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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)
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