Rogue Valley Edition
54th Year Price 10 Cents
Tribune
34 Pages Section A
MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1960
No. 286
Preps
Public Welfare
Chairman Says
Plan Mentioned
Photostatic Copy
Of Letter Offered
Coos Bay (DPD Robert
Straub, chairman of the Ore
gon Democratic Central com
mittee, charged Wednesday
night that Gov. Mark Hatfield
had suggested sterilization of
unwed mothers on public wel
fare. Straub produced a photo
static copy of a letter he said
was written to J. H. Luihn,
chairman of the Public Wel
fare commission, dated Oct.
8, 1959, which he said sug
gested the plan.
Hatfield was not immediate
ly available for comment. He
was flying from Salt Lake
City to Denver today.
. In Portland, Luihn would
not disclose contents of the
letter. However, he said that
only a brief reference was
made on the proposal and that
several plans were proposed
by the governor for cutting
welfare costs.
Straub said the letter sug
gested sterilization as "one
way to discourage abuse by
recipients" of the state wel
fare program.
Hesitates Making Public
Speaking before the candi
dates meeting of the Coos
County Democratic Central
committee, Straub said Hat
field also included among
other considerations the pos
sibility of de-emphasis of the
"very highly developed" child
welfare program.
Straub said Hatfield pro
posed vigorous enforcement
of the relative responsibility
provisions of the welfare law.
Straub told the meeting he
hesitated to make the letter
public, but "because of the
seriousness of the sterilization
proposal" he felt the public
had the right to know.
Straub said, "Can you con
ceive of such a lack of com
passion shown towards mem
bers of our society who have
already experienced such
trouble and unhappiness.
"Who does Governor Hat
field think he is that he would
suggest this shocking proposal
to tamper with nature as one
of his ideas for saving
money?
"What offices does Hatfield
think he occupies? I can as
sure the governor that if he
dares to make a request to
the next Legislature for legal
...thni-iti, tn imnlpmpnt such
auuiviij -
t a scheme that he will receive
1 the most decisive repudiation
f that any governor of Oregon
i. '
lias evci io-cv-ia.
Said Above Politics
Straub added, "I predict
this will happen regardless of
which party controls the Leg
islature. This is a matter that
is above politics. I am sure
this thought of Gov. Hatfield"s
must be as loathsome to Re
publicans as I am sure it is to
Democrats."
Straub also rapped Hatfield
for delays in getting a sprinkl
ing system started at the form
er tuberculosis hospital in
The Dalles.
Straub said the improve
ments were ordered last May
and Hatfield had promised
completion by January.
Straub said the improvements
were still not in.
One Appointment
Made for Blood
Only one appointment had
been made this morning for
the emergency visit of the Red
Cross Bloodmobile at the
Jackson county chapter house,
60 Hawthorne ave., tomorrow
morning. Red Cross officials
said today.
No nuota has been set for
the visit, but Red Cross of
ficials here expressed hope of
a good turnout 01 wauc-in
Hnnnrs to helD meet the
states need of 600 pints of
blood.
Hours for tomorrow's visit
are between 10 ajn. and 1
p.m. The emergency for blood
developed when soldiers at
Ft T.pwis. Wash., where nor
mally 150 pints are collected
daily, went on a lour-aay
maneuver.
s Storm
al Charge
. jZi,, ,i S. ' A "Vv
JACK HOFFBUHR PATRICIA NOVAK
Winners of Elks Scholarships
Med ford, Phoenix
Seniors Win Elks
Lodge Scholarships
Miss Patricia Novak, a sen
ior at Medford High school,
and Jack Hoffbuhr, a senior
at Phoenix High school, are
winners of Elks lodge scholar
ships, Exalted Ruler William
E. Ruck, has announced.
Miss Novak is the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Fred J. Nov
ak, 429 North Holly st, Med
ford, and Hoffbuhr is the son
of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Hoff
buhr, 555 Murphy rd., Bed
ford.
Candidates for the Elks
scholarship are judged on
scholarship, financial need,
extra curricular and out of
school activities, personality
and leadership, and perserver
ance and resoucefulness.
Second Place Winner
Second place winners were
Miss Alice Thompson, Crater
High school, Central Point,
and Robert Hamilton, Med
ford High school. Honorable
mention went to Miss Joyce
Hunter, Phoenix; Miss Mary
Gregg, Eagle Point High
Shop Destroyed by
Fire at While City
Central Point A small
shop building behind the Rob
ert Nelson home, 214 Adjax
st., in the White City area was
almost completely destroyed
by fire yesterday evening, ac
cording to Central Point rural
firemen.
The blaze was confined to
the shop and was thought to
have started from a heating
stove. Alarm was given about
8:10 p.m.
The fire occurred on a rural
fire district drill and about 17
volunteers answered the call
Washington-OJPD-The House
Public Works committee has
approved a bill designating
Detroit dam in Oregon as
Douglas McKay dam.
Today's Young People Should Belike
'Adamantine
Today's young people
should be like John Milton's
"adamantine chain," a link
between the past and the fu
ture, Thomas Vaughan told
approximately 3 7 5 persons
who attended the Student
Government Day banquet at
the Elks' temple last night.
When they are made aware
of the past, they then acquire
a sense of responsibility for
the future and transmit what
they have learned forward, he
said.
One of the things that
youths are receiving from the
past today, according to
Vaughan, is a personal, indi
vidual, and at the same time
collective, government, which,
because of them, will go on
with meaning for many years
to come.
Vaughan, director of the
Oregon Historical Society and
past member of the state cen
tennial commission, paid trib
ute both to the students par
ticipating in the 12th annual
Student Government Day and
to the City of Medford on the
75th anniversary of its city
charter.
school; D u a n e Anderson,
Eagle Point; William Anhorn,
Crater High school; and Don
ald Davy, St. Mary's High
school, Medford.
Winners of the local schol
arship will be submitted for
consideration in the district
event, which includes lodges
in Coos Bay, Coquille, Brook
ings, Roseburg, Myrtle Creek,
Grants Pass, Ashland, Kla-
maths Falls and Lakeview.
District winners will compete
for a state scholarship.
Marvin F. Trautman is
chairman of the Medford Elks
youth activities committee,
which was in charge of the
contest.
Active in Organizations
Miss Novak has been active
in many high school organ
izations, both here and in
Woodlake (Calif.) Union High
school, which she attended
prior to moving here. She has
been active in science club,
the band, Future Homemak
ers of America, Torch Honor
Society, Bi Phy Chem, and
has participated in 4-H work,
including being a junior lead
er, and in Sunday School and
church activities.
Hoffbuhr, a member of the
National Honor Society, was
elected the most valuable
player in football at Phoenix
last fall, was a member of the
state champion debate team,
and has been active in Future
Farmers of America activities.
He was selected to attend the
Junior Engineers' and Scien
tists' Summer Institute in
1958, and has been active in
church and other activities.
Judges for the contest this
year were Don Hansen, and
Past Eaxlted Rulers Dick
Woodcock, Carl Norris, Mur
ray Gardiner and Frank Van
Pelt.
Winners last year were Miss
Elaine Kroon, Crater High
school, and Bob Pond, Med
ford High school.
Chain', Vaughan Notes
He said the Elk's club and
the community itself are to be
commended for the program
which has gained national
reknown for Medford and
Jackson county.
Seth Bullis, who is in
charge of the city's charter
anniversary celebration, and
Earl Gaddis, the oldest living
former Mayor of Medford
(1919-1930), were introduced
at the dinner by the master of
ceremonies, Councilman Jim
my Dunlevy.
Bullis and Gaddis cut a
large birthday cake for Med
ford and passed out pieces to
everyone attending last night's
banquet.
Mayor John Snider and
County Judge Earl Miller both
said a few words and intro
duced their student counter
parts, Pat McLaughlin and
Bob Gardiner, respectively.
The 85 students who are
participating in the program,
for the purpose of gaining
direct knowledge of how local
government operates, register
ed and were administered the
ed
Spokesman for
Governor Claims
Charge 'Untruth'
'Same Old Gimmick
Assistant Declares
Salem - (UPD - A spokesman
for Gov. Mark Hatfield de
clared today that a claim by
state Democrat party Chair
man Robert Straub that Hat
field suggested sterilization of
unwed mothers on the wel
fare rolls "is a complete un
truth and distortion."
Warne Nunn, the gover
nor's administrative assistant,
said "there was no such 'pro-
Denver -anD- Gov. Mark
Hatfield of Oregon said to
day a charge by Oregon
Democratic Chairman Rob
ert Straub that Hatfield ad
vocated sterilization of un
wed mothers on welfare "is
a false, distorted statement."
Hatfield said, "I have not
advocated it but I have dis
cussed it with the Welfare
Commission."
posal. The governor has nev
er at any time proposed to
the welfare commission a
plan for sterilization of un
wed mothers."
Topic Discussed
He confirmed, however,
that the topic had been "dis
cussed" at a meeting last-fall.
Nunn said he talked this
morning with Welfare Com
mission Chairman J. H.
Luihn," who recalled "that " "it
was mentioned in passing, as
a review of what had. been
discussed by others around
the state. But it certainly did
not take the form of a recom
mendation.'?" Nunn said "it's the same
old gimmick of taking some
thing out of context." He
termed Straub's making the
letter public "political she
nanigans in the night."
'Outline of Matters'
In the Oct. 9, 1959, letter
from Hatfield to Luihn, the
governor said it constituted
"an outline of matters which
I felt were of major concern."
The letter followed the meet
ing with the commission.
The outline was broken
down into four parts and
under a sub-heading in the
third item was: "What can be
done to discourage abuse by
recipients of the system of
welfare programs."
Four Subsections
Under this heading were
four subsections:
"(1) Sterilization of unwed
mothers.
(2) Statement on back of
welfare check.
(3) Vigorous enforcement of
relative responsibility pro
visions. (4) Program of public
works - Perhaps on a volun
tary basis, then caseworkers
could focus attention on free
loaders, weeding them out
when justifiable."
oaths of their respective of
fices yesterday afternoon.
The students will meet with
the officials whose places
they are taking and visit
points of interest in the city
and county today.
Tonight at 7:30 p.m. the
student councilmen and wom
en will conduct a city council
meeting in the council cham
bers at the city hall.
Elks Exalted Ruler William
E. Ruck said last night the
Elks shared pride with the
community in this student
program and gave the Elks,
appreciation to the city and
county officials and the
schools for their cooperation
which has made student gov
ernment day possible.
He said the program is a
great educational activity but
its actual success depends on
the students themselves who
must put forth the work and
energy necessary to get some
thing out of it.
The Rev. John Ilg, Sacred
Heart church, gave the invo
cation and benediction at the
banquet.
ROBERT Y. THORNTON
'. . . a Forthright Campaign'
Salem -(UPD- Attorney Gen
eral Robert Y. Thornton an
nounced today he will seek
election to a third term. He
said he will "actively cam
paign" for the Democratic
nomination in the May 20 pri
mary election. Thornton said
he expects "to make a forth
right campaign to keep the
office of attorney general
strong and independent, elect
ed by and responsible to the
people rather than appointed
by the governor."
Short Weight on
Pre-Packaged
Meats Charged
Salem-(UPI)-The Oregon De
partment of Agriculture said
today that short weight pre
packaged meats have been
uncovered the past month in
a number of Portland mar
kets and court complaints
have been filed against seven
retailers.
O. K. Beals, chief of the
Department's division of foods
and dairies, weights and
measures, said this was the
first such meat check made
by the state in Portland.
Checking of package meats
outside Portland has - been
conducted intermittently since
1956, he said.
Beais said 870 of the 1,950
test weights made at 50 Port
land retail meat counters the
past month ranged from one
fourth to two ounces under
the net weight on which con
sumer prices should be based.
Overcharges Claimed
He declared that in some
of the cases where complaints
were filed, overcharges rang
ed from six to 10 cents per
package.
Milan Gilman of the divi
sion, who actually checked
the Portland meats, said he
found correct net weight la
bels on 52 per cent of 1,010
packages tested. Three per
cent of the packages were
overweight from one-fourth to
one-half ounce.
.Beals said "what is happen
ing in most instances is that
the price is based on the gross
weight, which includes the
tray or cardboard and cello
phane used in wrapping."
He estimated that in some
markets, short weights cost
the consumers "conservative
ly $25 to S40 a day in collec
tive pennies, nickels and
dimes.
Committee Favors
Federal Building
The House public works
committee yesterday author
ized construction of a new
federal building in Medford,
according to Representative
Charles O. Porter.
Porter said the bill now
goes to the independent of
fices subcommittee of the
committee on appropriations
of the House. If the proposal
is approved by the subcom
mittee. the general services
administration can proceed
with construction, according
to Porter's office. It has al
ready received Senate com
mittee approval.
Previously, the GSA rec
ommended to the public
works committees of both the
House and Senate that a new
federal office building be con
structed here.
Cost of the building, in
eluding site, design and con
struction, is estimated at $2,
365,000 by the GSA. It would
contain 81,700 square, feet of
gross floor area.
The building would house
the post office and provide
space for the de-partment of
agriculture, defense, health,
education and welfare, jus
tice, labor and treasury, the
civil service commission, the
housing and home finance
agency, selective service and
veterans administration.
Medford Police
Investigate Death
Of T. E. Semisch
Three Possibilities
Noted by Officers
Medford police are investi
gating the puzzling death of
a 54-year-old laundry truck
driver who was killed by two
pistol shots at his home yes
terday afternoon.
The victim, Theodore El
mer Semisch, 1051 West 13th
st., was found by city police
lying lifeless, face down on
the floor of his home, at 1:13
p.m. Two .45 caliber bullet
wounds were in his chest and
stomach.
Police say the death may
have been a suicide, an acci
dent, or a murder, and are
investigating all three possi
bilities.
They were notified of the
shooting by Dale Robert Wal-
termire, a Medford Ambu
lance Service driver, who in
turn was notified by a tele
phone operator. The operator
later told police that a man
called about 1 o'clock and
said nothing more than "get
me an ambulance please.
Not Excited
She said the man did not
sound excited but dropped the
phone after he spoke. The
operator notified her super
visors who called the ambu
lance service and listened in
on the open connection until
police arrived at the scene.
They told police that they
heard some heavy breathing
for a while, but then it
stopped. They also remem
bered hearing some "squeak
ing" noises, but nothing else,
they said.
A missing $500 is an added
puzzle in the case, police said.
Semisch reportedly drew
$350 out of the bank about
11:30 a.m. and was seen to
have another $150 on his per
son. But police were unable
to find the money on Se
misch's body or in his home.
A doctor - arrived - at 1:27
p.m. and pronounced Semisch
dead as soon as he saw him.
Also Investigating
Sheriff's deputies and the
district attorney are also in
vestigating the death.
Police found the death wea
pon, a .45 caliber English
Webley pistol, lying on a
nearby table, with a leather
holster and belt, a screw
driver, pliers and oil can.
These items, they said, indi
cated that Semisch was clean
ing or repairing his gun be
fore his death.
There were four unfired
shells still in the revolver,
they said. They further noted
that the two bullets had been
fired from the first and third
chambers of the gun, skipping
the bullet in the second cham
ber. They do not know how
this occurred, they said.
Although there was a lot of
blood on the table and floor
there was nothing to indicate
any kind of a struggle, they
said. The front door was
locked and the back door un
locked. In Good Mood
A neighbor, Norma Jean
Kahl, 529 Hamilton st., told
police that Semisch came
home about 12:30 p.m. and
brought her some bones for
her dog. She told police he
appeared to be in a good
mood and even joked with her
about mowing his lawn.
Neither Norma Kahl nor
any of the other neighbors
heard the shots nor saw any
one else besides the victim
near his home.
Semisch's wife was work
ing as a nurse at the Rogue
Valley Memorial hospital at
the time of her husband's
death and knew nothing
about it until police con
tacted her.
She could give police no
reason why he might have
killed himself or why he
might have been murdered,
they said.
According to an autopsy,
one of the bullets entered his
stomach, passed through his
kidney and out of his back.
The other bullet went through
his chest, clipping one of the
main veins of his heart and
also passed out his back.
Doctors Report
Doctors said that neither of
the wounds should have
caused instantaneous death,
police reported.
One of the bullets must
have struck Semisch while
he was sitting in a chair, po
lice said, because there was a
bullet hole through the back
of a chair, in which he was
probably sitting. Both bullets
were recovered, they added.
Semisch had lived in Med
ford for a number of years
and drove a laundry truck for
Reliable Cleaners, 1826 West
Main st.
Police do not know of any
survivors other than his wife.
IKE'S GREETING RETURNED A young back to President Eisenhower during a pa
Brazilian woman, braving rain without an rade through Sao Paulo, Brazil, today,
umbrella, runs out into the street to wave (UPI Radiotelephoto)
Thousands Ireet Ike's
Arrival in Sao Paulo
Sao Paulo, Brazil (UPD
President Eisenhower re
ceived the largest and most
enthusiastic welcome of his
South American trip in this
sprawling industrial city to
day. 1
Hundreds of ..thousands ..of
workers, their families and
shrill, flag - waving school
children braved a soaking
rain and cheered Eisenhower
as he rode through the city in
a triumphal procession from
the airport to the Governor's
Palace.
Left Undaunted
The rain left Eisenhower
undaunted. He merely pulled
on his plastic raincoat and
dark fedora and remained on
his feet in the open section of
his bubbletop limousine, wav-
Morse Endorsed by
Josephine Demos
Sen. Wayne Morse was
unanimously endorsed for
president on the Democratic
ticket in a resolution passed
last meeting by the Josephine
County Democratic Central
committee in Grants Pass.
The action is the only such
action taken in southern Ore
gon for Morse by a Demo
cratic Central committee. Pe
titions for Morse have receiv
ed more than 200 signatures
in Josephine county.
In Jackson county, Morse's
presidential candidacy peti
tions received nearly 300 sig
natures, which are part of the
7,000 signatures received
throughout the state.
The campaign for Morse in
Josephine County was han
dled by Cliff Driscoll, chair
man of the Josephine County
Democratic Central commit
tee. In Jackson County, Bruce
Manley, local attorney with
offices in the Leverett build
ing, is chairman of the Morse
for President committee.
Retail Clerks Vote
For AFL-CIO Union
Grocery clerks in Ashland,
Medford and Grants Pass yes
terday voted 96 to 79 to affili
ate with the Retail Clerks Un
ion, AFL-CIO, dropping their
bargaining represe n t a t i o n
through the Teamsters Union,
Local 962, Medford.
Elections were held yester
day in grocery stores by the
national labor relations board.
Retail Clerks Union repre
sentatives said there were
220 eligible voters, and three
of the 178 votes cast were
against representation by ei
ther union.
The Teamsters Union has
10 days in which to file a
protest to the election with
the NLRB, Portland.
Retail Clerks officials are
planning an election next
week to name a negotiating
committee
ing constantly for 40 minutes
through one heavy shower af
ter another as the yelling
crowds dumped rainbow-tinted
clouds of confetti and ser
pentine tape on his car.
Eisenhower flew into this
super-modern city, sometimes
called the Chicago of Brazil,
aboard the propeller - driven
Columbine III plane' this
morning from Rio de Janeiro,
News
Briefs
Washington - (IPD - The
Armed Services Committee
today approved authoriza
tion of $56,000 for naval
reserve training facilities
in Medford, Ore., according
to Rep. Walter Norblad (R
Ore.). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil-(BPU-A
U.S. Navy transport
plane carrying Navy bands
men to a reception sponsor
ed by President Eisenhower
collided over Rio with a
Brazilian commercial air
liner today, killing at least
61 of the 70 persons aboard
both planes.
Washington - (IPD - The
nation's living costs de
clined for the second month
in a row to the lowest level
since last September, the
government announced to
day. Lower prices for cloth
ing, eggs, meat and new
cars contributed to a drop
of one-tenth of 1 per cent
in the Labor Department's
consumer price index.
Salem-(UPD-Victor D. Wolfe,
chief locating engineer for
the State Highway Depart
ment, has been named admin
istrative assistant to State
Highway Engineer W. C. Wil
liams effective March 1.
Camp White
To Become White City
The name of the post office
at Camp White will be chang
ed to White City, Ore., effec
tive April 1, Congressman
Walter Norblad (R-Ore.) noti
fied the Mail Tribune this
week.
Congressman Norblad last
month made the recommenda
tion to the post office depart
ment. He noted that during
the past several .years resi
dents have been referring to
the vicinity as White City.
. In addition to the majority
of the businesses using the
White City address, the tele
phone listings also designate
White City.
Norblad said that the name
change would help eliminate
confusion in long distance
telephone calls and the incon
venience of having mail re
V i
where he had received i
somewhat smaller and less
spectacular welcome Wednes
day. General Holiday
Heavily industrialized Sao
Paulo proclaimed this a gen
eral holiday. With most of the
factories shut down, workers
by the hundreds of thousands
spilled into the rain-soaked
streets to cheer their Ameri
can visitor.
Eisenhower planned a five
hour stay in Sao Paulo, the
third stop in Brazil in as
many days. He landed in
Brasilia, the new capital,
Tuesday.
When he stepped from his
plane here, the President was
greeted by Gov. Carlos Al
berto Carvalho Pinto, Mayor
Adhemar De Barros, U. S.
Consul General William P.
Cochran and high church of-
ficials.
Bus Leaves Road
Near Crescent City
Crescent City, Calif.-OT-A
Greyhound Lines bus crash
ed down a 50-foot embank
ment 35 miles northeast of
here today and early reports
said eight or nine persons
were injured.
The accident occurred on
Highway 199 about two miles
east of the community of Idle
wild.
WEATHER
FORECAST: Partly cloudy to
night and Friday. Colder to.
night. Low tonight 25. High Fri
day 47.
Temp.
Highest Yesterday . 57
Lowest this Morning 41
Prec. to 10 a.m. Today, Trace
Our Skies Tonight
Sunset today 5:55 p.m.
Sunrise tomorrow 6:53 a.m.
Moonrise tomorrow 6:44 a.m.
New Moon Feb. 26
PROMINEVT STAR
Alphard, due south .11:16 p.m.
This is the brightest star of
the constellation. Hydra. Hydra
extends eastward and south
ward from Alphard more than
one hundred degrees.
Post Office
turned to senders since White
City is not listed in any post
office directory.
The name Camp White orig
inated during the early days
of World War II, when a train
ing camp was established
there and named after Maj.
Gen. George A. White, com
mander of the 41st National
Guard division.
Later, the same name .was
applied to the Veterans Ad
ministration domiciliary cen
ter which uses the hospital
facilities of the former Army
camp.
The "White City- name
grew up as a separate desig
nation to describe the indus
trial area established nearby,
and has since been in general
usage for the entire area,
aside from the domiciliary.