Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, January 13, 1961, Image 1

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Medford mail tribune., January 13, 1961, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Texto O 0 Co o o o o o o lntfoductioi) Regional Edition Medford 18 Pages UNEMPLOYMENT 4.5 Million Out Of December Jobs For 20-Year High Washington - IUPD - Unem ployment shot up to 4,540,000 last month, the highest De cember jobless level in 20 years, the government re , ported today. - From November to Decem ber, the number of persons out of work and looking for jobs jumped by 509,000, which was three times more than the normal. The Labor Department also disclosed in its monthly re port on the job situation that in the last week of December about three million persons were collecting unemploy ment insurance, the greatest number ever for a Christmas week. The big December rise lifted the national jobless rate to 6.8 per cent compared to .6.3 per cent in November. This meant that 68 out of ev ery 1,000 men, women and teen-agers in the labor force were looking for jobs last ' month. Kennedy Faces Problem The December jobless fig ure made it virtually certain that when President -e 1 e c t John F. Kennedy takes office Jan. 20, there will be about 5.5 million Americans unem ployed. Economists consider an un employment rate above 5 per cent a symptom of weakness in the economy. January usu ally sees unemployment go up by about one million.! The total number of job holders dropped by 1,173,000 in December, a greater than seasonal decline. The report showed that the number of jobs declined in December in all 21 manufac ' turing industry groups tabu lated by the Labor Depart ment. Manufacturing employment last month totaled 15,846,000. This was 288,000 less than in November and 638,000 jobs less than December, 1959. Commenting on the upward trend of joblessness since last May, Seymour Wolfbcin, dep uty assistant secretary of lab or, said: "The real brunt of this is being taken by the factory production worker." He said that from a peak last February, the number of jobs In steel, one of the weakest in dustries in the latter part of 1960, dropped by 200,000. More recently, auto work ers have been laid off follow ing a high rate of production early in the autumn. Further cutbacks and probably layoffs are scheduled for January. Price Says Agriculture Hurt by Surpluses Salcm-IUPII-Dean F. E. Price of the Oregon State college "school of agriculture said . Thursday that all of agri culture has been hurt by farm surpluses "but we must move into the problem of agricultural adjustments in telligently." Price, director of OSC's ag ricultural extension service, addressed Oregon dairymen. "It Must Be Fine To Have A College Education" MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, JANUARY uplift in ;tk INDIAN WOMAN Mrs. Amanda Cowen, Chiloquin, Ore., is 105-years-oId, records of the Indian bureau of the department of the interior show. Mrs. Cowen was born on what is now the Klamath Indian reservation near Beatty, Ore., in 1855. She attributes being a Christian, prayer and never drinking or smoking, for her long life. Indian Woman, 105, Is Now in Ashland Amanda Cowen, 105, of Chiloquin, Ore., attributes her long life to being a Christian, never drinking or smoking. and praying before each meal and at bedtime. At 105, Mrs. Cowen is one of the oldest Change Told For Ashland Phones Pacific Telephone - North west company today an nounced a change in plans for Ashland's telephone number ing system when the new cen tral office is activated in May, according to J. H. Creager, local manager. A new nationwide system known as all number calling (ANC) will be used for tele phone numbers here rather than the two letters and five numbers previously an nounced, Creager said. A typical Ashland phone number will look like this - 2-0010 instead of MU 2-0010. By adopting the ANC plan in May, a second number change in the future will be avoided. The big advantage of ANC that it makes some 800 usable central office prefixes available. Using two letters and five numbers allows only about 540. The Ashland telephone di rectory is scheduled to be de livered a few days before the new numbers are put into service in May and telephone number assignments will be made shortly in advance of the change, Creager said. The discarded prefix, MU 2, has exactly the same location on a phone dial as 682 so the only real change in the num bering plan in Ashland is the way the numbers are written, Creager adocd. living persons on the earth. She is a full-blooded Klamath Indian. She is currently confined to bed, seriously ill. Mrs; Edna Boyd. 105 Bush St., Ashland, her granddaughter, says Mrs. Cowen doesn't recognize members of her own family now. Mrs. Cowen has witnessed much of the history of Ore gon. She has outlived most of her children and has played an important role in helping preserve the Klamath Indian language and legends. Mrs. Cowen's age is veri fied by the U. S. government. The Indian affairs branch of the department of the interior Portland has records of Klamath births and they show Amanda was born in 1855, on what is now the Klamath In dian reservation near Beatty, Ore. Her name then was Amanda Jim. Shooting Sends Man To Hospital Harold Charles Burnctle, 28, Gold Hill, is in critical condition at Mcdford's Sacred Heart hospital after being shot in the neck at about 2 o clock this morning in Gold Hill. Jackson county sheriff's deputies said Burnette, Nellie Lcona Donwody, 37, and Ralph Littlcfield, all of Gold Hill, were examining a rifle when it discharged. The shoot ing occurred at Miss Don- wody's home on 10th st., out side the city limits. The home is situated on a hill above the Hanby school. Sheriff's deputies said Miss Donwody was holding the weapon when it went on, striking Burnette in the neck. He was rushed to the hospital and was still undergoing sur gery shortly before noon to day. The woman has been taken into custody by the sheriff's department for questioning about the shooting. She has been charged with pointing a weapon at another person, deputies said. Littlcfield is also being questioned, they said. Indoor Activities Program Scheduled Indoor recreation programs will start tomorrow at five schools in Medford. City Rec reation Supervisor Ken Lyons said today. Schools participating In the program are Howard. Mc Loughlin Junior High, Wilson, Washington and Hoover. The program starts tomor row and will continue each Saturday until Feb. 25 from 10 to until noon, and from 1 to 3 p.m. Portland -1'Pfr- Mn. Gladys1 Lee and 45. Portland, was struckj Triumph which went to the killed in a traffic ecci-iaid of the Mermaid on late dent here Thursday. It as Portland's second 1,891 traffic 55th Tribune 13, 1961 SHOWS RIS Sharp Protest Fails as House OKs Measure Salem -IUPD- A measure to, "I don't believe the people repay legislators for out-of-J dreamed they were voting on pocket expenses passed the a resolution of this kind," Bar House of Representatives by a !" YJTU vote of 42-18 this morning -but only after Rep. George Layman, R-Newberg, labelled the proposal a "subterfuge" in a sharp speech of protest on the House floor. Rep. Clarence Barton, D-Co- quille, led the supporters of the measure, and denied that it was an indirect method of increasing salaries, a plan that voters defeated last May. Layman conceded present legislators' pay was "grossly inadequate, as everyone knows." "But we are bound, if not legally, at least morally to the vole of the people," he told the House, "we must not play games with the voter and play with words." Transient Pleads Guilty To Charge Of Armed Robbery Thomas Ernest Smoot, 57 year - old transient charged with the armed robbery of a Safeway store here, pleaded guilty in circuit court yester day afternoon. His case was continued pending receipt of an FBI report. Although Smoot said he did not desire a pre-sentence in vestigation, Circuit Judge Ed ward C. Kelly said armed rob bery could bring a life sen tence in the state peniten tiary. A thorough pre-sentence investigation is warrant ed in such a case, he said. Smoot is charged with the robbery of the former Safe way store at 130 North Bart lett si. on Dec. 2. He was ap prehended by Medford police near the store a few minutes after the crime. He had a re volver and a sack stuffed with $599 in currency when arrested. Imposition of sentence was suspended for three years on Francis Brown, 20, Gold Hill, charged with burglary not in a dwelling. He was charged specifical ly with the burglary of Wi- mer school on Oct. 18 when $5 was taken. He had also ad mitted to other burglaries and thefts in Jackson county and the state. Judge Kelly ordered Brown to make restitution and pay any damages. New High Recorded In Employment Salcm-flJPIi-Gcncral employ ment in Oregon set a new high record in 1960 and em ployers subject to unemploy ment tax payments reached an all-lime high, the Oregon Employment Department said Thursday. Employment Director David Cameron said in a year-end summary that 737,900 jobs in Oregon last August shattered the old peak of 724,000 In August, 1959. Four Vessels Missing in Heavy Seas Off Astoria, Ore. -HOT- Moun tainous seas off the mouth of the Columbia river today smashed a rescue attempt that left one man dead, six missing and feared drowned and four small vessels lost. Four of the missing men were coast guardsmen. One man washed ashore on the beach alive. The 30-foot crab boat Mer maid and three Coast Guard vessels were lost. The missing coast guards men were among the six crew members of the 52-foot vessel ! Thursday as a gale struck the i cnent. The Triumph wits c; lied ti'wr tlia 40-footorriv'r. Year Price 10 Cents No. 256 legislative expenses, and we have a great deal of it." "I vote in favor of the meas ure with a happy heart and a clear conscience," Barton ad ded. Layman said he considered the expense plan wide open to abuse. "All of our members being human beings," he said, "there will be a tendency to include even part of our home expense. The resolution provides up to $75 for expenses during the session and $150 a month dur ing the interim. Expenses cov ered include telephone calls, office costs, and postage. Honorable Men Barton said, "We are hon orable men-I have no fear of abuse-people in our commu nities trust and approve of us and that's why we are here." Since the governor's signa ture is not necessary on a res olution, the expense provi sions become effective imme diately. The resolution passed the benate unanimously Mon day, but later Sen. Carl Fran cis, R-Daylon, said he would not have voted for it if it had been read in full on the Sen ate floor. A court test on the resolu tion is possible. Secretary of State Howell Appling Jr. said he would not make the funds available if the proposal ap peared illegal, but he said he would have to study the reso lution before giving any opin ion on its legality. Considers U Legal House GOP Minority Lead er F. F. Montgomery of Eu gene said he considered the measure legal, even though he opposed it. Layman said he felt legal pitfalls lay ahead of the reso lution. Two Republicans in the House spoke in favor of the proposal. Rep. Stafford Han sell, R-Hcrmiston, said he con sidered it "the only avenue that is open to us." Rep. Grace Peck, D-Porl-land, told the House, "I go without a lot of things to come down to the legislature." Rep. John Dcllenbeck, R Medford, opposed the measure and said "We are obliged to act, so that what we do cannot be misconstrued." He said he fell action to raise salaries "must come eventually." Voting against the resolu tion were Reps. Layman, George Annala, D-IIood River, Victor Atiyeh, R-Porlland, Kessler Cannon, R-Bend, Mrs. E. G. Chuinard, R-Portland, Leon Davis, R-Hillsboro, John Dcllenbeck, R-Mcdford, Rob ert Elfstrom, R-Salem, Harry Elliott, R-Tillamook, Carlton Fisher, R-Eugene, George Flit craft, R-Klamath Falls, Wil liam Gwinn, R-Albany, Doug las Hciricr, R-Salem, Carrol Howe, R-Klamath Falls, Win ton Hunt, R-Woodburn, Ar thur Ireland, R-Forest Grove, Ken Maher, R-Portland, and F. F. Montgomery, R-Eugene. Lost, One Man which earlier had the Mer maid In tow was pounded by high seas and asked for help. Also missing were the two crew members of the Mer maid, Bert and Stanley Berg man, Ilwaco, Wash. One of the missing coast guardsmen was taken on the Mermaid after the Triumph's tow line snapped and It capsized. Three others of the Triumph's crew were missing and two others washed ashore, one dead. Dead was Boatswain Mate l.C. John Culp, 32, Hammond, Ore. En&inemen 3.C. Gordon E. Huggins, 22, Vancouver, Wash., was found In a slat of shock on the Washington Hide j of the mouth ol'tha Columbia V 1 land K-i rk- QUESTIONED Robert Kennedy, brother of President-elect John F. Kcnnedv, appeared before the Senate judiciary committee this morning to be questioned on his nomination to be attorney general in the new admin- 60 Appropriation Bills Introduced Into House Today Salem-lllPll-More than 60 ap propriation bills, at least half of the measures needed to carry out Gov. Mark Hat field's $359 million two-year budget, hit the floor of the House today. At the same lime, a resolu tion was introduced to lower the voting age in Oregon from 21 to 18. It is sponsored by Rep. Katherine Musa, D-The Dalles, and others. A similar measure last session tailed to reach the floor. The change would require a constitution al amendment. The 62 budget bills were introduced by the ways and means committee, where they will return for extensive com mittee probe into Hatfield's budget requests. Another set of bills, calling for tax revisions, was intro duced at the request of the state tax commission. One of these would permit taxation of plants and crops growing on agricultural land. Other Tax Measures Other tax measures would authorize taxation of both in trastate and interstate busi ness carried on by the same corporation, authorize action by the attorney general in net income tax recovery cases, de fine employers for withhold ing purposes, and require pa trons of cooperatives to in clude such earnings and sav ings in income reports. Six measures drafted by the interim committee on high ways were introduced. Among them were proposals to set a $25 fee for common and con tract carrier permits, a $25 fee for hearings, a $25 fee for special mobile equipment, and a 25-cent service charge for vehicle registration. The student driver training fund would be Increased from $30,000- to $40,000 under a bill introduced by Rep. W. O. Kelsay, D-Roscburg. Kelsay also sponsored a bill to set up safety regulations for boilers and pressure ves sels. WEATHER Fnrerast: Cloudy with occa sional rain tnnlchl. Partial clear ing and tilifiwers Saturday. Snow level about 2,500 feet. I.nw to night 32. High Saturday 38-U. Tl'.MI'KilA TUrlH Mifihrst YPKtprdav , 1fi Lowest This Mornlne TZ I'UKCII'lTATIOtV To 10 a.m. Today 01 Our Skies Tonipht Siin&rt today 5:0? p. in Siiiirir tomorrow 7:19 a.m. Mwmrii tomorrow .... 5:n a.m. Nw Monti Jan. IB VISIIll.K PI.ANFTS Venus, low In west R:2.5 p.m. Mars, high In south 10:53 p.m. Veniu Is now ahont ? 3 million titles from the earth. Mara li thout o million miles awiy. Dead, Six River Mouth The Coast Guard identified its four missing men as John S. Hoban, 27, Boatswain Mate 2.C., Independence, Mo.; Jo seph E. Petrin, 21, Engine man 3.C., Ronton, Wash.; Gor don F. Sussex, 21, seaman, Bcllevuc. Wash., and Ralph E. Mace, 19, seaman, Vashon, Wash, The Triumph apparently capsized as It turned to fasten another tow line. The 40 foot vessel which had trans ferred its town line to the Tri umph, went down. Its crew was picked up by a 38-foot boat which took the men to the Columbia rivor lightship. But the 3fi-footcr took such a iHiufidir.g that It, tw, Vftit Bengtson In Hands Grunts Pass - Final argu ments in the O. H. Bengtson trial in Josephine county cir cuit court were presented this morning and after instructions by Judge Orval Millard, the jury retired for deliberation t 12:05 this afternoon. In final arguments by the defense, Attorney Richard Carney, Portland, accused the stale of trying to distract the jury with side issues and to shift the burden of proof. He said that the case involved one person's word against an other. Instructions to the jury last ed about 35 minutes. During the trial proceed ings Carney had made five motions tor mistrial and two motions tor direct judgments! of acquittal. They were all denied, A surrcbutlal by the de- Mayor Snider Vetoes Ordinance For Bus Benches Mayor John W. Snider of Medford today vetoed a city council ordinance that would have given the Crater Bench company a one-year franchise to place bus waiting benches in the city. In a rare use of his veto power, Mayor Snider said: Although I believe in the comfort and convenience af forded by well placed street benches, I cannot in good con science approve of the use of commercial advertising to at tain them." It would take a two - thirds majority of the council to override the mayor's veto. The council at its Jan. 5 meeting had approved the franchise by a 6 to 2 vote. The two councihncn who voted against the franchise, Bill Singlcr and Stanley Stark, had also been opposed to advertising on the benches. The franchise would have been Issued to Die Walsh, doing business as the Crater Bench company. Walsh had argued in favor of his pro posal at four consecutive coun cil meetings. Walsh, who said he had the backing of the Crater Lions club, told the council that all net profits from the advertis ing on the benches would go to tlie Lions club. Under terms of the franchise, the company would have paid the city $2.50 per bench per year. Regarding Ihr fee to be paid the city, Mayor Snider said: "I respect the proponents of the plan for their desire to do a community service, but I must disapprove of the pro portionately small amount of revenue that would accrue to the direct benefit of Medford taxpayers." In place of benches having advertising, the mayor sug gested that citizens donate ad verllsing-frce benches to the city. He said: "It is my Inten tion to donate the first bench without any advertising or In scrlption, in memory of my father. I want to encourage others to Join me in providing benches for the use of all who would find rest and comfort In their use It was also pointed out by the mayor that, "In the past we (the council) have rejected offers to sell advertising space on parking meters. By resist ing these end other offers, we have preserved the dignity of a city that has gained a repu- toilon t'C llO'xfl (VmethintP istration. At left is Sen. Benjamin Smith, D-Mass., who has taken over John Ken nedy's seal in the Senate. The committee approved without objection the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy as attorney general. (UPI Telephoto) Case Now of Jury tense Thursday afternoon pre ceded arguments in the trial charging Bengtson, Medford lawyer and former secretary of the Medford Escrow com pany, wilh embezzling $1,700 from the firm. Bengtson was recalled to testify by the defense follow ing the noon recess. He iden tified two checks he had re ceived from two Insurance companies and an envelope and letter which was reported to have been left on his desk May 1, 1960, by Mrs. Rachell Peterson Carter. The defendant also tcsli fled that when Mrs. Carter did not report for work May 1 at the Medford Escrow com pany he discovered the com- pany s account "down to $1,200" and made arrange ments to borrow $20,000 from a sister In St. Louis, Mo. Asked by Carney why he felt he should put his money into me company to cover the shortages, Bengtson start ed to cry. He stated that "a large per centage of the Escrow clients were my clients. I have trust ed that girl (Mrs. Carter) as I would a sister. My first thought was to protect those clients until 1 could get fur ther into it and see what the situation was." The defendant further testi fied that he discussed the mat ter with District Attorney Thomas J. Reedcr on May 9, 1960, who, he said, suggested that he contact the Medford city police as more informa tion was obtained. At the close of the surre- buttal Carney again moved for a judgment of acquittal. During final arguments by the state, Paul Haviland, spe cial prosecutor, mentioned that Mrs. Carter received nothing for writing the $1,700 check on the Medford Escrow company account and deposit ing it in Benglson's personal account. He said that Bengt son 's actions immediately aft er Mrs. Carter left the firm were not "normal." These In cluded contacting his attorney in Eugene, borrowing $20,000, contacting a certified public accountant and the district attorney. He mentioned the specific lack of information as 'o a purchase contract for the Es crow company and accused Bengtson of "hiding behind a woman's skirt." Approximately 40 persons have been attending the trial sessions since it got under way Jan. 5. A vote of at least 10 to 2 is require for the Jury of eight women and three men to return a guilty or in nocent verdict. Realtor Talks About Stadium Proposal John Wolsbrod, Medford realtor, made a vigorous, but apparently futile attempt, to convince the county court this morning that Jackson county should have a large athletic stadium. Weisbrod urged the county court to put the $413,000 stadium proposal before the county budget committee when it meets this spring. County Judge Earl Miller sug gested Weisbrod put the prop osition before the committee himself. The realtor said It Is neces sary to have borrow pits for Pacific freeway construction and one large borrow pit in the general location of the present ball park south of Medford would be sufficient for Jhis section, Tha excava Committees Meet For Taste of New Finance Methods Equalized Flat Grant Most Explosive Bill Salem-aiPD-The Senate and House Education committees met jointly Thursday and got their first taste of a revolu tionary new way to financa public elementary and hi;;lj schools in Oregon. The joint group asked lop swift introduction of 29 bills recommended by the interim committee on education, with finance and transportation measures going to the Senata and the rest to the House. Most explosive bill is o:io to create an "equalized flat grant" (EFG) system of dis tributing state aid to public schools. Purpose is to equaliza the school tax burden but a number of legislators have ex pressed concern that it ad versely affects their individu al districts. Rep. Carrol Howe, R-Klamath Falls, said the proposed system would result in a $198,000 loss of state aid to Klamath county. Opposs "All Way" Howe, a former superin tendent of the Klamath Coun ty School District, said ha will oppose EFG "all the way" in its present form. A second major bill would increase basic school support by 6 per cent, bringing tha state's share of local school costs to 42 per cent or about $61 million a year. Thirteen measures were in troduced in the House Thurs day, one an AFL-CIO request bill calling for a $1.25 an hour minimum wage. Thirteen bills were intro duced in the Senate including one covering most of Gov. Mark Hatfield's cabinet gov ernment plan. Sponsors ara Sens. Walter J. Pearson, D- Portland, and Anthony Ytur- ri, R-Ontario. The measure, consolidating many agencies, would create six "cabinet" departments-labor, social services, commerce, natural resources, public safe- ty and transportation and utilities. Tax Commission Out A seventh new department would be revenue-doing away with the state tax commission. The Senate's 22-7 override of Hatfield's veto last session of an ' industrial accident change is not expected to hava much support in the house. The Senate has a Demo cratic edge of 20-10 but House Democrats enjoy only a two vote majority, 31-29. The ve toed bill would allow injured workers to choose their own doctor and have the state pay for it. Planning Group Elects Officers Jack Edson was elected chairman of the Medford city planning commission last night". He will succeed Paul Selby, whose term on the com mission expired last year. Harold Snodgrass was elect ed vice chairman. One new commission mem ber, Larry Horton, was pres ent at last night's meeting. Another new member, Walter Higgins, was unable to attend. Horton and Higgins are re placing Selby and Terry Green whose terms of offlca have expired. The two new members will each serve a four-year term. Other commission members are Donald Walters, Elwood Hcdbcrg Jr., and Charles Crary. Charleston, S. C- IUPD -Two destroyers engaged in maneu vers off the North Carolina coast collided early today, tha Navy announced. No one was injured, but both ships were damaged. With Court tion would form the base for the stadium, he explained. Robert Hunter, representing Houck and Sons Construction company, Salem, suggested that such a borrow pit ba made available to all of tha highway contractors, not one. Ho questioned the $15,000 total sale price of the fill ma terial which Weisbrod said could be removed from tha pit, but seemed to think it was a fair price after Weisbrod ex plained his reasoning. He said he did not know Weisbrod was going to appear before tha court, but had come to find out about the proposed bor row pit after reading Weis brod's proposal in the Mail Tribune recently. All the con tractors are scouting for bor row pits or fill ia!.rial no, ha laid. '( ft 4) 0 0 0