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The Talent project wllhin the
Rogue Kiver Habtn project it
now 94 per cent completed. An
article on Page 10A in 'oday's
Mail Tribune tells what the
power, agriculture, and recrea
tion potential of this protect will
be when completed this year.
United Press International Full Leased Wire
United Pres International Full Leased Wlr
42 PAGES
Section A
MEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 1961
No. 245
Wendt Says Skiing
Resort at Ashland
Possible by 1962
Road Conditions
Slow Development
The Ml. Ashland ski resorl
could be completed by 1962
County Commissioner Chester
Wendt said Friday. No paving
work on the road to the pro
posed ski resort could be done
until spring.
Engineers from the U.S.
Forest service, stale highway
department and county plan
to make a final inspection of
the road this week to see what
work needs to be done, the
county commissioner said.
Wendt said that the coun
ty's portion of the overall 14
mile road will be included in
the new county two-year road
development plan now being
formulated. Jackson county's
portion covers three miles.
Paving Needed
Obtaining paving of the
road and a plan for snow re
moval apparently is all that
stands in the way of early de
velopment of the ski resort 15
miles from the center of Ash
land. Thomas J. Parker and
Associates, Ashland contrac
tors, have indicated they arc
ready to install facilities in
cluding lifts and a ski lodge
as soon as the road is paved.
They propose to construct a
resort costing $165,000 with
provisions for future expan
sion as the need develops.
Compared to Festival
' Backers of the project fig
ure it will support 40,000
skiers or equivalent to the
number of persons who rode
ski lifts last season in the
Bend ski area. One official
compared this total with the
drawing attraction of the
Shakespearean Fcslival which
drew 41,000 persons last year.
Money for developing the
road into the area would come
from contravertcd O and C
lands or O and C timber lands
which have been placed under
the jurisdiction of the forest
service. The pay out is based
on the O and C formula.
Taylor Requests
Jury Hearing
John R. Taylor, 27, Salem,
who shot a state policeman
near Ashland, will appear in
Jackson county circuit court
Jan. 16 to enter a plea to two
counts of grand larceny.
Taylor appeared before Cir
cuit Judge James M. Main
Friday afternoon, and waived
right to a grand jury hearing
on the grand larceny charges.
His attorney, Edward Branch
field, requested more time in
which to enter a plea to the
charges.
Taylor requested a grand
jury hearing on the charge of
assault with intent to kill.
District Attorney Thomas J.
Rcerier did not say when a
grand jury will be called.
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CONSTRUCTION AREA The Crater Lake highway over is using the crock bed as a route to another construction
Bt.ir creek, above, is soon to be removed and replaced construction site instead of crossing the highway. Corn
wall an elevated structure that will form part of the oxer- plclion date for the Seven Oaks-Jackson St. section is
crowing on the new freeway. Currently under construction tentatively set for May 1, 1902. according to A. A. An
is a detour and temporary bridge that will take, traffic off rier.-on, engineer for the slate highway constructiO office
the present bridge while the work is being dime. Theirac- here,
tor (compare its sue with that of the car on the bridge)
Merger of Power
Companies Seen
n Three
A. S. Cummins, president
of the California Oregon Pow
er company, said at a press
conference Friday afternoon
that the proposed merger be
tween Copco and the Pacific
Power and Light company
may be concluded by March
"as far as the stockholders are
concerned."
Cummins said it would
probably take longer to have
the merger approved by the
federal power commission and
state public utilities commis
sion. The press conference was
called at the Rogue Valley
Country club announcing the
official announcement of the
merger proceedings, to answer
questions posed by representa
tives of the news media in the
Rogue valley. Word of the
merger had leaked out Thurs
day. Emplyoees Not Affected
Cummins emphasized that
the merger will not seriously
affect local employees of Cop
co and added that "there
won't be a single family leav
ing here unless there's an op
portunity elsewhere."
Cummins also speculated
that many of the company's
administrative offices for the
region served by the Copco
division will reman in Med
ford. Others, he said, will
probably be moved to Port
land to facilitate greater econ
omy in administration.
Regarding the employees of
the company locally, Cum
mins said: "Except for the
fact that you'll have a change
of name they'll never know
there was a merger." He did
note, however, that many of
Copco's present officials will
assume siigntiy duterent ad
ministrative positions with
PP&L.
Discourages Rumors
Cummins also discouraged
rumors that the merger might
lower power rates Ideally.
(PP&L's rates are lower in
the Portland area than are
Copco's rates here.) He said
he would consider it "very
optimistic to anticipate that
this merger will hasten any
rate decrease in this area."
In giving his personal opin
ion, he added: "I wouldn't
want anybody to think that
completion of this merger will
see any change in our rates."
Cummins said that even
with the recent rale increase
that was granted Copco, the
company still isn't earning
enough. He noted loo, that
PP&L has different rate
schedules for different areas
in its system, some higher
than in the Rogue valley and
some lower. "These areas
have lo support themselves,"
he said.
He said the merger will
bring increased economy of
operation in providing power
for this area, but added "I
think that the economics we
Months
make pre going to act rather
as insurance against high
rates" than to bring lower
rates.
Increased Economy
Before the ncrger can be
completed, he said, two thirds
of the stockholders, in both
the common and preferred
stock classifications, will have
to approve it. To do this, he
pointed out, both slock classi
fications will have to benefit
by the move.
It is already proposed that
the common stockholders of
Copco will receive 12 shares
of PP&L stock for every 10
shares of Copco stock they
hold. He speculated that
equally good benefits will be
offered preferred stockhold
ers. Copco now has approxi
mately 22,000 stockholders, in
cluding 17,000 common stock
holders. PP&L has about 35,
000 stockholders.
It is hoped, he said, that the
boards of directors of the two
firms will be able to act upon
the merger by mid-January.
To date they have reached
only general agreement on a
basis lor the merger.
Asked about an earlier
statements that he (Cummins)
would personally be opposed
to a merger, Cummins replied
that he, and also a majority
of the board .if directors,
would rather have the com
pany independent. But, he
said, the company belongs to
the stockholders .and the
board "has a moral responsi
bility" to submit any good
offer lo them. Cummins said
the offer is a good one and
has therefore received a favor
able recommendation from
the board.
Under the proposed merger
agreement, Cummins pointed
out, PP&L's board of directors
will be expanded to 23 mem
bers. Eight of them will be
from the Copco operation. In
addition, the board will have
an executive committee of 11
members and four of these
will be former Copco otficials.
Details of the merger agree
ment will be worked out by
a joint committee. Members
of the committee from Copco,
Cummins said, will be him
self, Glenn Jackson and Greg
ory Harrison, Copco's chief
legal council. PP&L will have
an equal number of repre
sentatives on the committee,
he said.
PROBE SHIP DISASTER
Norfolk, Va. - IUPH - A Coast
Guard boajd of inquiry inves
tigating the break-up at sea
of the tanker Pine Ridge will
board the shattered stern of
the ship Jan. 3. Seven men
were lost when the ship broke
in half off Cape Hattaras, N.C.,
last week. Some of the 29 sur
vivors filed damage suits
charging the ship was unsea-worthy.
Four Persons Die
In Plane Crash
Near Ml. Hood .
High School Teacher,
Wife Among Victims
Molalla, Ore. - IUPII - Two
young couples bound for a
New Year's eve celebration in
Reno were killed Saturday
when their one-engine plane
plunged into the snowy Mt.
Hood National forest 20 miles
from herd and burned.
Recovered from the wreck
age last night were the bodies
of David L. Enger, 28, a fire
man and high school teacher
from Troutdale; his wife,
Sharon, 23; Everett W. Boyd,
26, Portland; and his wife, Di
anne Isabel, 22.
The federal aviation agency
listed Enger as the pilot of the
Piper Tri-Pacer, which left the
Troutdale airport about 11
a.m. flying on visual flight
rules for Reno.
Logger Saw Crash
The crash in the overcast
Wanderers peak area of the
Mt. Hood forest was first re
ported by a logger, Hardy
Jackson, who saw the green
and cream plane slam into
the trees and burst into
flames.
"Hardy ran to the crash
scene, but the intense fire pre
vented him from approaching
or aiding the victims inside
the plane.
He called for help, and res
cuers were rushed from near
by Molalla to the scene of the
wreckage. They were hamper
ed in reaching the scene of
the crash by snow and the 3,-500-foot
elevation.
Mangled and Burned
The bodies, mangled and
burned, were carried out late
in the day and taken to Ore
gon City.
There was no explanation
for the crash, but aviation of
ficials said Enger had received
his pilot's license only two
months ago, and had been cau
tioned to fly an easterly
course to Reno via the Dalles,
instead of flying south over
the Wanderers peak area of
the forest where visibility was
poor.
The plane was listed as a
craft belonging to the Mt.
Hood Flying club of Troutdale.
Moore Pleads Guilty
In District Court
Ralph Carl Moore, 39, of
815 South Central ave., plead
ed guilty in district court Fri
day to charges of committing
an indecent, obscene and im
moral act.
Moore was placed on two
years probation and charged
S5 court costs. Probation was
granted under a number of
conditions, one being that he
receive medical treatment.
Moore was arrested by Mcd
ford police Thursday after
noon on a charge of contribut
ing to the delinquency of a
minor, involving a 5-year-old
girl.
CdHunsts
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PERFORMS IN SAN FnANCISCO Members of Medford
High school's band are shown lined up on the front lawn
of the Shrine hospital for crippled children in San Fran
cisco Saturday. The band played, and the majorettes per
Kennedy Appoints
Negro To Head
Housing Agency
Palm Beachf Fla.-IUPD-Prcsi-dent-elect
John F. Kennedy
named a Negro Saturday to
head the federal housing ag
ency and picked a Harvard
professor to steamline the na
tional security council.
The housing administration
appointee, 53-year-old Roberl
C. Weaver, board chairman of
the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored
People is a veteran and recog
nized housing expert. and cur
rently Is a member of the
New York City housing and
redevelopment board. His of
ficial title will be adminis
trator of the housing and
home finance agency.
Kennedy named McGeorge
Bunday, dean of the Harvard
arts and science faculty, as
his special assistant for nation
al security matters. Bunday,
a Republican, was ordered lo
streamline the national secur
ity council (NSC) and make
it a morj flexible arm of the
presidency.
Gov. Foster Furcolo of Mas
sachuetts objected to the Bun
day appointment as "com
pletely incredible." He said
Bunday was not qualified for
a post of "trust and confi
dence." Kennedy dismissed
the objection by pointing out
that Bunday opposed .) Fur
colo's election in 1958.
Weaver holds three degrees
from Harvard, his A. B., his
Masters and Doctor of Phil
osophy. Bundy was an honors
graduate at Yale before join
ing the Harvard faculty.
Weaver will succeed Norman
P. Mison and Bundy will take
over the White House staff
position now occupied by Gor
don Gray.
Government Gives
Projects to TID
The Talent Irrigation dis
trict ;f!,l take over operation
and maint&ice of irrigation
facilities in the -r-aftit division
of the Rogue River Bas.'ioj
cct, effective Jan. 1. IVsi In
terior Department announced
in Portland Friday. u
The transfer covers storage
and delivery facilities serving
the Medford Irrigation dis
trict, the Rogue River Valley
district, ind the Talent dis
trict. Bureau of Reclamation Com
missioner Floyd L. Dominvi
said the transfer was dcsicncLi
to "place the responsibility
where it can be most effec
tively discharged - in local
hands."
Works to he transferred in
clude (he collection canal sys
tem. Howard Prairie dam and
reservoir. Hyatt Prairie dam
and reservoir. Kcene Creek
dam and reservoir and Emi
grant dam and reservoir.
The Bureau of Reclamation
will retain responsibility lor
operation and maintenance of
the 16.000 kilowitt capacity!
Green SprOrj power plant. '
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Reds Claim Victories
In Laotian
Vientiane, Laos-IUPI) - Com
munist forces Saturday claim
erd a series of victories in
sharp fighting with pro-American
government troops and
there was fear Communist
North Viet Nam might mount
a full-scale invasion of Laos.
North Viet Nam denied it
had sent troops into Laos, but
the Vientiane radio, controlled
by Premier Prince Bonn Oum,
reported five battalions of
Communist North Vietnamese
attacking the border town of
Nong Het and two other bat-
Hemming Meets
With Slate Board
Portland -IUPII- Secretary of
Health, Education and Wel
fare Arthur Flemming met
Saturday with Hie Oregon
Stale Board of Higher Educa
tion presumably to discuss the
post of President of the Uni
versity of. Oregon.
The results of the meeting
will not be made public until
Monday, however, Chancellor
John R. liichards said.
Flemming, who was once
president of Ohio Wesleyan
universily, has been mention
ed for the vacant president's
post. The job has been empty
since Dr. Meredith Wilson
took a similar post at the Uni
versity of Minnesota last sum
mer. Visit UniversiQ
Flemming and his wife vis
ited the university Friday and
according lo members of the
board made a favorable im
pression. He has been attacked by
some farm leaders because of
the 1959 Thanksgiving cran
berry scare, but most farm
leaders came to his defense.
Henry Cabell, president of
the board, said earlier that
other names have also been
mentioned for the post, but
Flemmings is the only one
made public and he remained
the prime candidate.
Judge Grants Motion
To Postpone Trial
The trial of O. H. Bcngtson.
Medford lawyer, on charges of
embezzling 51,700 from the
Medford Escrow company
now will be held at 9:30 a.m.
Thursday in Grants Pass.
Circuit Judge Orval J. Mil
lard Friday granted a two-day
postponement of the trial
formerly scheduled for Tues
day. The postponement was
granted on motion by Paul W.
Haviland, special prosecutor.
Friday morning. Haviland
told Judge Millard that he was
not notilied of his appoint
ment as special prosecutor
until about Dec. 22. He said
he would need additional time
in which to familiarize him
self with the case and sug
gested that the trial start Fri
day.
3 rase
v
i - i V .
formed, much to the Snjoyment of the child patients. The
band also played prior to the East-West Shrine football
game,
(UPI Telephoto)
Fighting
talions attacking the village
of Ban Ban.
Sketchy reports made it dif
ficult to determine whether
the attacks were a renewal of
periodic border clashes or a
major invasion which could
turn Laos Into another Korea.
Denies Invasion
The North Vietnamese news
agency in broadcasting from
Hanoi insisted there had been
no invasion and denied as
"sheer fabrication" reports of
border incursions.
This was the known situa
tion in the Southeast Asia
kingdom which with North
and South Viet Nam and Cam
bodia comprise Indo-China:
-The Pathet Lao Commu
nist Laotian rebels, boasted
they had smashed forces of
pro - American Gen. Phoumi
Nosavan south of Luang Pra
bang. the royal capital.
-"Heavy losses" were in
flicted on the pro -Western
forces north of the city in
three firefights, the Reds
claimed.
Claims Advances
-A Soviet Tass news agency
dispatch quoted leftwing rebel
paralroop Capl. Kong Le as
saying he w a s advancing
against Nosavan's men and
charging that "American, Fili
pino and Thailand" officers
were leading the govcrnnQvt
troops.
-In Kep, a resort in lieigh
boriifCanibodia, exiled neu
tralist Premier Souvanna
Phouma denounced the United
States for its support of Gen.
Nosavan, who forced Sou
vanna to flee early this month.
Souvanna insisted he is still
premier, despite Prince Bonn
Oum's takeover in Vientiane,
but he offered lo resign if
Boun Oum received a con
stitutional man late.
"No Use Making Extra Trips"
oil wmk
Durno Interviews
Stall Candidates
In Capitol Office
Washington -IUPII- Congress
man-elect Edwin R. Durno of
Medford moved into tempo
rary headquarters on Capitol
hill this week end and began
interviewing candidates for
his congressional staff.
The new Fourth district Re-
publican representative also
indicated he has hopes of win
ning a scat on the House In
terior and Insular Affairs com
mittee. Durno said in addition he
was interested in the Inter
state and Foreign Commerce
committee, which has jurisdic
lion over public health mat
ters, or the Public Works com
mittee, which handles river
and harbor development.
Succeeds Porter
The Medford physician, who
succeeds Liberal Democratic
Rep. Charles O. Porter of Eu
gene, took over Republican
Walter Norblad s office lo in
terview applicants for his of-
lice stair. Durno said more
than 350 applicants have ask
ed for jobs in his office.
Durno said he had advised
House Republican leader
Charles A. Halleck, (R-Ind.),
that he would be willing lo
accept an appointment on
cither the Ways and Means or
the Appropriations committee.
But he admitted assignment
on cither committee was un
likely for a freslQan legisla
tor. POPE JOHN PRAYS
Vatican Cily - lUPP - Pope
John XXIII ushered In the
New Year at midnight by stop
ping work on church papers
and kneeling to pray for the
"creating spirit of God to de
scend on a troubled world.
vil
4-i
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Laos
U.S. Warns China,
Viet Nam Against
Armed Invasion
Ike Calls Secret
White House Talks
Washington - ll'PD - Tha
United States, after a secret
shrouded White House confer
ence Saturday on the turbu
lent situation in Laos, warned
Communist China and Red
North Viet Nam against arm
ed intervention in the south
east Asian country.
The state department issued
a statement declaring the Uni
ted States "would take Iho
most serious view of any inter
vention" in the trouble -torn
Laotian situation where a Red
invasion was reported.
The grim American state
ment was issued with Hie ap
proval of President E i s e n-
hower.
It came about five hours
after the Chief Executive met
with his top military, diplo
matic and intelligence ad
visers. Mindful of Obligations
The declaration warned the
Chinese Communists and their
allies that the United States
was "mindful of ils obliga
tions under (he SEATO
treaty," the eight-nation al
liance which pledges the de
fense of any southeast Asian
country against Com munist
aggression.
The state department offic
ially confirmed that foreign
Communists troop had invad
ed Laos but declined publicly
to identify their nationality
or estimate the number. Press
Officer Joseph W. Reap said,
however, that the Invaders
consisted of "certainly much
more than a handful."
American officials said
there undoubtedly would be a
very early meeting, probably
tomorrow, of the SEATO
council, which sits in Bang
kok. Consults With Allies
Reap said the United States
was in consultation with ils
treaty allies - Britain, France,
Australia, New Zealand, Tho
Philippines, Thai land and
Pakistan.
The U.S. statement added
up, in tlie view ot observers,
to an implied threat to invoke
the SEATO treaty if Chinese
Communists or North Vict
Nam forces pushed deeper
into Laos.
Troops under pro-American
Gen. Phoumi Nosavan are try
ing to protect the legal gov
ernment against the onslaught
of the Red-led Pathet Lao
rebels.
Reap said the reports from
Laos "are fragmentary" and
"I am not in a position to de
scribe the nationality, nor Iho
numbers nor the intentions"
of the invading forces.
Viet Nam Suspected
"However," he said, "wo
are satisfied that thoyro.
non-Laotian forces. Presum
ably they arc coming from
North Viet Nam." '
Acting Secretary of Stato
Livingston T. Merchant and
his aides worked late this
New Year's Eve conferring on
latest reports from the strife-
torn southeast Asia kingdom
which stands athwart Com
munist China's path lo south
east Asia.
Secretary of State Chris
itan A. Hertcr, vacationing at
his plantation near Green
Pond, S C., was being kept in
formed by telephone. He was
due to return to Washington
today.
The Slate Department de
clined to say whether Prince
Bonn Oum, premier of tho
pro-American government in
Vientiane, was being encour
aged to ask SEATO to help
him. Boun Oum, In announc-
ng the Communist aJviisinn,
had said that it might bo
necessary to call upuQ Ilia
country's "friends.
WEATHER
FORKCAST: Partly rlotirtv Sun
day and Mnmlay with patch"
nf vallev lo riurlnc early nmrn
inf hour. Htrh Sunday 10. l.-iw
(Sunday night 20. Hlfh .Mon
day 3fl.
Tfrnji
lligheit Velcrdav 4(
Lowest Thli Morning 21
Our Skies Tonight
sun ft today t:ti P m
Sunrlir tomorrow 7:41 .m
IVip. Moon Tur 4:0fi p.m.
today jyid rlHff hlEh,
Full ,Qr.n toriav . 3 :fB pm
Ihfre Mill be two frllpri of Mk
Moon thl rat, Mir flrtt In
Marrh and llir second In Att
luil. Both Hill he vhthlf over
moat of North America.
To S p.m. Yetlerdav . trace
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