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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 1960)
6 A MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD. OREGON SUNDAY. NOVEMBER 8. 1960 Fruit Growers Clarify Picker Problem Position (Editor's not: Tht Fruit Grower League her hai ' taken issue with statement! reported by the Mail Trib une'a larm editor concern ing problems of obtaining mfficient number of ea- . tonal . worlcere to harveit . fruit. The problem wai di euued by the farm editor In column Nov. 1. The Fruit Growere League's tatomeni, which will be published in two install ment! because of its length, was submitted by Charles E. Henry, president. The first installment appears here.) i T.h e pear industry, as a 'prominent part of Jackson 'county agriculture, has all the problems common to farmers plus others due lo the .Intensity of Its operation, Of ,these, one of the most Import ant is the need for a large number of seasonal workers at the same time they arc re quired in adjoining stales. ,.. This problem was discussed at some length by the farm editor of the Mail Tribune, in the Nov, 1 issue In an article based largely on the' expert ence and ideas of two anony mous pear growers. If these growers were quot ed correctly it is quite appar ent that they have had little experience in the recruitment of labor and are not laminar with the state and federal regulations governing its use Welcome Opportunity We welcome the opportu nity to correct some of the er rors in the article, for it is the concern of the Fruit Growers League, which rep resents all of the growers, that the Impression given might imply the two growers were speaking for the League We cannot agree with the farm editor, or his informants, for these reasons: 1) The use of Mexican Na tionals is not at the mere op tion of the orchardists. Public Law 78 requires certification by both the Oregon Btate em ployment service and the U.S. department of , labor that there are not enough able, willing and qualified domes tic workers available to per The Family Council - Editor's Ntttei The Family (.'uuncll conilsti at a Judge, s piychla trllt. three clergymen, three edltori and a women's editor. Each article 'la a luminary of an actual case history. The council report on problems that have been aeajt with ny .retpontiDie- agencies ana oaaielors . . . Gretchen L. - We find we were defrauded by an uncle . we trusted. William L. - My nieces have been misled by trouble makers. ' Gretchen L. - My sister and I are In our late twenties. Our parents are dead, but we con sidered ourselves fortunate to be part of a warm and loving family of aunts, uncles and cousins. We were particularly close to our grandmother, our father's mother, who died two years ago. But now there's nothing but quarreling and "bad blood" among us and all because of my uncle, my father's brother. When my grandmother died, ihe left all her property to my lister and me. Sho knew my uncle was wealthy and didrt't need it. Somehow, though, my uncle nd his lawyer convinced us that my grandmother left enormous debts plus a pond Ing lawsuit against her. One of. her ex-tenants was suing or $50,000. They scared us i into signing everytning over to my uncle. We settled for $900 each and a few pieces of antique furniture. Last week we learned that we were duped. The estate was large, the debts were -email, the lawsuit was dis missed, and there was plenty , left over. Now we hear my uncle is selling my grand mother's holdings to a man who's building a big apart ment house. - How could a blood relative, especially one who doesn't need more money, do that to us? William L. - I feel very badly over this. I have tried to explain to my nieces that 1 . acted in their interests. They would have been saddled with obligations which the estate could not possibly meet, '' This rift Is the result of their listening to envious but tmskles. Some old crones, friends of my mother, have been trying to stir up trouble In our family for years and now they ve succeeded. It's true I sold mother's properties to a builder. But this deal turned up recently, long after I had straightened out Mother's affairs with funds from my own pocket. There were long standing Judgments and liens waiting to be satisfied. And site was one of the landlords the hous ing inspectors were after for one violation after another, She had just let things pile up, Even now I'm trying to help her tenants find new apart ments at the low rents they ' can afford and I'm paying their moving expenses. The malicious rumors about my "gold mine" are false. . Gretchen and Elsie should know I have their best interest at heart. Just let them find nice husbands and I'll set them each up with dowries, the way my poor brother would wish. I know that's what my mother had in mind - for them. . - : The Councili This is. not the - first family to be rent asunder . by a dollar sign. But the cleav age seems quite unnecessary ' and, in view of the carefully , nurtured family affection . underlying the dispute, easily mended. Where are the lawyers In this picture? If ever a cold and impartial presentation of facts were called for, It's now. There seems to be a discrep ancy in the story as told by ' each ildo. Surely, before sign- - ing, these girls must have ' asked to see the exact details of the estate and knew what they were signing. And even It they were too naive to ask, how come Uncle William nev er produced chapter and verse to back up his role as pro tector of the "heiresses." This makes It easy to suspect, as do the "troublemakers," that he had this deal up his sleeve right along, and that his croc odile tears in behalf of the girls are a good act. A good use for part of that $500 might be as a fee for their own lawyer. He could determine what was, and is, their rightful due. Obviously they don't want to receive it in the form of largesse or "wedding presents" from their uncle. But leaving legal matters to the lawyers, Gretchen and her sister should hasten to re pair the unhappy family rup ture, Money and possessions will never give any of them the lift that comes when a loy al bunch of relations gather in behalf of family unity. Let's hope Uncle William is invited to celebrate New Year's Eve with the rest of the bunch around one of Grandma's antique tables in Gretchon s home. (Copyright 1960, General . Features Corp.) form the work, before appli cation can be made for re cruitment. ' .' Also, no domestic worker, who is "able, willing and qualified" may be denied work so long as Mexican Na tionals are on the job. The same law requires that equal wages and working condi tions shall be afforded both domestic and national work ers. The employer has no choice. Black Forest Recluse Claimed Really Anasfasia Hamburg, Germany -WPD-A handwriting expert said Thursday that a lonely Black Forest rceluie is Anaslosla grand duchess of Russia. Minna Becker, in an offic ial report to a Hamburg court, said there "is no doubt" that Mrs. Anna Anderson is the daughter of Czar Nicholas II and the only member of the Russian royal family to es cape the Bolshevik massacre in 1018. 40-Year Fight Mrs. Anderson, now 60, has fought for 40 years to prove her identity as Anastasia. She claims she was carried, ser iously wounded, from the basement in Ekaterinhurg where her family died, and spirited to the West. The Soviets cluim the en tire royal family was wiped out by Bolshevik soldiers. Three times in the last 25 years, Mrs. Anderson has brought suits to prove her identity. She lost the first two. Mrs. Becker's report was the second expert testimony in this third trial favoring Mrs. Anderson s claim. Said Not Imposter Eurller this year, Prof. O. Recite, the dean of German anthropologists, testified that Mrs. Anderson is not an im poster but is the real grand duchess believed long since dead. ' Mrs. Becker's 67-page re port said a comparison of handwriting between Anas tasia and Mrs. Anderson left no room for doubt that the recluse's claim is valid. "Both persons are identi cal," the iiandwriting expert said. "There Is no doubt that the handwriting of Mrs, An derson is that of Anastasia." 2) The farm labor camp, op erated by the Fruit Growers League, is located near the Medford airport, just l.E miles north of the city limits It is not at White City as stat ed in the article. This camp consists of 10 buildings leased from the city of Medford and two erected by the League on their own land adjoining on the north. During the past five years, the League has made capital expenditures of over $38,000 in land, buildings, sewerage system and city water line. The annual maintenance and insurance amount to $1500. These facilities provide 14,000 -square feet of barrack floor space and 8,400 square feet of service space, or a to tal of 22,400 square feet to ac commodate 500 workers. The location and erection of equi valent facilities within the city of Medford, even if such zoning could be achieved, would require an expenditure that would stagger the imagi nation. Proper Family Housing The reference to proper family housing at the same central location, again, means Librarians Plan To Attend Meeting Jackson county school li brarians plan to attend a con ference Monday in Grants Pass on "Challenges in Read ing for Children and Young People." Mrs. Florence Moberiy will be hostess in the Josephine county library. The program has been planned to give li brarians an opportunity to examine materials and to hear new ideas and trends. Appraisal of' the library with reference to the young people and stimulants to good reading will be discussed. Among school librarians at tending the conference will be Lois Martin, McLoughlin Junior High school; Frances Patton, Medford High school; Mabel Sims, Phoenix; Precia Medley, Roosevelt school; Mildred Rogers, Hedrick Junior High school; and Helen Broadbeck, Central Point. Texas City, Tex. - Mrs. J. C. Hyett and her son found they were driving a hot car. It wasn't stolen. Somebody had removed the radiator while the auto was parked outside her son's school. residential zoning in a busi ness or recreational area with additional transportation to the job. Actually, the 97 units of on farm family housing, now available, are largely va cant by the time winter pear harvest starts. 3) The statement that the established picking rate per box was changed after the start of the season is also in error. These established rates are determined by a wage survey of the OSES and can not be changed without per mission of the secretary of labor. For the I960 season, the base rates were 14 to 20 cents per box with premiums, over the base rate, paid for two pickings, poor fruit or box lining. Medford, as a part of the three Pacific coast states, pays the highest agricultural wages in the nation.! The amount of money earned is entirely dependent on the worker. Many of them made well over $20 per day. Would Be Happy 4) No one could be happier, than the pear growers 1) "to stop labor from shifting from orchard to orchard" and 2) "establish a large labor pool." The first is the prerogative of the Individual; you cannot stop a man from leaving a job, and the second is a pure dream, for the minute there is an over supply, the migrant worker moves out. These two conditions are' responsible for the terrific turnover that destroys the efficiency of so many migrant workers. This is the reason why one Mexican National, working steadily every day, will pick as much fruit as four mi grants. This is not a mere guess. Payroll records, over many years, will substantiate it. The following is taken from a report by the manager of the local employment office; "The certification of Mexi can National workeu for use in local agricultural work is controlled by the U.S. gov ernment through the bureau of employment security. Be fore these workers can be used in any area, the federal bureau requires that an in tensive and continuous labor recruitment, program be undertaken throughout the state where they are to be used and, as far as possible, in the neighboring states. With specific reference to the Medford pear harvest this has been done each year. Principal Deterrents "There are two principal deterrents to the recruitment of adequate harvest labor. The first is the shortness of Medford season, which amounts to only six or seven weeks. The second is the fact that this is not a crop suitable to harvest by family groups, including women and chil dren. The work is very arduous. Most women and younger children are unable to handle the ladders neces sary to do this work. A N JOHN DELLENBACK REPUBLICAN FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE OARE YOU PREPARED TO PAY HIGHER REAL T i PROPERTY TAXES? A Last year Jackson County received aoour $2,300,- 000 directly from the Federal Government. These were 10-called O & C funds which were received in ploce of real property taxes on federal land. An attempt it being made to take oway part of Jackson County O & C monies. Based on last year's county expenditures, if we hadn't received these funds and your house and land had been oppraised ot $3,000 your real property toxes would have been bout $75 higher than they were. I am against this raid on O & C funds. As your represen tative I pledge to fight against this raid and to fight for real property tax relief for Jackson County. Pd. Pol. Adv. Dellenback for State Rep. Comm. S. V. McQueen, Chm., 2138 Hlllcrcst Rd. "At the time the harvest of the Medford crop is under. way there is also a large la bor demand in both the neigh boring states of California and Washington. These job opportunities offer the mi grant workers much longer periods of employment due to the variety of crops grown. In spite of these handicaps a real effort has been made to use domestic workers to fill the vital gap always left at the beginning of winter near harvest. In 1959 an all- out recruitment program was . . lit- ,U. kaln tt undertaKen wun wc the Oregon state employment service. (The result of this all-out recruitment program will ba. reviewed in the statement published in the Mall Tribune tomorrow.) I Save on High Quality PASNTS AND WALLPAPER Colorama Paint Center "Your Silver Dollar Paint More KS25i 315 E. Main St. Ph. SP 2-4564 The Strongest Man in the World When you are standing there in the quiet of the voting booth you are the strongest man in the world. No man anywhere has more power than you have at this time. By marking your ballot for men and principles you are making history. You are adding muscle to American democracy You are ex pressing for posterity your own sense of right and wrong. You are participating in the direction of a nation and fos tering those elements of democracy that make America great. Like the voting booth, the home has been a great bulwark of America's strength. The nation's independent Savings and Loan Associations are proud of the part they have played in helping "S funenca ro oecome a nanon of home owners. Your home-owned, home- operated Savings and Loan Association often you home loans for pur chasing, building, remodeling and re-financing. Make YOUR financing problem OUR problem. SAVINGS & LOAN ASSOCIATION Home Office 126 E. Main, Medford Ashland Branch 337 E. Main, Ashland BUILDING WITH JACKSON COUNTY SINCE 1909 I 8. If "conservative" means that I believe we should build access highways, and fully develop job producing natural resources and ports along the Oregon Coast, THEN I'M CONSERVATIVE! If "conservative" means I think the voters of Oregon are entitled to a United States Senator who believes his first responsibility is to the peo ple of his own state who elected him, THEN I'M CONSERVATIVE! If "conservative" means I oppose unnecessary big-spending tax measures that would lower a worker's take-home pay, THEN I'M CON SERVATIVE! - If "conservative" means I Want action to create more and better jobs for Oregon workers, THEN I'M CONSERVATIVE! If "conservative" means I oppose lowering Ore gon's superior educational standards to those of sub-standard areas. ..and at high cost. ..THEN I'M CONSERVATIVE! If "conservative" means I oppose letting Com munist Russia chew up the free world, bite by bite, as my opponent's policy of retreat would, THEN I'M CONSERVATIVE! If "conservative" means I oppose forcing a $4,000-income working man to pay as much for old-age medical care as a $20,000-income execu tive, THEN I'M CONSERVATIVE! If "conservative" means I believe the Federal Government should spend a fair share of the tax money we send to Washington, D. C. to bring a fair share of opportunity to pregon workers, THEN I'M CONSERVATIVE! Elmo Smith for U. S. Senator Committee 1 028 S. W. Alder St, Portland, Ore, Ralph Williams and Howard Somen, Co-Chainnen, ELMO SMITH is the only candidate for U. S. Sen ator who has shown a full understanding of National Defense problems, our responsibilities for military stature, the conservation and development of Ore gon's vast natural resources. ELMO SMITH has spelled out in detail his solid program for bringing greater income opportunities to Oregon's industrial and farm workers. ELMO SMITH has fully demonstrated that he un derstands the responsibility of a United States Sen ator to the nation and to the people of Oregon. ELMO SMITH is the only candidate for U. S. Sen ator who has fearlessly outlined his specific program on every major state and national issue. ELMO SMITH IS THE ONLY CANDIDATE WHO HAS SHOWN THE STATURE, THE VIGOR AND THE STRENGTH OREGON NEEDS IN A UNITED STATES SENATOR. I BEUEVE OREGONIANS WANT A FULL-TIME WORKING SEN ATOR ON THE JOB FOR THEM. I BELIEVE OREGONIANS WANT TO GET A DOLLAR'S WORTH OF VALUE FOR THEIR TAX DOLLAR. I BELIEVE OREGONIANS WANT MORE JOBS, AND PEACE IN THE WORLD. THAIS WHY I BELIEVE ORE GONIANS WILL SEND ME TO WASHINGTON TO WORK FOR THEM s
