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MEDFORD mQL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. OH
Computer Center
Keeps an Abacus
For Emergencies
Cleveland IUPD - The ancient
abacus, one of the first man
made computers, is playing an
emergency stand-by role in
the heart of the $2.5 million
computing center at Case In
stitute of Technology.
The abacus is enclosed in a
wall-mounted glass case.label
ed for "Use in Emergency."
The abacus is noted for its
lack of mechanical parts and
ease of operation. It was orig
inally designed by the Ro
mans and had unils-fives, tens
hundreds, thousands, and so
on - which were represented
by beads which could be mov
ed in grooves.
Case's abacus is similar in
style to the suan-pan still in
use in much of China and
other Asiatic countries. The
Chinese version, which Case
has displayed, uses rods rather
than groves, and although
abaci users add and subtract
more quickly than those using
pencil and paper, multiplica
tion and division problems
present more of a problem.
According to several ex
perts and students of mathe
matics, means of counting
such as the abacus are no
longer necessary, but they are
so convenient and useful that
civilization can never dispense
with them.
The use of the abacus has
increased greatly within the
past few years and the time
may conceivably come when,
in its proper form, the abacus
will again find the common
use of five centuries ago.
The ancient computer still
is prominently used in the So
viet Union.
Legislature Cost Bill
Sent To Gov. Hatfield
Salem-(UPU-The Oregon Sen
ate has passed and sent to
Gov. Mark Hatfield a measure
to allocate 51,250,000 to pay
for the 1961 legislature and
interim costs until the 1963
legislature meets.
Construction Should Show Increase
New Yk - IUPD - The con
struction industry got . a bit
ahead of Itself with, its sharp
rise in 1959, leveled off in
1960 and now appears set to
resume its upward course in
1961.
Industry experts look for
construction to be a sustaining
force in the economy in 1961.
They see particular strength
in residential building and
public works - sufficient to
offset expected declines in
non-residential building and
private building categories.
The Department of Com
merce anticipates a S55.1 bil
lion construction total for
1960, a 2 per cent dip from
the $56.2 billion volume In
record 1959. It estimates a
figure of $57.3 billion for
1961..
The decline in 1960 marked
the first time since the end of
World War II that the build
ing business failed to set new
records. While the 15 per cent
rate of gain enjoyed in 1959
proved impossible to main
tain, the industry in 1960 still
operated well above the 1958
level.
Dr. George C I i n e Smith,
chief economist for the F. W.
Dodge Corp., construction
marketing specialists, looks on
1960 as "the end of an era -the
year in which the last nail
was driven into the coffin of
the post-war period."
Housing Lags
Housing, which had suffer
ed a 16-year hiatus during the
depression and the war, prob
ably was further in arrears
than any other important ac
tivity, and it is not surprising
that it has been among the
last to revert to normal, Smith
said. However, by late 1960,
there was evidence that even
housing was finally falling
into phase with the rest of the
economy.
Nevertheless, Smith feels,
the outlook is bright for the
decade ahead. "The fact is,"
he said, "that markets during
the 60s, for business in gen
eral and for construction in
particular, are going to be co
lossal. What is different is
that competition among sellers
will be fierce, and that buyers
will be more coy and elusive
than they were in the post-war
period. There will be plenty
of business and plenty of
profit, but it will go to those
firms who do the best job of
identifying, locating, studying,
reaching, intriguing and sell
ing their customers."
Housing, with non - farm
starts off to around 1,300,000
units in 1960, compared with
1.531,000 in 1959, was the
chief contributor to the con
struction decline in 1960.
Monetary conditions, with fi
nancing costs up and FHA
and VA-insured mortgages in
poor competitive position,
were to blame in large part
for the housing slowdown.
Pressor Off o
There is evidence - in an
increased vacancy rate and a
weakening market for second
hand houses - that some of the
pressure if off in housing de
mand, at least until the next
big population surge due in
the mid-1980s.
However, the housing peo
ple feel that in 1961 the ef
fects of easier money and pos
sible special government ac
tion will offset any effects of
a further general business
downturn, and it is estimated
starts for 1961 will run to
about 1,325.000. .
And, while over-all housing
h'slff est as
, V i Jag
ADMIRES SHOES - Ten-year-old Betty Radcliffe looks ad
miringly at a collection of miniature shoes on display at a
hobby show in Chicago. The miniature collection is owned
and shown by Miss Betty DeLage of Chicago and won first
prize at the show. (UPI 'Telephoto)
We Wish To Extend
Hearty
F
to the New
Thuhderhird
Market
On the Opening
of Your New Store!
As a pioneer in the grocery business in Medford, we are
indeed proud to welcome you newcomers to Medford as
neighbors and as an addition to the ever-increasing
growth of Medford and its trade area.
Your confidence in the future and your contribution to
a stable economy here is emphatically evidenced by your
investment on such a large scale.
May we again say "CONGRATULATIONS" and wish you
a successful future as a part of our wonderful valley's
industry.
3
Mat acks
o O
demand is less intense than in
recent years, it is pointed out,
the rate of replacement still
is extremely low and there
are millions of sub-standard
dwellings. The basic annual
demand for housing, accord
ing to the experts, is about
1,300.000 units: 900,000 fori
population growth, 300,000 for
replacement, and 100,000 a
year merely to keep the va
cancy rate steady as total
housing stock grows. At some
point, it is generally agreed,
the replacement rate will
have to rise.
Heavy Work Up
Heavy engineering, up 9
per cent In I960, is expected
to rise still further, with a
percentage increase in 1961
expected to be belter than
that of any other major build
ing category. Sparking the
rise will be highway construc
tion, which accounts for about
half the total heavy engineer
ing contract volume. If gen
eral economic activity slack
ens even moderately in 1961,
it is thought, one of the first
anti-recession measures 'could
well be a step-up in the federal-aid
program.
In addition, increasing
awareness of the dangers of
water pollution and more ef
fective regulatory measures
will help boost contracts for
sanitation facilities.
Non-residential building in
1960 set a new all-time high,
paced by sizable increases in
contracts for industrial and
educational buildings. How
ever, the capital spending
cycle which began just after
the 1958 recession appears to
be topping out. Some declines
are in prospect in industrial
and commercial . building
which will offset gains In oth-
er'seetors to result in an over
all decline in non-residential
activity of around 2 per cent.
Ashland Chamber
President Calls
For More Effort
Ashland - President A. C.
Fries Jr. called for more in
dividual effort on the part of
members during 1961 at the
Ashland Chamber of Com
merce meeting Tuesday in the
Mark Antony hotel..
Fries said he hopes the
chamber's income can be in
creased this year; "This can
only be done through an ex
panded membership," he said.
"The chamber has done ex
ceptionally well with what we
have had to work with in the
past," he said. Fries men
tioned that a prospective mem
ber list of over 100 names has
been prepared as a start in a
membership campaign.
In outlining other 1961
chamber goals Fries said the
proposed $165,000 ski resort
on Mt. Ashland would receive
as much help as the chamber
can give.
Airport Committett Report -
He said the chamber airport
committee has learned it is
not feasible to attempt to
build an airport that would
accomodate large commercial
passenger planes. The propos
al arose originally when it
was thought development of
an airport would make it pos
sible for planes to land in the
Rogue valley when the Med
ford airport was fogged in.
However, Fries said the fed
eral aeronautics administra
tion had advised against such
a plan because of complica
tions presented by mountain
ous terrain in the Ashland
area.
"However, we can develop
the present airport into a first
i class small plane port," Fries
said. The FAA has recom
mended extending the present
runway an additional 500 feet
and widening it 50 feel, he
said.
More Picnic Areai
! Fries also called for devel
opment of more picnic and
I pleasure driving areas in the
j Ashland vicinity. "The pres
sure on Lithia park is becom-
ing more than the park facil-
ilics can handle," Fries said.
He mentioned Mt. Ashland,
I Grizzly peak and Wagner
j butte as possible areas which
could be considered for de
! velopmenl.
! The possibility of encourag-
1 ing some organization to stage
a regatta on Emigrant lake
i was also mentioned. The coun
ty court's approval would
I have to be secured for such a
project, Fries said.
Plans for highway signs on
approaches to Ashland arc
also being completed, Fries
told the group. He said a slo
gan for the city is needed.
! New chamber organization
plans call for elimination of
many standing committees
now existing, the president re
vealed. He said new commit
tees will be appointed at the
chamber luncheon next Tuesday.
lift
SUPER
MARKET
WEST MAIN AT ROSS LANE
St. Louis Cardinal
Gets Red Hat Symbol
Vatican City -OTII- Joseph
Cardinal Rltter of St. Louis
received the red hat symbolic
of his office from Pope John
XXIII Wednesday, along with
three other , newly created
cardinals. '
TH0R3a9. JANUARY 19, 1961 ; .-jj
JANUARY 19, 20, 21
Open Until 9 p.m.
THURSDAY and FRIDAY
Bed Divans 5995
Platform Rockers 995
Sleepers
Foam Cuihions, Nylon Fabric
Recliners ,.P.iJd 3995
7-Pc. Daveno Groups T2995
3- Pc. Plastic Top BR Sets E?r 1 2995
510 (oil Mattress Sets
Foam Mattress Sets 9850
2-Pc. Bedroom Set ,; 9850
5-Pc. Dinettes 3750
7-Pc. Dinettes 69?
4- Burner Elec. Range 119
Norge Refrigerators 14950
Automatic Washers ,cy. 17995
Electric Clothes Dryers I I?95
20-H. Upright Freezer 26950
100 Wool Carpet 39Yi
Candy Stripe Carpet 2"
100 Hi Low Wool Wilton 59.5,
i
HUNDREDS OF OTHER ITEMS
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