Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, January 23, 1961, Image 1

Historic Oregon Newspapers

Medford mail tribune., January 23, 1961, Image 1

Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR

About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 1961)

Page of 16 Next Prev Issue Next Text PDF JP2 (2.8 MB) Clip/Print Image

Return to Top

Page of 16 Next Prev Issue Next

Newspaper Page TextJ H of icy Rogue Valley Edition Medford 16 Pages arty Lines Tighten at I t ; r M y-pr ft - -- . RETURNING The nation's capital is grad ually returning to normalcy after a hectic week of inaugural activities. Larry White of the Ace Wrecking company, Washington, D.C., goes about the task of tearing down Adams Pleads Guilty to Charge; Sentenced to Life Keith Duane Adams, 32, Central Point, was sentenced to life imprisonment this morning after pleading guilty to a charge of second degree murder. Adams was charged with beating and strangling his ex wife, Hazel Jean Adams, 23," of 1204 Withington St., Med ford, last Aug. 4. The killing occurred while the woman slept, and in lull view of the two Adams' children, a 10-year-old boy and eight-year-old girl, according to police reports. Adams' attorney, Robert Dickey, asked Circuit Judge James M. Main to reduce the charge from first to second degree murder. His motion was granted. In his arguments for the motion, Dickey said that if the defendant was tried on the first degree murder charge before a jury the out come would be the same. Adams would probably re ceive a mandatory life sen tence for first degree murder. Dickey indicated he would seek a jury trial if the first degree murder charge re- . niained. Washington Gets Interstate Compact Ol.vniDia. Wash.- IUPI1-A bill to ratify the Columbia Inter state Compact for develop ment of the Columbia river watershed was introduced to day in the House. An identical bill was intro duced in the Senate. Legislatures of Washington Oregon, Idaho and Montana must ratify the compact, sign ed Inst October in Spokane by representatives of seven states. Wyoming, Utah and Ne vada may participate if their legislatures also approve the document. The Washington legislature has never acted on previous compact proposals, although Idaho approved similar pacts In 1955 and 1957. The new compact gives less power to members of the com mission to be appointed from member states. Their role would be largely recommenda tory. A joint development agree ment lias already been signed at the international level by former President Eisenhower and Canadian" Prime Minister John Dicfenbacher. WEATHER FORKCAST: partly rlmirly in nictii and Tuesday inornitiR. witli x (ew fo patches Tuesday moriilne. I nr renin cloudiness Tuesday afternoon. Orcaslnnal rain bv late afternoon or eve nine, Low tonight JS. High Tuesday 60- Temp, Htshrst Yesterday G.l I, invest This Mnrntnc 4fi Prerip. to 10 a.m. Today 03 Our Skies Tonight Sunset today Sunrise tomorrow Moonset tomorrow .... First Quarter today . PROMINKNT STARS Slrhn. Mes Reciilus. rise VlStni.K PLANETS Mar, tn the east Venus, low tn west ... 5:11 p.m. l :jj a.m. 1:3 a.m. 8:14 l.m. 8:0ft n m. 1:15 p.m. :?! p.m. 8:43 p.m. MEDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY, JANUARY 23, 1961 mi:" the stands in the Capitol plaza. The stand from which President Kennedy gave his inaugural address is still standing at right, center. (UPI Telephoto) State Tax Court Bill Introducted By Sen. Ben Salem -IUPD- Sen. Ben Musa, D-The Dalles, said today he will introduce a bill for crea tion of a State Tax Court as an alternative, to a bill already introduced that would make the court- elected by the peo ple. The bill to be introduced a second time provides that the governor could appoint the tax appeals court. This is one Four Die on Roads During Week End By United Press International Four persons met death in Oregon highway accidents during the week end. In addi tion an Oregon youth died in an Idaho accident and an other man died from injuries suffered in a Jan. 12 mishap. Mrs. Edna Taylor, 51, Mad ras, was killed Sunday in a two car crash just south of De troit Dam on Highway 22. Her husband, Clair Taylor, was injured critically. Three persons died in two accidents in Portland early Saturday. Elizabeth Crawford and Susan Anderson, 15, were killed when the car in which they were riding struck a pow er pole. John Evans, 25, was injured fatally in a two-car accident. Douglas Neal, 18, Ontario, was killed in a two-car acci dent near Payette, Idaho. Howard P. Moslcy, Rose burg, died in a Eugene hos pital from injuries suffered in a two-car accident near Rose burg, Jan. 12. Duncan Names Six To Counsel Group Salem-IUPII - House Speaker Robert B. Duncan has nounced the six house mem bers of the Legislative Coun scl Committee for the 1961-63 biennium. Named to the committee were Reps. George Van Hoom issen, D-Portland; Edward Fadcly, D-Eugenc; Clinton Haieht Jr. D-Baker; C. R. Hoyt, R-Corvallis; and Carrol I Howe, R-Klamath tails. As speaker, Duncan will re main on the committee ns its sixth House member. The Legislative Counsel committee, which has live Senate members, supervises a legislative drafting, research and revision staff during and after the session. Deputies Investigate Burglary at School Sheriffs deputies this morn ing were investigating t h e burglary of Eagle Point High school Saturday night. Deputies said thieves broke out a window in the sfiiith side of the building, entered and took a cash drawer con taining about $40. 55th Year Tribune which Gov. Mark Hatfield ve toed last session. , 1 Under both bills,., the Court would be made up: of one judge at first, elected or ap pointed for six years. The tax court would be comparable to Circuit Court but would hear only tax matters and appeals would be made direct to the State Supreme court. The measure for an elective tax court, SB 137, was intro duced at the request of the State Bar and the Oregon So ciety of Certified Public Ac countants. Musa, himself a CPA, said the reason he is introducing the second bill is that some legislators favor a tax court appointed by the governor. "This way, we have a choice," he said. Wants This Session Musa said the important thing is to establish some kind of tax appeals court this ses sion. The legislation would strip the State Commission of its appeals authority. Any citizen or firm could appeal a tax squabble to the tax court. There is a small claims provision to enable citi zens to appeal small amounts without having to pay Circuit court costs that often make small appeals financially not feasible. The Senate Judiciary com mittee today introduced a bill that would allow persons to remarry in Oregon 40 days af ter a divorce is final. The pres ent waiting period is six months. At the request of the City of Portland, the committee on local government introduced two bills dealing with air and water pollution. Both strength en versions of similar bills re quested by the authority itself, Balmy Weather on Coast Draws Hundreds By United Press International Balmy week end weather sent Oregonians to the beach es in numbers rivaling mid summer. Temperatures reached 72 de grees in the shade at Depoe Bay. Some coastal residents said the number of visitors was the largest they could remember in January. Belgium's Brussels - d'Pli - Belgium's month long, crippling strike wave ended today when 150. 000 die-hard workers went back to their jobs. The strike against the gov ernment's austerity program formally ended shortly after dawn as the thousands of former strikers trooped into heavy industry and mechani cal plants in southern Bel gium's Liege and Charlcrol re gions. But the memory and the bitterness of the strike linger ed on. Leaders feared the five weeks of violence, which left five, perten dead and at least .4- Price 10 Cents No. 264 Salem Third Week Brings Double Challenge By Mark Hatfield Salem-IUPD-Democrats who control the 1961 Oregon leg islature swung into the third week of the session today with a double challenge from GOP Gov. Mark Hatfield a fight to me linisli in 1861 over moving the public welfare commission from Portland to Salem, and a battle for the governorship in 1D62. Hatfield s declaration on the welfare commission, the session's first outright promise of defiance from the executive branch, came during a Port la n d television interview, when the governor said flatly: "We're going to move it to Salem." The comment came after Hatfield described as "legis lative interference" a bill by Rep. Grace Peck (D-Portland) and other Democrats to pro hibit the move, which Hat field has ordered for next spring. "Blackmail" Charged Hatfield also labeled as "political blackmail" a state ment by Sen. Walter Pearson (D-Portland) that if Hatfield vetoes the bill the the legisla ture could "get even" with him in other ways. Hatfield's declaration that he would run for ' governor again in 1962 promised furth er to tighten up party lines between himself and key Democratic leaders, among them House Speaker Robert Duncan (D-Medford) who has been mentioned as a possible Democratic gubernatorial can didate. Hatfield made his challenges on the eve of his personal ap pearance at a legislative hear ing in support of one of his pet aims a cabinet system of government for Oregon. Evening Appearanca The governor will testify before the Joint State and Federal Affairs committees Tuesday evening on his gov ernment reorganization plan which must have Democratic support in order to become a reality. Pearson, one of Hatfield's chief opponents in the welfare commission fight, will head the hearing. Other controversial issues were on the agenda this week, among them hearings on taxes for fraternal organizations, a proposed cigarette tax, and a commercial code that would affect almost every Oregon business. The Senate Education com mittee was scheduled to take up several appointments for confirmation, and Sen. Wil liam Gresnfcll (D-Portland) said he would fight confirma tion of Dean E. B. Lemon to the State Scholarship commis sion. More Snow Reported At Crater Lake The sun was shining at Crater Lake National park this morning, after the head quarters area there received IVt inches of new snow dur ing the night. Park officials in Medford said that Sunday's high at the lake was 30 with a low of 23, It was reported to be 30 de grees there at 8 o'clock today. r'urrnntlv flfl inphps nf unnw Is renorted on the ground at headquarters. This is reported ing still goes on in Oregon but to be less than average, but at a slower pace than in pro more than for the same time hibilion days slate und federal last year. officials said today. Long Strike Ends $180 million in damage would topple t h c Social Christian government of Pre mier Gaston Eyskens. The death toll rose to five today with the death of Jean Bourdct. 25, father of four. Bourdet was fatally Injured In the Jan. 6 riots In Liege, al though he was only running an errand when a stray bullet pierced his neck. Although the workers were back at their jobs, some plants reported a severe shortage of raw materials and warned they may have to lay off per sonnel until supplies build up. With the return of the A mt: iMhmM U TACKLE PLANS President John F. Kennedy and his key advisors tackled plans today for adjusting U.S. defense strength to the foreign policy of his administration. The Seven Men Die in Carrier Blaze Judge Sentences Bengtsonto State Penitentiary Grants Pass - O. H. Bcngl son, Medford lawyer, was sen tenced to an indeterminate pe riod in the Oregon state peni tentiary not to exceed two years by Circuit Judge Orval Millard this morning. Bengtson was found guilty of embezzlement Jan. 13 by a Grants Pass jury. Sentencing this morning was delayed by statements given in court by attorneys for both sides. This sentence is to run con secutively with a sentence Bengtson had received In an earlier trial on similar charg es in connection with the fail ure of the Medford Escrow company. He had been pre viously sentenced to three years in the Uregon correc tional institution. Immediately following the sentencing today, Leo Levcn son, Portland, one of the de fense attorneys, filed an ap peal. Bail was set at $10,000 ana was immediately posiea oy Mr. and Mrs. Homer J. Bringle, Medford. Bengtson is now free on a total of $20,- 500 bail. Two motions by the defense were denied this morning by Judge Millard. One was to ar rest judgment and the otlier was for a new trial. Statements In statements prior to the sentencing Paul Havnana, court-appointed prosecutor, staled that shortages in the Medford Escrow company will total about $67,000. This amount was also given by Frank Knox, Medford, a wit ness called by the state. He added that this figure was not the result of a certified audit, but only a personal investiga tion of the Escrow company's accounts. Levenson claimed that an audit of the accounts by a Portland certified public ac countant will show that the defendant is out $7,000. Bengtson stated that once fhr audit is complete and "the truth comes out, I am sure I will be vindicated." In pronouncing sentence the judge noted that the defendant is an attorney and "when you start handling someone else's money, you had better know what you are doing. It is my opinion that he had complete control of the Medford Escrow company at all times. Portland -flJPIl- Moonshin strikers, the nation slowly went about the business of getting back lo normal. Both sides claimed a moral victory. Socialist strike lead ers said Ihey had set the stage for dissolution of parliament and a reversal of party power in elections Ihis spring. The government said it won bv maintaining order and pushing through the contro versial "austerity bill" lo pay for loss of the Congo. Communications, transpor tation and public services were operating normally In most of the country. Howard Morgan May Get Appointment in JFK Administration By A. ROBERT SMITH Mail Tribune Washington Correspondent Washington -(Special)- The first Oregonian picked for a high post in the new Kennedy administration is Howard Morgan, former Democratic state chairman. Morgan is understood to be Nine Men Die in Navy Plane Crash Honolulu - Itll'll - A Navy radar plane with 22 men aboard veered off the runway on Midway IslancTSunday and smashed into a ground crew truck, touching off a fire which consumed the plane. Nine men,' Including three of the crewmen on the fire truck, were killed or missing, the Navy said. Sixteen of the men aboard the plane escaped unhurt or with minor injuries. A preliminary investigation showed that the 70-ton four- engine Constellation apparent ly landed short of the runway and sheared off a landing gear, which struck two en gines on the left wing. . The wing was sheared off as it hit the runway, causing the plane to veer to the left. One thousand feet down the run way, it smashed into the fire truck which was in a routine position for an aircraft land ing. The Navy said the huge ra dar plane flipped onto its back and burst into flames. The plane was returning from an 11-hour flight along the Pacific air defense barrier between Midway and the Aleutian Islands. Approval for Second TV Station Awaited Ray Johnson, manager of Radio Medford Inc., said this morning that he hopes a sec ond television station will be operating here by late spring or early summer. Johnson said the new sta lion, to be owned and operat ed by KMED, will broadcast over channel 10 and will bo a National Broadcasting com pany (NBC) affiliate. It will also bring color television to the valley, he said. Construction of the new sta tion hinges on approval of the company's application by the Federal Communications com mission. Late last year, two other applicants for Channel 10 withdrew their applica tions leaving KMED as the lone applicant. fx-Presdenf Flies Soufh for Hunting Gettysburg, Pa. - IUPD -Former President Dwlght D. Elsenhower flies south today to hunt for quail In the Geor gia plantation country. Eisenhower looked forward lo warmer weather than the sub-freezing temperatures he encountered last week end at his snow-covered Gettys burg farm. Q Chief Executive is shown here with Secretary of Stale Dean Rusk (left) and defense Secretary Robert McNamara. (UPI Telephoto) in line for appointment to the Federal Power Commission. During the slate administra tion of Governor Robert D. Holmes in 1957-58, Morgan served as . Oregon's public utility commissioner. . President Kennedy has two opportunities at present to make appointments to the five - man FPC because the Senate last fall failed to con firm two nominations then made by President Eisenhow er to fill vacancies. Term Expires Kennedy will have a chance to appoint a third new com missioner next summer, after the term of another holdover commissioner expires. These three appointments will give the Kennedy administration voting control of this sensitive regulatory agency. Morgan is a Reed college graduate and currently a rancher at Sisters. He was one of the chief architects of the build up of the liberal wing of Oregon's Democratic Parly. He was state Democratic chairman before joining the Holmes administration. ! Important Case The most Important case pending at the FPC now is the dispute between Pacific Northwest Power Company, which wants to build High Mountain Sheep Dam, and Washington's public supply system which wants lo build the Nez Perce Dam. Both projects ' would be In the Middle Snake River below Hells Canyon. Morgan is regarded as an advocate of federal power de velopment. He supported the proposal for building a gov ernment dam at Hells Canyon where the FPC granted a li cense lo Idaho Power Com pany. The terms of commissioners are five years. The salary is $20,000. Fourth Man Pleads Guilty to Charge Kenneth Elston Dailcy, 24 of 51B King St., one of four men charged with the bur glary of the Oakdalc super market Jan. 8, pleaded guilty today to charges of burglary not in a dwelling. ' A pre-sentence report was ordered by Circuit Judge James M. Main. Kent Black- hurst had been appointed Dal ley's attorney on Jan. 17. The three other men Involv ed in the burglary had plead ed guilty In Jackson county circuit court Jan. 17 and arc also awaiting a pre-sentence report. The men, Donald Ray mond Breazeale, 21, of 831 Niantlc St.; Thomas Edwin Cornwall, 30, of 145 South Ivy St.: and Vcryl LeRoy Big gins, 28, of 122 Kenwood ave., also face two charges of grand larceny with Dailey as a re sult of the burglary. The four men are charged with taking a tank of oxygen, a tank of acetylene and mis cellaneous tools from Mem ory Garden Memorial park near Medford and a half-ton pickup truck owned by Paul and Betly McQuade, Central Point. Saratoga En Route To Athens; Court Of Inquiry Set Up Washington - (UPI) - Seven Navy men died In a fire which raged for two hours in the super aircraft carrier Sara toga early today near Athens, Greece, the Navy announced. The Navy said the 60,000- ton ship was proceeding lo Athens shortly after midnight when the fire broke out in one of the main machinery spaces. It was believed to have been caused by a ruptured fuel line and blazed for just over two hours. The Navy said four officers and three enlisted men died. In Same Class The Saratoga Is of the same super carrier class as the Constellation which was gut ted by fire Dec. 19 while un der construction at Brooklyn Navy Yard. There were 50 deaths in the Constellation fire and damage was estimat ed at $48 million. The Navy withheld the names of the seven fatalities in the Saratoga fire until It could notify their families. The number injured was not yel known here. There was no immediate estimate of the damage. The Saratoga arrived in Athens on schedule. A damage survey was started at once. Court of Inquiry Vice Adm. George Ander son, commander of the Bill Fleet in the Mediterranean, Immediately set up a court of Inquiry to investigate the cause. Capt. R. W. Mchle, Cincin nati, Ohio, Is skipper of the Saratoga. The Navy said the fire was fought and put out without help being needed from any other 6th Fleet ships. The fire in the Saratoga, fully operational and at sea, was extinguished reasonably rapid In contrast to that aboard the Constellation which raged for a day. "Chief, I Just Don't Think He's Ready For The Idea" Normal Channels To Be Used With Russia, Rusk Says Kennedy Confers With Top Advisors Today Washington -(UPII- Secretary of State Dean Rusk said today that he and President Ken nedy intend to deal with Rus sia through normal diplo malic channels, frequently behind the scenes. Rusk outlined the adminis tration policy in a formal statement during a break in a day-long conference between. Kennedy and his top diplo matic and military advisers on national security Issues. The Rusk statement, read to newsmen, gave no informa tion on U.S. Ambassador Llewellyn , Thompson's two hour talk with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev In Moscow 1 Saturday. Confirms Policy ' The statement however, appeared lo confirm tha Kennedy administration's an nounced policy of not rushirg into any summit meetings with Russia without thorough, advance diplomatic prepara tion. For the second straight day. Kennedy worked on broad problems in the international field as he prepared to send Congress his first slate of new ambassadors, phis additional appointments at the assistant secretarial level in the Stata Department. Meeting with Kennedy In a day-long round of talks today were Secretary of State Rusk, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, Gen. Lyman I. Lemnltzer, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Paul Nitzc, assistant secretary o defense for international af fairs; Chester Bowles, under secretary of state, and Mc George B"ndy, special assist ant to the President for na tional security matters, i Alter a lunch break, the conferees planned to resume their meeting. Appointments Expeclod Kennedy ,met Sunday with) Rusk and Bowles. Press Secre tary Pierre Salinger said tha bulk of their discussion con cerned the remaining appoint ment to the upper echelon of the State Department. Salin ger added that these appoint ments; plus the first selection of ambassadors, would be coming along soon. The White House described the purpose of today's meet ing as "a discussion of policy In the national security field." Salinger doubted anything would be said about the con ference before the end of tha day, if then. ; First Forest Fire Reported in State Valsetz-IUPII - Oregon's first 1961 forest fire, coming in the face of near-summer weather, roared through about 450 acres of tlmberland near here Saturday. State Forest Service offici als termed the blaze the earl iest in any year they could remember. The fire, burning slash and timber on Valsetz Lumber company land, broke out about midnight Friday and burned for 12 hours before it was controlled. J Mop - up operations were continued Sunday but a For est Service spokesman 1 said the blaze would not be com pletely extinguished until it rained. The fire was believed to have been caused by a cig arette.