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
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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
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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
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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