaker Robert Duncan today assured Gov. Mark Hatfield that the Legislature would not railroad a program through before the governor had a chance to pre sent his views. Duncan wrote Hatfield: I assure you we are not only willing but are indeed anxious to consider any rec- ommendations you may have on budgetary problems, tax problems or. any other of the myriad propositions which we have to consider." Duncan (D-Medford) noted there had been some press criticism lately of the speed at which the Legislature was moving. The speaker said he thought it was "perfectly legitimate" to handle business promptly, but denied any railroading attempts As a first order of business Duncan did ask Hatfield to declare his position on a re quest of the Oregon Centen nial Commission for $2,046, 000 to finance this year's Centennial celebration, Several hearings have been held on the Centennial budget and Duncan said Hatfield's position on the matter, was not clear from his inaugural address. "We would appreciate it greatly if you would tell us promptly whether or not you consider this request to be essential," Duncan said. The secretary of state's of fice is now auditing books of the Commission and Duncan suggested that the State De partment of Finance and Ad ministration be given finan cial control over any money appropriated to the Commis sion. .. Rep. Clarence Barton (D-Co-quille) chairman of the House Tax committee, said he had no intention of railroading any bills through. No bills will be reported out for at least three weeks," Shift in Rackets Committee Rumored Washington (UPD A group of Democratic senators was reported today to be plotting to dump some Republican members of -the bipartisan Senate Rackets committee. The committee - now com posed of four Democrats and four Republicans met be hind closed doors to discuss the reports. Sen. Karl E. Mundt (R-S.D.), ranking Republican on the group, has told GOP senators that some Democrats have launched a backstage drive to give their party a majority on the committee. An aide said Chairman John McClellan (D-Ark.) had heard similar rumors. Mc Clellan, however, was said to want to retain the current committee lineup. House Approves Legislature Money balem (DPD The Oregon House today passed unani mously a bill appropriating up to $1,250,000 to pay the expenses of the 1959 Legisla ture. The last regular session of the Legislature in 1957 cost $1,076,000. Sheridan -(DPD-Henry Lind say, Wulamina, was Kinea Wednesday when a pile of lumber fell on him while he was working at a mill in near by Grande Ronde. - mH Mmwnr- TIT Barton said, although hearings on bills will continue. He said he expected at least part of Hatfield's tax program by about Feb. 15. Earlier, House and Senate minority leaders had urged the Democratic majority to "go slow" until Hatfield could get his budget recommenda tions ready. With the secretary of state crisis settled by the State Supreme Court, the Legisla ture was working in a calmer atmosphere today. Orr Reappointed to Legion Commission Eugene Orr, Medford, has been reappointed to a three- year third term to the nation al rehabilitation commission of the American Legion. He planned to leave today for Long Beach, Calif ., to at tend a conference of Ameri can Legion officials, Veterans administration representatives from Washington, D.C., and VA representatives from the area. Findings of the conference will be sent to the national meeting in March, which Orr also plans to attend in Wash ington, D.C. Delegates to the Long Beach conference and the meeting in Washington are expected to discuss veterans' hospitalization and better uses of VA hospitals. Orr said the American Legion will place more emphasis on hospital care and less on pen sions. Bomarc Base at Camp Adair Planned Portland (UPD Plans for a Bomarc missile installation at Camp Adair, costing some $40 million, were outlined here Wednesday by an official of the Boeing Aircraft Company. K. K. McDaniel, Bomarc ex pert for Boeing, said funds for buildings should be available for 1960 and that money for installation of electronic gear and the missiles would be available in 1961. Cost of the project is about the same as that of the SAGE-Semi-Automatic Ground En-vironment-now going in at the Willamette valley site. Hatfield, Appling Legally Begin Government Chores Salem (UPD Both Gov. Mark Hatfield and his secre tary of state, Howell Appling Jr., were breathing easier to day as the result of an unani mous Oregon Supreme Court decision stating they both held office legally. The pair won their case from Attorney General Robert Y. Thornton who had con tended that Dave O'Hara, an appointee of ex-Gox. Robert D. Holmes, was the legal sec retary of state. Thornton had no comment on the decision, but Hatfield, Appling and others did. Resignation Demanded Most violent comment came from Rep. Fayette Bristol (R- Grants Pass) who demanded the resignation of Thornton. "The Legislature is faced with a very grave problem in that bills passed are judged on constitutionality by the attor ney general. Our present at torney general has proved himself completely incompe Schools, Stores, Factories Closed In Many Areas Rain-Swollen Rivers Surge Into Towns By United Press International Flash floods in Pennsyl vania and Ohio todav left thousands homeless and dam age in the millions in the wake of a winter onslaught of floods, snow, sleet, rain. cold and tornadic winds. A United Press Internation al count showed at least 64 fatalities. Fifteen died in Ohio and nine each in Illinois and Indiana. New York and Michigan reported six deaths each; Iowa, Wisconsin and Kentucky each reported four; Missouri had three. New Mexico two, and Kansas and Oklahoma reported one each. States of Emergency In Northwestern Pennsyl vania, rain - swollen rivers surged into scores of com munities. States of emergency were declared in Sharon, New Castle, Union City and Mead ville, all in Pennsylvania. At Warren, James Seitz had to be taken to a hospital by boat after he suffered a heart attack. The hospital was sur rounded by 16 feet of water. Scores of roads and schools were closed along a 125-mile stretch of the Allegheny river from the New York state line to near Pittsburgh. Hundreds ' of persons were evacuated by boat in New Castle when three tributaries of the Alle gheny cascaded into the town. In Ohio, old-timers said that not in years has there been anything like Wednes day's rains which flooded streams, rivers, sewer systems and basements from one end of the state to the other. Schools Closed The Ohio death toll was set at a minimum of 15, with po lice reporting a number of persons missing. . Schools, stores ' and fac tories closed in many areas. National guardsmen joined local officials and coast guardsmen in rescue opera tions. Red Cross officials set up emergency housing facil ities in schools, churches,. lodge halls and private homes. In some areas, the flood was compared with the 1913 flood, the worst in Ohio's his tory. What was described as a full scale blizzard raged in the northwestern part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Manistee, Mich., was among the hardest hit and only the main streets could be kept open. Roads into the area were impassable. Investigation Into Checks Continues Jackson county sheriffs deputies and Medford city po lice are still investigating tha forgery, and cashing last month of 16 payroll checks of Skeeters and Skeeters, Tal ent, official reported today. They said the total amount of checks returned is $2, 421.09. Forged on the checks were signatures purporting to be tb,ose of Eldred R. Colver, office manager of the firm, and Charles Skeeters, depu ties said. The forgery was not discov ered by company officials, deputies said, until the Rogue Valley bank mailed the com pany's bank statement. It was then that the company re alized that 30 blank payroll checks had been stolen from the company's camp office at Prospect. tent and we must have an at torney general on whose opinion we can rely," he said. House Speaker Robert Dun can (D-Medford) said the ques tion of the succession to the office of secretary of state and governor has now been de cided by an orderly judicial process. "I wish that it might have been done long ago." 'Ably Presented' He commended Holmes, who had appointed Dave P' Hara secretary of state, and Thornton for "ably presenting their side to the court." Appling said he would have the department of state's af fairs in order by the end of the week and hoped to be able to announce appointments in his office soon. Sen. Anthony Yturri (R-On-tario) placed blame for the secretary of state hassle on "a handful of Democratic manip ulators who attempted to place a stumbling block in Gov. Hatfield's path."