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

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

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Newspaper Page Textn Lk PromroDsed Irflouise Tax Prooramni 2 vi i 54th Year Medford 16 Pages MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 1959 No. 28 ffVi fl (A4J raj kgad FINISHING TOUCHES Members of the 417th Engineer Brigade, southern Oregon Army reserve unit, are shown putting the finishing touches on the exterior of the Stockade welcome booth at Siskiyou sum Library Budget Being Considered By Committee The Jackson county budget committee took under advise ment this morning a request for $36,000 for the new fiscal year by the Jackson county library board. The committee had approv ed a budget request from the library board previously, but apparently had approved the budget, thinking funds for in dependent libraries in Ash land and Rogue River would come from the total. Acting as spokesman for the library board, H. Dewey Wil son -said the" county "library system cannot present ser vices if not granted an in crease. The board is entitled to , reconsideration of this figure for the county library service, he said. No More Than Needed ' "We haven't asked for any more than is necessary," Wil son said. Mrs. Leland A. Mentzer, board member, said the bus iness of the library system has grown 20 per cent a year. Arnold Bohnert, budget com mittee chairman, pointed out that the committee has the same problem with every de partment. The money allocated the Jackson county library sys tem is far below that given libraries in neighboring coun ties, Mrs. Mentzer pointed out. Services cannot be main tained unless merit salary in creases for the library staff are granted, it was pointed out. Cons Surrender; Hostages Unharmed San Quentin, Calif. (UPD A woman held for six terror filled hours by two escaped convicts , who threatened to slash her throat holds no grudge. "I don't think they would really, have killed me," Mrs. Louise Gechwend, 53, said Tuesday night. She described the escapees from San Quen tin prison, who surrendered meekly to guards, as "just scared kids." "I hope they get a break," she said. Mrs. Gechwend and a fish ing companion, Douglas Har rison, 59, were grabbed as hostages Tuesday morning as the prisoners ran over a low hill and onto a T-shaped pier with guards in close pursuit. The convicts are Billy Jo Wright, 26, and William D. Werner, 24. Cost of Living Held Unchanged During March Washington -0PD- The gov ernment reported today that living costs remained un changed in March Lower food prices offset increased cost of other goods, and serv ices. Record for March The Labor Department's consumer price index regis tered 123.7 last month. This was a record for March and three-tenths of 1 per cent higher than a year ago. H. E. Riley, price chief of the Bureau of Labor Statis tics, said the index has moved TVJLA IT Engineers Finish Exterior Walls of Summit Stockade Finishing touches will be put on the Siskiyou Summit Stockade Sunday by volun teers from southern Oregon, Brig. Gen. William Prentice, commander of the 417th engi neer brigade, Medford, Army reserve unit, said today. About 16 men have volun teered, he said. The reserve unit's training sessions in constructing the stockade have officially been completed-. Work that remains con- Bids for Office -Building Called Bids for construction of the Lumbermen's Realty company building on West Main st. at Lincoln ave., will be opened Friday, April 24, at 2 p.m. in the office of Robert J. Kee- ney, architect. The project will include construction of two connect ing office buildings. The for ward building, to be 98 by 34 feet, will house the offices of the Devoe Lumber Sales, Inc., and those of Forestglen Lum ber company, both of which are currently in the .U. S. Na tional Bank building. The rear unit, which will include three suites of rented offices will be 86 by 32 feet. It was reported that the rental area has already been con tracted for. The biulding will include about 6,000 square feet of space and a screened light court which will include planters. The exterior will be of ran dom black lava stone with the structure of frame with beams and a flat roof. Base ment space will provide stor age and mechanical features. CP Rural Disirict Buys Air Pak Units Central Point C e n t r a 1 Point Rural Fire Protection district is better equipped for rescue work after recent pur chase of two Scott Air Pak units, according to Fire Chief L. C. Lisenbee. The self-contained smoke masks use compressed air. Lisenbee said the units can be used for skin diving as well as for entering smoke filled buildings. The department has had some 10 filter-type masks which it is keeping on hand. within a range of two-tenths of 1 per cent for the past nine months. This is the longest period of stability on record, Riley said. Increase Seen Coming But he said signs point to increased living costs in forth coming months because of ad vances in food costs expected during the summer. Because of past stability, 1,350,000 workers whose wages are geared to the index will not receive any cost of living pay boosts. Price 10 Cents jgTRIBUNE mit Sunday. Completion of interior walls and counters is expected this week by vol unteers, most of them members of the re serve unit. The picture is taken looking south into California. sists of finishing interior walls, installing fixtures and counters. 4 Volunteers, most of them members of the reserve unit, plan to complete the struc ture Sunday. Erect Rafters Last Sunday, the engineers erected rafters for the roof of the interior building and placed shingles on the look out towers. The roof was put on yesterday by Ace Roofing company, Medfard, General Prentice said. Assisting the '417th "Sunday was the 382nd quartermaster battalion of the Army re serve. The stockade, at an eleva tion of 4,500 feet and near the Oregon-California state line, will serve as a welcoming booth for tourists during Ore gon's Centennial observance. Open house will be held at the Stockade May 17, and it will be open daily after that, according to Ernie Hood, Jackson county coordinator for the Centennial. The Stock ade will be manned by stu; dents in Oregon history from Southern Oregon college, who are now taking a course of in struction to prepare them for the work. Polls Open Until 8 For Election . Ashland-Polls will remain open today until 8 o'clock this evening for the $1,275,000 bond election to finance con struction of a proposed new junior high school here. The proposed school would house 800 students with facil ities for expansion to 1,000 seventh, eighth and ninth graders. If approved, the bond issue would increase taxes anually about $2 per $1,000 of prop erty value if bonds were am ortized over a 20-year period, the school board officials re ported. School patrons are voting at three polling places, pre cincts 12, 12A, 13, 15, 16, 17 and 22 at Walker school; pre cincts 3, 5, 8, 10, 14 and 63 at Briscoe school library; and precincts 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 11 at the junior high school. Tunnel Explosion Kills Three Men Oroville, Calif.-UPD-A dyna mite explosion deep inside a test tunnel at the Oroville dam site killed three men Tuesday and critically injured two others. Between 13 and 15 charges of dynamite went off simul taneously before the men had a chance to escape from the narrow, 1,000-foot long tun nel. Preliminary i n v estigation indicated the explosion was set off prematurely by a short fuse. Concussion and flying rocks killed the superintendent of the testing project, Donald Goode, 40, Grand Junction, Colo., and two construction workers, Chester Zurich, 45, and Robert Arnold, 45, both of Oroville. TO Resources Vital Factor, Humphrey Says By ERIC WENTWORTH Mail Tribune Staff Writer Eugene - The natural re sources of the Northwest rep resent vital ammunition for waging the cold war, Sen. Hubert Humphrey (D-Minn.) told local Democrats at a din ner here last night. "In the long, hard cold war with the Communists," said the senator, considered a po tential candidate for the 1960 Democratic presidential nom ination, "our resources could be the decisive factor." Humphrey, who has repeat edly stated he is not a formal presidential candidate at pres ent, described at a press con ference his current tour of this region as "a friendly visit." Impressed by Strength "I have been very im pressed by what I have seen (of Democratic strength) in the state of Washington," said the senator, who arrived here by plane from the state yester day afternoon. Speaking of the West in general, he added, "I have a feeling a Demo cratic tide is running here." The dinner, a memorial to Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the press conference were held in Erb Memorial Union at the University of Oregon, amid the campus hubbub of student election campaigning. Herter Given Oath of Office In Cabinet Room Washington -(UPD- Christian A. Herter was formally sworn in today" as the new secretary of state. President Eisenhow er, standing at his side, pro claimed that Herter was the "best person" for the job. Members of the Cabinet and congressional leaders from both parties watched as the 64-year-old former govern or of Massachusetts took the oath in the Cabinet Room of the White House. Speaks Unusually Long For an 'oath-taking cere mony, Eisenhower spoke at unusual length. The spirit of ailing John Foster Dulles, now the former secretary of state, dominated his remarks. As the President handed Herter his commission of of fice, a white scroll tied with blue ribbon, the chief execu tive told Herter "You well know how you and I kept hop ing and praying for Foster's early recovery in the hope that he could come back . . Has Confidence He went on to say that Herter - who has been under secretary also knew well that Dulles and the President had decided that he was "the best person to take Dulles place." Herter thanked the Presi dent, saying, "You can't know how much it means to me, having your confidence." "You know you have that," Eisenhower replied. The oath was administered to Herter by Frank K. Sand erson, chief administrative of ficer of .the White House. Duncans Presented Gift by Legislators Salem MUPD- House Speaker Robert Duncan of Medford and his wife today were pre sented a large silver tea ser ving by members of the low er chamber. Rep. Tom Monaghan (D-Mil-waukie) said the gift was to show the esteem of the mem bers for the fair manner in which Duncan had presided. Members of the Senate Tuesday presented to Senate President Walter Pearson a set of sterling cuff links and a tie clasp. The Dalles - (UPD - Aug. 15 has been chosen as the date for dedication of The Dalles dam on the Columbia river. WEATHER FORECAST: Variable cloudi ness through Thursday. Con tinued mild. Airport low to night 38-40. High Thursday 72. Temp. Highest Yesterday 76 Lowest this Morning 38 Our Skies Tonight Sunset today 7:00 p.m.' Sunrise tomorrow 5:19 a.m. Moonrise today 6:45 p.m. Full Moon tonight 9:13 p.m. Elnath, the star now seen about halfway between the planets, Venus and Mars, is about as bright as Mars now appears. Well to the right of Elnath shines Capella, the fifth brightest star. Asked if he would enter the Oregon presidential pri maries next spring should he become an avowed candidate, Humphrey replied, "The odds are that I would." He said, however, that he is "quite re sponsive to organizations' wishes" and would weigh his actions against such develop ments as backing of a local favorite son candidate. The senator, in his speech on conservation of resources at the dinner, mentioned his previous recommendation for establishment of a Youth Con servation Corps-patterned on the CCC of the New Deal. Afterward, he explained that his proposed YCC could be implemented through already-existing agencies. He said that federal foresters and conservationists, national park service personnel, and at the state level - foresters and youth commissions, could take charge of the young men on particular projects. "There is plenty of work to be done," he added. Support of Program , Federal funds, he said, would support the program, and it would be administered and coordinated from Wash ington. But he emphasized that he does not seek the crea tion of a new, separate agency for its operation. On the subject of assistance to migrant farm workers, Humphrey stated similarly that he did not wish to see the federal government dupli cating work of existing agencies. He said federal fi nancing could assist the mi grants in such areas as edu cation and housing. But, he added, state arid local agencies could best be charged with putting the federal funds to use. Asked about establishment by the federal government of a minimum wage standard for migrants, the senator said, "I think this will be necessary." He said he believes domestic migrants are more in need of help today than those import ed under contract from Mex ico, the Bahamas or other neighboring areas. Must Be Conserved The senator told his audi ence at the dinner that such resources as timber, water and soil must be conserved and properly utilized to meet necessary physical, require ments and such "non-material" needs as recreation facilities. "One of the first jobs," he said, "is to get an up-to-date accounting of just what re sources America has." He said "the thing that touched me most" during his recent trip to the Soviet Union was the survey of Russia's natural re sources being carried out at Moscow university. Humphrey accused the Ei senhower administration of pursuing a "do-nothing policy and a give-away policy on re sources," and being "at best a caretaker government." "I stood on the floor of the Senate and fought against these give-aways" alongside the Oregon senators, he said. "The Republican party," he said, "cannot understand the West because it is a party based in the financial houses of the East." He said the GdP regards the West as a source of raw materials rather than as a region with its own di versified economic develop ment. "It seeks to feed on the West, not to 'develop it," he charged. Said Not Spenders "The Democrats who be lieve in conserving and de veloping building resources are not the spenders," Hum phrey stated. They are, he said, "prudent investors, in vestors in the future of Amer ica. "In part," Humphrey said, the cold war "is a battle be tween men and systems of government and systems of social order. But it is at least as significantly a contest of materials and resources. . "The great Northwest, so rich in natural resources, represents the nation's stock pile and its reserves in the waging of the cold war." (See story on page 4) Veteran Loan Bonds Sold To Chicago Firm Salem (UPD Thirty three million dollars in veterans' farm and home loan bonds were sold by the Veterans' Affairs department today to a Chicago firm at an effective interest rate of 3.394 per cent. The bonds were sold to Hal sey, Stuart and company. hrn iinT.iw iw uum a m MAURINE NEUBERGER Delegate to Congress Mrs. Neuberger Named Delegate To NATO Meeting Washington; b. C. - Mrs. Maurine Neuberger of Port land has been' appointed a delegate to the Atlantic Con gress of NATO nations, which will meet in London June 5 to 10. Sne is the wife of Ore gon's junior Senator, Richard L. Neuberger. The purpose of the confer ence, which will be opened by Queen Elizabeth, is to bring together leading citizens of the NATO countries to ex pand economic cooperation and mutual action in the North Atlantic community. Some 600 delegates will at tend the conference, including 130 from the United States. Mrs. Neuberger, a former three-term representative in the Oregon state legislature, has been selected because of her position as a board mem ber of the United Nations as sociation. She is a graduate of Oregon College of Education and a onetime teacher of phy sical education, modern dance and English in Portland high schools. Other Delegates . Among the other American delegates to the Atlantic Con gress will be Stephen F. Chad wick -of Seattle, former Na tional Commander . of the American Legion; Dr. Leon Keyserling, chairman of Presi dent Truman's Board of Eco nomic Counselors; Gen. David Sarnoff, president of the Na tional Broadcasting company; Brooks Hays, former Con gressman from Little Rock and prominent Southern mod-; erate; Thomas J. Watson Jr., president of International Business Machines . corpora tion, and Mrs. Oswald Lord, President Eisenhower's desig nate to the United Nations General Assembly. . , The American delegation will fly to London aboard specially-chartered jet planes. Mrs. Neuberger plans to visit France and the Scandinavian nations while she is in Eu rope. $2,400 Collected In Cancer Drive About $2,400 has been re ported in the annual Cancer Control drive which was con ducted here yesterday by the Jackson county unit of the American Cancer Society. Reports are yet to be re ceived from three of the 15 Medford areas, the county areas and Ashland, Cancer So ciety officials said. About 1,200 workers par ticipated in the county-wide drive to receive contributions and distribute factual infor mation concerning cancer. Dr. Orval Eaton, chairman of the Cancer Crusade, ex pressed gratitude over the re sponse of Jackson county res idents to volunteers working in the drive. 'Bill of Rights' For Unionists Urged Washington -(UPD- Sen. John L. McClellan (D-Ark.) today urged approval of a far-rang ing "bill of rights" for .union members to sharpen the teeth of the Senate's labor reform measure. The rackets committee chairman planned to call up the proposal as the first in his series of amendments aimed at toughening the anti corruption bill sponsored by Sens. John F. Kennedy CD Mass.) and Sam J. Ervin (D N.C.) Sen. Barry Goldwater (R Ariz.), leading opponent of the bill, said he thought McClel len would "have very good backing" and cut into the strong support which Kennedy got in two votes Tuesday. Senate Not To 'Rubber Stamp' Revenue Plans Adjournment Seen Delayed by Stand Salem-(UPD-The Senate Tax committee plans to take a "long, hard look" at the tax program reported out of the House Taxation committee, Chairman Ward Cook (D Portland) said today. "We don't expect to rubber stamp the House tax pro gram," echoed Sen. Ben Musa (D-The Dalles) vice chairman. Other members of the com mittee said they expected that some drastic revisions of the House tax program. Sen. Anthony Yturri (R Ontario) said Oregon in a short four years had gone from a state with an $80 mil lion surplus to one facing an $80 million deficit in 1961. 50 Per Cent Hike Feared "Unless some new source of revenue is revealed an enact ed into law," he said, "state income taxes in 1961 will be increase at least 50 per cent. I'm wondering if we shouldn't do something in this session to lessen this burden on the taxpayers two years from now," he said. Oregon tax income rests on a "two legged stool" which could topple over at any time, according to Sen. Donald Hus band (R-Eugene). "Even the slighest recession will reduce state income taxes as well as miscellaneous re ceipts of the state," Husband said. "It is a mighty shaky tax structure." This discussion took place at a meeting of the commit tee after it had received word from the Joint Ways and Means Committee that the $30.5 million surplus estimat ed at the end of the present biennium had dwindled to $28.2 million and may shrink even further. Won't End This Week All thought that the pres ent legislative sessions might end by Saturday was thrown out of the window when it was found that the Senate Tax Committee would not take the House tax program on an "as is" basis. ' The House tax program was to be voted on in the House today or Thursday and thus will not reach the Senate un til Friday. It would be almost physi cally impossible for the Sen ate Tax Committee members to review the numerous bills in the House tax program in time for submission of a tax program to the Senate by Sat urday. Hatfield's Bill The House Tax Committee approved a rate schedule for personal income taxes con tained in House bill 460, which was sponsored by Gov. Mark Hatfield. New rates would range from 1 to 7 per cent compared with 3 to 9.5 per cent now. Rep. Clarence Barton (D-Coquille) said the new rates would raise be tween $8 and $8.5 million a biennium. Other provisions of the Committee plan include elimination of federal income tax deductions, cutting extra exemptions granted for per sons over 65 and elimination of the 5 per cent standard de duction. 1 Endurance Fliers Start 10th Day Spokane (UPD Seattle en durance flyers Gene Tanner and Lew Becker started their 10th day aloft today in their attempt to break an endur ance record of 64 days in the air by light planes. Their flight is being spon cored by the American Can cer Society to publicize the society's fund drive. Package Deal Worked Out For East-West Conference 'London (UPD The western powers have worked out a major package deal to offer the Soviets at the forthcoming East-West talks in Geneva but the going is still uphill, diplomatic sources disclosed today. Links Unification The tentative plan worked out by experts from the Unit ed States, Britain, France and West Germany would link the unification of Germany with a two-phased program for controlling arms in Central Europe and gradually limit ing the size of troops and armaments. "Tell You What Let's Offer To Guaraafew A$ Much Democracy As They Have In The Capital Of The U. S." RCRLlH'. EAST WTidsMfciTa4 9r-m s- Consoii Called in Talent An election on the consoli dation of the Phoenix and Tal ent school districts will be held May 20, the v Jackson county boundary board decid ed this morning. The date was approved this morning by the administra tors of both districts. Approval by a majority of voters in both districts must be given for the consolidation to take place. If it is approved, it would be along lines similar to the recent consolidation of Med ford and five other districts. If consolidation is defeated in either district, the school district reorganization com mittee's previous recommen dation would stand-to join the north part of the Phoenix dis trict and Talent and the Wag ner creek portion of Phoenix with the Ashland district. Reverses Decision The board's announcement followed action by the reor ganization committee at last night's meeting at the court house, at which it reversed itself and recommended that such a vote be held. Motion for the action was made by Jack Hoffbuhr, a member of the committee. The boundary board will have 10 days in which to post and advertise the election. Last night's action will Highway Program Said Facing Crisis Washington -4JPD- President Eisenhower and GOP con gressional leaders discussed today a possible fiscal crisis facing the highway construc tion program if Congress fails to increase the federal gaso line tax. The Republican leaders said that federal funds to the states for the interstate "high way program may be cut off after July 1 if the Democratic controlled Congress refuses to hike the tax from 3 to 4b cents per gallon as recom mended by Eisenhower. In addition, they assured the President that public reac tion is beginning to "slow down" Democratic opposition to his campaign to achieve a balanced budget. Princess Disregards Paris Society Gossip Paris (UPD Princess Grace of Monaco today cooly dis regarded Paris society gossip that she was expecting her third child. The plan thus postpones until later any pullback of western troops from Central Europe and makes it condi tional on progress toward German unification. Britain yielded to pressure from her allies in agreeing to the scheme. Originally Britain wanted a thinning out of troops to come first. Called 'Air Pirates' The tentative agreement was the highlight of a series of East-West developments in cluding: -The East German Commu nists referred to the U. S. Air Vote Phoenix, make scheduled public hear ings on the previously recom mended Medford-Phoenix re organization unnecessary. The proposal was to have been aired on May 26 at Medford and May 28 at Phoenix. The scheduled hearings on the pro posed reorganization of Ash land, Pinehurst, .Talent and the Wagner Creek portion of the Phoenix district have been postponed. Wagner Creek Is now a part of the Phoenix district and will vote on the consolidation question. However, under the reorganization proposal it would not have a chance to vote on regrouping of the Phoenix district with Med ford, since it was not included in the recommendation, com mittee members explained. . Request Meeting Hoffbuhr had requested last night's meeting after attend ding a Phoenix school board meeting recently at which representatives of the Wag ner Creek area and Phoenix school district objected to the reorganization com mittee's action at its earlier meeting when it overruled pe titions from the Phoenix dis trict requesting a consolida tion vote. The Talent and Phoeni boards, at a joint meeting, signed letters requesting the reorganization committee con sider petitions from the dis tricts asking a vote on con solidation. A letter had been sent W Gov. Mark Hatfield by Ma Lowe and Alice Burnetta, . reorganization con- mittee's action in disregarding the petitions. Answering . at telephone call from D. V. Patch, state director of school district reorganization, Alf . Mekvold, county school sup erintendent, told him of the meeting scheduled last nighi. Oppose Decision On April 18, 18 women of the Phoenix and Talent districts met with Mekvold and opposed the reorganiza tion committee's previous ac tion in disregarding the peti tions. Hoffbuhr said last night th committee had not refused to recognize the petitions, but was merely delaying action on them. It wanted to see if Rogue Valley Manor, now within the bounds of the Phoe nix district could be taxed, he explained. A similar case in Clackamas county is now be fore the state supreme court, he added. It could mean a $1V4 million increase in as sessed valuation, he said. Force today as "air pirates" and said their high-level flights to Berlin could cause grave international complica tions. Hopes Dimmed -East German Communist leader Walter Ulbricht called on the Big Three western min isters today to accept the So viet plan for Germany. His statement calling for allied evacuation of West Berlin and separate peace treaties with divided Germany dimmed hopes the Geneva meeting might bridge the East-West rut on Berlin.