Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (April 7, 1959)
Plenty of Irritations Remain Among AW ies, Despite General Berlin Accord I Ptul Newsom By PHIL NEWSOM JUPI Foreign News Editor Despite the honeyed words cl the official communiques, there remain plenty of irrita tions and dif f ere n c e s of opini o n s among the Western Allies on just how to deal with the Ber lin question. Fortunately, on one signif- leant detail there is agreement: The West fmust not be forced out of Berlin, nor can it afford to ' sacrifice any of its rights jthere as defined under the potsdam and subsequent agreements reached among the Western powers and Rus sia. But after that, the diver gencies are both wide and deep. British newspapers have ac cused German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer of under mining Prime Minister Har old Macmillan who has taken a leading role in attempts to find a basis for honorable negotiations between East and West. British newspapers have been equally caustic in their criticism of some American generals, including Gen Lauris B. Norstad, Allied commander in Europe. The criticism springs from Norstad's firmly stated posi tion that there should be no reduction in the North Atlan tic Treaty's defensive powers and no agreement reached which would sacrifice its maneuverability. Among other Allied, includ ing the French, there was general disapproval of Mac millan's trip to Moscow and his private talks with Rus sian Premier Nikita Krush chev. Despite Macmillan's known record cf having opposed ap peasement of Hitler prior to World War II, there remains the suspicion that he would not be above some appease ment of Krushchev now. The very enormity of the tasks facing the foreign min isters and the men at the sum mit lends itself to bitter dis agreement even among friends. For example, one proposal would unify Berlin but would retain four-power guarantees and would, invite United Na tions participation to see that the guarantees were kept. Such a proposal would mean that the city administration either of West Berlin or East Berlin would have to be abol ished. It may be considered cer tain that neither administra tion would thus invite politi cal suicide. Another proposal would lead to the gradual withdraw al of foreign troops in Cen tral Europe, the area finally to include Western sections of the Soviet Union. That idea is reminiscent of the Polish plan of more than a year ago for a neutralized missile and atom -free belt across Central Europe. Military men scoff at the idea of disengagement and point out that it would take modern missiles only a mat ter of minutes to cross any neutralized belt which might be set up. Further, they point out that military maneuvering space in Europe is limited anyway and that any plan to pull Allied forces back from their present positions would give all the advantages to the Russians, Finally, there is the ques- Probate Judge Calls Attention To Fairview Overcrowding (Editor's note: The follow lag article, written by Dis trict Judge Paul A. Thal hofer of Umatilla county, calls attention lo what he terms the state's "No. 1 problem concerning institu-tions"-the overcrowding at Fairview Home. It is printed here slightly condensed.) - I am the probate judge for the County of Umatilla. I am charged with committing men 4 tally retarded persons to r air i view Home in Salem, the state Institution for the mentally deficient and retarded. I also commit mentally ill persons to Eastern Oregon State Hos pital. I would like to bring to the 1 attention of our people and our legislators the magnitude and the deplorable status of Oregon's most pressing prob lem Insofar as state institu- tion are concerned the prob- lem of the mentally retarded. !I would like to bring to the attention of our people and our legislators the long wait ' lng list which confronts each f mentally crippled person 4 (most of whom are children). f each tragedy stricken family, and each probate judge. I During the past year, every j time I committed one of these I poor, unfortunate children to I Fairview Home, I found it painful experience to inform the parents that it would take approximately two years for their child to work his or her way up the lnS waiting 'list Into the institution, wnen par ents ask me why their child must wait two years after they have made the big deci 5nn to break un their fam ily, I simply must tell them that the State of Oregon has never made adequate provi tinn f nr the care and treat ment of the mentally retarded tspt are not satisfied with this answer-Neither am I. There are no waiting lists of which I amaware at the state hospitals. Many of our retarded cases are more seri ous and urgent than many of our mentally ill cases. Yet, these retarded persons must wait two years before they can be admitted. Why? What is to be done with them while they wait? As of March 1, 1958, there were 512 persons on the wait Ins list for admission to Fair- view Home. The 1957 Legisla ture provided for 400 addi tional beds and the new build- in r which will house these beds will be ready for occu pancy soon. However, by the time the last of these buildings . is occupied late this summer or early in the fall, the wait ing list very probably wiu number over zoo persons This list, df course, will -con tinue to grow and grow. In their 1959-61 proposed building program budget, Fairview Home authorities have requested 806 additional beds. These officials estimate that the 806 additional beds will be needed between now and January 1, 1963 . The Fairview authorities maintain that funds for these additional beds should be re quested from the 1959 Legis lature so that construction will be completed in the first part of 1961. They contend that if the 806 additional beds are provided by the 1959 Leg islature, there will be no wait ing list between January 1, 1961 and January 1, 1963. Experience has shown that the process of final planning, architect's drawings, bidding, awarding the contract and the construction of major build infls reauiro at least 18 months from the time funds are ap propriated. However, it is distressing to note that only 215 additional beds have survived the econ omy axe. If the present Leg islature makes provision for these 215 beds only, as is now indicated, then there will be a waiting list of approxi mately 600 by January 1, 1963. It would take 2V2 years, anyway, to climb to the top of such a list. . To make matters worse, at the present time there are some 300 retarded persons in other state institutions. This is not a good situation because the other institutions, such as state hospitals and correc tional institutions, are not! equipped in either facilities or personnel to handle retard ed persons. In all fairness to the judges who have committed retarded persons to otner institutions, it should be pointed out that, in most cases they do so only because the urgency of the case requires immediate and usually permanent custody There are many urgent cases on the waiting list now and there will be more-ask any probate judge. The present Legislature has in the hopper legislation which, if passed, would pro vide more facilities than pres ently exist on the local level for the education and rehabili tation of the retarded. This is highly desirable. However, these facilities will not be the custodial type living facilities which are so badly needed How about the many retard ed children and some adults who must be taken from their homes for their own good and for the good of their families? How'about the pathetic little children who will never be able to adjust to a normal fam ily life nor to a normal social environment? How about the retarded persons who must be institutionalized for their own protection and for the protec tion of society? What in the world are we going to do about them? It is up to the 1959 Legis lature to face up to its respon sibility to provide treatment and care for these poor un fortunate, but lobbyless, re tarded persons. The legislators should meet squarely and come to grips with this, the Number One problem among our state institutions! They should not allow this very important matter to get lost in the sea of political bicker ing. The 1959 Legislature should not adjourn until it has made adequate provision for the mentally retarded and tnis means providing a lot more than a mere 215 addi tional beds! ' Of course, even if the Lee islature provided for the 806 additional beds today, it would be approximately 18 months before they would be ready for occupancy. Why woman t it be feasible then, j r 1 1 . as part ox uie over-ail pro gram, to convert The Dalles Tuberculosis Hospital into a Fairview type institution? In conclusion, I would like to say that the plain intent of this letter is to inform the people of Oregon and their legislators of the mag nitude and urgency of Ore gon's Number One problem insofar as state institutions are concerned and to suggest possible solution. Fairview Home has lone been the forgotten child in Oregon s family of state insti tutions. However, I feel that if the people of Oregon and their legislators are fully in formed as to this tremendous problem concerning the men tally retarded, they will de mand and take the necessary action to remedy this abso lutely horrible situation! In the Day's News By FRANK JENKINS Casual note from London The 10-year-old Prince of Wales (who if he lives and all goes well will someday be King of England) started his spring holiday in bed at Wind sor Castle, awaiting what doc tors thought would be an offi cial diagnosis of CHICKEN- POX. H' MMMMMMMM. Chickenpox is no respec- tor of persons. Like the rain, which falls alike on the just and the unjust, it comes, to the highest and it comes to the j lowest. None are immune who 1 get a germ. Treat 'em all alike is the motto of chickenpox. I sometimes wonder if that isn't the best way. When you start coddling people, whether at the top or the bottom, your apt to be letting yourself in for trouble. TUMPING from chickenpox to taxes, here are some in-1 teresting figures: A worker who earns $4500 a year (about $80 a week) has to labor one working day out of three to pay his taxes. This adds up to seven days out j of every 22 working davs in 1 1 l i i 1 : I a inuiiui just iu meei wa vuu- gations. The tax bite, compared with I other monthly expenses of the average worker with" a wife and two children, goes some thing like this: Taxes 7 days Food 4VS days Housing ' 4 days Clothing 2 days Medical 1 day Recreation 1 day That adds up to 19V& days. The other working days of the month can be budgeted to life savings, insurance policies and such other incidentals. 1IHY are taxesjio high? T Well, one reason is that wars past, present (cold war) and future (defense) cost a lot of money. Another reason is that in these modern days govern ment ciiy, county, siaie aua 1 national provides a lot of SERVICES for us. These serv-: taxes, and taxes nave 10 come out of the pockets of the peo ple. There isn't anywhere else for them to come from. THAT brings us around to Oregon, whose legislature is struggling with high wel fare costs and a welfare fund that is running into the red. On that subject, Representa tive George Annala, of Hood River, made an interesting statement the other day. "Part of the welfare trouble," he said, "lies in the fact that Oregon is near the top in the nation in all the caegories of . public welfare, but Oregon is NOT near the top in average income." Senator Neuberger says Oregon individual incomes average $1,914, which is 16th down from the top among the states. He adds that Oregon needs more manufacturing payrolls to bring up its aver age individual income. rpHAT brings us to one of the -- most important problems facing this session of the Ore gon legislature: How can we weep taxes in Oregon LOW ENOUGH to provide a tax climate that will be ATTRACTIVE to the new industries that we need? tion of East Germany itself. The ultimate objective of the Russians is to gain inter national recognition for a permanently separate East Germany. A first step is the Khrushchev plan to turn air and land controls over to the East Germans, thereby forc ing Western recognition. Any sign of Western re treat here is met by the deep est suspicion both by the Adenauer government and by the West Berlin administra tion of Mayor Willy Brandt. It has been obvious the United States approaches the forthcoming foreign minis ters' and summit conferences both with suspicion and pes simism. There seems only one ray of hope. The questions of Austria and Trieste at one time also seemed insoluble, but solutions were found. Try and Stop Me -By BENNETT CERF- IT WAS SAID of the late Joe Frisco, beloved but irresponsible night club entertainer, that he put at least 30 boys through college all bookmakers' sons. "Only t-t-time I think I , n MnPE g-g-guu Uliuci poiu, lie ami- Jw tered once, " is wnen 1 near what they g-g-give Gary Cooper. A g-g-grand a day. for just saying 'Yup' and 'Nope!' Think what he'd m-m-make if he'd only say 'L-l-lemme think it over!' " A fine symphony orchestra, subsidized for a transcontinen tal tour, played in an Arkan sas town, thereby giving the natives a big-time cultural ex perience. Next day the town elders gathered 'round a cracker barrel in their favorite grocery to talk over the concert Squire Abernathy's comment was the most noteworthy. "All I got to say," he declared, "is they brung that big bass drum a powerful long ways just to bang it wunst." 1959. by Bennett Cert. Distributed by King Features Syndicate. Fire.Weafher Forecasting Eyed Portland - (DPD - Plans for long-range fire weather fore casting are being worked upon by the weather bureau. Francis Beere, Oregon fire weather forecaster, is in Washington, D.C., serving as a practical field consultant in the study. John Hunt,, fire control officer for the Bureau of Land Management, said such forecasting would be "one of the most important things the weather bureau could do for Oregon." At present the bureau pro vides only 24-hour forecasts on relative humidity, temper ature and wind data during the fire season. Existing five day outlooks give trends, but do not specify day-by-day fire weather. ACTRESS DIES New York - (UPD Rosalind Ivan, 75, English-born stage and film actress, died Monday. MAIL TRIBUNE, Medford, Oregon, Tuesday, April 7, 195t S TOO MANY CROWDS Lisbon .Portugal -(UPD- One of the conditions of conces sions granted Monday for sidewalk cafes near busy Res tauradores Square was that there be no television. UNEMPLOYMENT DROPS London -(UPD- The Ministry of Labor announced today that unemployment dropped by 58,000 persons in Britain during the period between Feb. 9 and March 9. NEW ADDING MACHINES mm M . Priced from Typewriters New & Used Adders Calculators Portables-All Makes We Rent Adders . Typewriters Calculators VOIGHT'S MEDFORD OFFICE EQUIPMENT GO. FRIDEN AGENCY 8th & Grape, Medford Phone SP 2-4100 T PA'Holmes INSURANCE yS WjENGY SINCE 1909 Nothing But Insurance for 50 Years! R. A. Holmes, founder The R. A. Holmes -Insurance Agency ATODIL 1909 --APRIL 3L 959 """" We plan an exhibit of the old and the new in the insurance business. ' Remember, we are "Old, But M Old Fashioned!" Grace and I invite you to our w in UiSDM,April9J:3Q to 430 p.m. South Central Avenue
