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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 1959)
TheyH Do It Every Time RF.D.W.NpRWICH, T ssa conn EVDitchelfl Wage for Washington -(UPD- Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell says he may ask Congress in January to approve a mini mum wage for farm workers. 1 He said he is now awaiting si', report from labor depart ment experts, due by Jan. 1, oil the feasibility of a federal floor under wages in agricul ture. ll the study shows that such n' procedure is practical and sound, Mitchell said, he will recommend that Congress ap prove it ; Any such suggestion is bound to run into roadblocks erected by farm - state con '' ; ?""". "; fi mt lit A BOY AND HIS DOG Lost and lonely, a boy sits silently with his dog at Santa Monica, Calif., police headquarters after officers found him wandering near the city yards. After aa hour, his mother came for him and explained that Chris topher Petticord, 3, had .strayed from , the family's trailer home. : ; J''pf Small Worlds VfM Around Us ' KSrti. By l'yn" M-wa,kin$ . .. i . . ' Elimination of Productive ' Land Can Be Costly . In today's world we 1 insist oh the construction of super highways, but we may have to , pay a price a cost above and beyond the cost of construc tion and maintenance. ;A super highway, with four or more lanes and wide shoul ders running from one state line to the next and on be yond,, takes millions of acres of tillable land out of produc tion; land on which - many kinds of food are produced. Back of the shoulders and along the entire length of the road, other millions of acres will be developed into subdi visions - more land out of pro duction. Every road, regard less of how long or how short, must cross fertile land some where along its course. . Can't Get Larger ' We have, within the limits of our country, our state or our county, all the land area we will ever have. We can't make it any larger. We are go ing to have to get along for ever with what we now have. Basically, all life, man or ani mal, must depend on the good earth and what it can produce. We may kid ourselves into be lieving that our bread comes from the bakery, our beef and pork from the deep-freeze, our milk from the dairy. But they don't. All must come from the land. Without the productivity of the soil, all of humanity would starve to death. : In some sections of America today, city and state govern ments are beginning to look with startled eyes at the de struction of productive land. , May Ask Workers gressmen and the powerful American Farm Bureau feder ation. Mitchell already has incur red the opposition of farm or ganizations and his fellow cabinet member, Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Ben son. Regulations Tightened' He recently ordered a tight ening of regulations govern ing the U.S. employment serv ice designed to improve wages and housing and transporta tion for migrant workers re cruited across state lines. His opponents asserted the directives were "illegal, im- - . (UPI Telephoto) Many other sleepy civic agen cies are going to awaken some day to find our . natural re sources gone beyond recall. There are many thinking people who foresee the out come, and agree that some sort of drastic control is bad ly needed to prevent the wholesale destruction of farms and pasture land that is productive, and can better serve future America if it is left as it is, rather than fall under the axe or bulldozer. There are many areas unsuit ed for farms or pasture that can be used for the construc tion of shopping centers, oil stations, hot dog stands or sub divisions. It's Basic But there are many fertile areas that certainly should be left as they are. Industrializa tion oi tne corn fields may sound like a big deal to those making a profit from the in dustry, but no one can eat the product of any machine. Food is a pretty basic thing. So far, Nature alone has been able to produce it. Whether you manufacture aspirin tablets or shoe laces, balance figures in a book, re pair automobiles or build houses, it makes no difference at all-the land, and what it produces . dictates whether you, as well as the rest of the human race, survives or per ishes. Over development, in a gland, a tree, a heap of yeast, a highway, or even a commu nity can become an abnormal ity. (Released by The Register and Tribune Syndicate, 1959), By Jimmy Hatlo i . , vew Gentle Does- 'if - ,- , Minimum on Farms practical and immoral" but Mitchell stuck by his guns and got backing of Attorney General William P. Rogers in a legal ruling. Mitchell told United Press International that hired farm workers, whose average in come in 1957 was less than $900, have no one else in gov ernment to look out for their interests if the secretary of labor doesn't speak up. "Yet the political pressures on me are just terrific," he said. "I've never seen any thing like it." Minimum Wage Necessary Mitchell said dozens of con gressmen, mostly Democrats but including a few of his fel low Republicans, tried to talk him into abandoning his cam paign to improve conditions of the migrants and other farm hands. . "The migrant farm worker can never take his place as a partner in American life un less he enjoys the protection of a minimum wage of some kind," he said. He said he does not know what kind or amount of a minimum would be feasible yet, however. Mitchell said he has found that extreme competition be tween growers of beans, cot ton, beets and similar crops tends to keep wages depress ed. If any single employer tries to improve conditions too dramatically he puts him self in a weaker competitive position," he explained. The outspoken cabinet offi cer has the support of the AFL-CIO, all major church groups, social agencies and some employers in his help- the-migrants campaign. But he still faces a battle within tne administration. Practical Results Stressed He stressed the practical re sults of such a policy m his discussions with farm groups and congressmen. For ex ample, he pointed out that higher wages for farm work ers would be a boon to tne economy of cities and towns in the farm belt. Hp also said a minimum waee for lured nanos aisu would help the small family fanner, since he now must comnete with the low-paid la bor used on big, corporation- owned farms. Mitchell's efforts on tne farm front have won mm praise from unexpected quar ters. A union official who fre auently has denounced him for failure to act in this area recently wrote: ("You are the first puDni. official of cabinet rank who has even dared to speak about those who are at the bottom of the agricultural ladder. "The complacency of gov ernment officials about tne problems of farm workers, in cluding some of your prede cessors, has been harder to take than the greed of large farm employers and the stu pidity of the smaller farmers." Police Arrest Man Trying to Get Drugs Cecil Howard Richards, 45, of Camp White, was arrested Saturday afternoon by city police and charged with at tempting to obtain narcotics with a forged prescription. Police were alerted by Cle vis Lee Garnett, an employee at Central Rexall Drugs, 134 East Main st, that a man was in the store triyng to purchase Benzedrine and other drugs with a doctor's prescription he believed to be forged. On investigation police found that the doctor's signa ture was forged and arrested Richards. He was lodged in the county jail. There are about 57 million dairy cattle in the United States. . Stations Involved In Payola Said in Serious Jeopardy Washington -UPD- Federal Communications Commission er Robert E. Lee has warned that radio and television sta tion owners who have con doned payola practices are in "serious jeopardy" of losing their licenses. Lee, one of the seven-member board which polices the broadcasting industry, said that under-the-table payments to disc jockeys for "sneak" commercials would be a dir ect violation of FCC regula tions. He said an avowal by sta tion owners of "well, I didn't know," would not be an ex cuse. In addition, there have been charges that "sneaky commercials" have crept into broadcasting whereby a per former is paid for plugging non-sponsored product on his show. In Serious Jeopardy In discussing payola, Lee said: "I consider this a dir ect violation of the communi cations act . . . which requires that sponsorship be an nounced, and this would put the stations involved in ser ious jeopardy." The commissioner acknow ledged, however, that various factors will be considered by the FCC in imposing penal ties, including "the reason ableness of management in Pickin' Pears By SID HOLLINGSWORTH The Christmas season is the one time of the year that is al ways remembered by those .who have established and sup ported the program of aid and comfort to the men who car ried the burden of battle in time of war. The institution of distribut ing gifts to veterans is one that has been carried out con sistently since the first Vet erans administration hospital was opened. - Service organizations were first to recognize the Christ mas season as an occasion for visiting the sick and disabled and distributing special gifts to the many whose home ties were severed by the great "misfortune" of war. Today this spirit of recog nition is manifested in the elaborate programs worked out by the VA Volunteer Serv ices. Camp White is no excep tion to this rule and starting Dec. 7, the period finds some special event scheduled up to and including Christmas Day, when the VFW auxiliary vis its each building to distribute their unique fruit basket to all the members. On Monday, Dec. 21, the various units of the VAVS distribute the gifts which have been prepared by them, at 7 p.m. At this time, Caesar Muzzioli furnishes Christmas music with his accordion group. Appropriate music is also provided by other visit ing singers and musical groups. To most of the men living at the domiciliary, this one event means more than any other celebration during the entire year, with its sentiment as well as its significance in reminding them that they are not forgotten. Some of the special events include Christmas wreath and swag making by Garden club members. Addressing Christ mas cards by Gold Star Moth ers, Christmas Gift shop, Vet erans of Foreign Wars auxil iary, wrapping gifts by spec ial committee, Polly Offut, American Legion auxiliary in charge, distribution of trees by engineering division for decoration by VAVS repre sentatives, annual visit of Dorris, Calif., VFW delega tion, visit of Junior Red Cross group with decorations, and Christmas party for children living on the station. Time limits on special bene fits for Korea and World War II veterans are emphasized by S. T. Brannock, VA contact officer here. WW II veterans must apply for their GI loans by July 25, 1960. Korean vet erans have until 196o, but for training under the GI bill, they must be in school within three years of discharge. Although there have been a number of changes in chap lains here, both Catholic and Protestant denominations have been represented respec tively by the same schools of religion. Catholic chaplains ' have been supplied by the Mt. An gel Abbey since the domicil iary was opened in 1949. The Rev. Lawrence Eskay, the present chaplain, has been here five years. Four Protestant ministers trying to avoid these abuses Lee noted the FCC has jur isdiction only over the sta tion owner, but added: "We do however require that he know what s going on. What I am trying to say is we do not let him say, 'Well, I didn't know as an excuse." On the subject of TV quiz scandals, the FCC official said "In retrospect, I honest ly say we should have moved faster." He also said he is now changing his mind and believes Congress should leg islate to correct abuses re vealed by house investigators, Lee said it might be ad visable to give the FCC great er control over the networks. However, ne expressd very serious concern about getting into any degree of censor- County Health Officer To Annual Convention Dr. C. I. Drummond, Jack son county public health offi cer, plans to attend the an nual convention of county and city health officers in Port land Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Questions of public health and sanitation will be dis cussed at the meeting. The various public health officers are required by law to attend the meeting, Dr. Drummond explained. News and Notes From Camp White have officiated as chaplains, under the evangelical wing of the Baptist church. The Rev. Roger Pryor, incumbent Protestant chaplain, served in both world wars and studied for the ministry at Baylor university, Waco, Tex. Veterans at the domiciliary do a considerable amount of worrying about their weight. Some are trying to reduce while others think they are losing too much. A penny weighing machine handled by the canteen serv ice shows an average of 40 persons out of 1,000 popula tion, check their weight daily. This does not include those using scales available at the domiciliary clinic. Teen-agers have joined the ranks of VA volunteers throughout the country in training for hospital activi ties, according to a recent an nouncement. During the past summer, thousands of - high school children served as volunteers in VA hospitals from coast to coast, receiving a special di ploma for this , extra-curricular work, Manager H. C. Her zog explained. At the Camp White domi ciliary, youngsters contribute in entertainment and interest with art and music throughout the year, he added. There are three or four members who like to review various phases of all the wars, with "General" Jack son, who speaks not only with authority but at times as an actual participant. They were discussing the Revolutionary War. "Now there was the time that Wash ington crossed the Dela ware " "I remember the occasion well," Jackson interposed. . "I was living along the Del aware then, had a boat house, and was doing a good busi ness. It was a bitter cold night. How well I remember. "But you know, wasning- ton never did pay me for those boats he borrowed." Medford Health Club Closed for Business The Medford Health Club, 3 West Sixth St.. closed for business Saturday, Dec. 5, for an indefinite period, club offi cials reported today. Closure was due to lack of patronage, it was explained.' The club has been operated by the BW Company, Eugene, who took over its operation in mid-March. ' - HERTZ TRUCK RENTAL Available at HOPKINS RICHFIELD SERVICE MeAndrews at Court Phone SP 3-9068 ship." He also raised the possibil ity of giving the FCC greater latitude in imposing punish ments on stations for viola tions. At present, either out right revocation or refusal to renew licenses for a full three years are the only punitive courses open to the agency. 4 ---- Ip H 1 - 1 1 I I throughout pSBNlfe 3 I I 1960 " Mjl ! 1 ' " I In Yes, throughout the year, ahead your MAIL TRIB- ' UNE delivered to YOUR door or in your mail box extends your cheery greetings. There's some thing for EVERY member of the family local, state, national and world needs telephoto pictures of news events almost as soon as they happen up-to-the-minute information on business, politics, sports, education, science, fashions, foods and home economics. The best buys in MAIL TRIBUNE advertisements, too, that spell big savings for the family budget. All this and more too your favor ite comics and features, all delivered regularly. Why Nor Say "Merry Christmas" with a Subscription fo the MAIL TRIBUNE Just fill in the coupon below with the name and address of the person or persons you wish to remember and the Mail Tribune will mail a gift certificate with your name as the sender and the first copy will be delivered to the door on Christmas Eve. The Mail Tribune Will ; you January 1st $18.00 per year 9.00 6 mos. 4.50 3 mos. Lee said he favored a pos sible probationary action or a short-term renewal of li cense for one or two years with a warning that the sta tion must take clean-up meas ures. He also suggested the possibility of fines against station owners where it would "have a pretty drastic : Circulation Department Medford Mail Tribune u Medford, Oregon S PLEASE SEND THE MAIL TRIBUNE " For 1 Year 6 Mos. $18.00 $9.00 TO: Name - J Address - S City State FROM: Name . - " Address B City .i State S. ........ i..--- bill effect on their pocketbooks. Lee recommended greater insistence that more stations sign the television and radio code of good practices. Of the general picture of broadcasting abuses, he said: "I know that this industry will come out of this thing better than when they went MAIL TRIBUNE, Medfora", Or. 1 9 Tuesday, Dee. 8, 1959 into it.' ' "I don't think it's quite fair to condemn what I call a juvenile, or rather a teen age industry, for the delin quency of a few individuals,?' Lee said. 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