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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 1961)
Higher Auto Insurance Costs Declared ount Plan Possible Under Minimum Salem - (UPD - Private in surers warned a Senate com mittee Thursday a bill to make automobile insurance compulsory in Oregon and set minimum policy amounts could raise rates and jack the cost of premiums any where from $10 to S50 over what many customers now are paying. In addition, they said it probably would increase the accident rate, stick the state with an administrative mon strosity, and still fail to ans wer the problem, since the menace of uninsured out-of-state drivers and those who ducked compliance with the law would remain. Sen. Robert Straub (D-Eu-gene) said the measure was intended to insure fair and just compensation for per sons or families of persons who are maimed or killed in accidents. Many fail to re ceive a cent when they are hit by an uninsured driver, he said. Furthermore, he said, in sured drivers now are pay ing extra premiums to pro tect themselves in case they are struck by a driver with out insurance. Each driver should carry his share, Straub said. Ken Johnson of the Salem Capital Press said insurance companies feared compul sory insurance was the first step in a cycle that would lead to state intervention in the insurance business. Straub estimated some 4 to 6 per cent, or about 50,000 of the state's drivers, are uninsured. The bill, SB303, also would set personal liability mini- mums of $10,000 for one per son and $20,000 for two, and a properly minimum of 55,000-which would require roughly 40 per cent of the state's drivers to up their pay ments. Merrill Hagan of the Ore gon Association of Insurance Agents and Pete Brooks of the Oregon Automobile Insur ance Co. protested compulsory insurance, and said accident rates were high in states that had it. "It's nonsense," Straub re plied, "to say somebody is go ing to risk life and limb just because he has insurance." Meanwhile, the first of Gov. Mark Hatfield's reorganiza tion bills to receive action was sent to the Senate floor today Willi a "do pass" recommen dation from the State and Federal Affairs Committee. The bill would create a cabinet Department of Com merce that would take in planning and development as well as numerous scattered examining boards that now function independently. The committee amended the bill to eliminate shifting the state's travel advertising agen cy from the highway depart ment. That was the only sec tion of the bill to receive pro tests at a hearing last week. Am Ji'i'1 WAGE TESTIMONY Secretary of Labor Arthur Goldberg, center, chats with Rep. James Roosevelt (D-Calif.), left, and Rep. Clayton Adam Powell (D-N.Y.) as Goldberg arrived to testify before the House Labor Subcommittee on the administration's proposal for a gradual increase in the mini mum wage. ' ' ' (UPI Telephoto) Road Development To Mt. Ashland Ski Area Gets Boost Development of an improv ed road into the proposed Mt. Ashland ski resort has been tentatively approved by the O and C counties association, County Judge Earl Miller said today. For the road to be assured, an allocation for the project would have to be approved in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. forest service must give its approval. Miller said he also received a telephone call from Darrell Jones, Clackamas county com missioner, stating that the O and C executive committee of the Association of Oregon Counties, and the roads com mittee of the association of O and C counties -have tenta tively endorsed using O and C timber receipts for the pro posed road. - - A resolution favoring the road was endorsed during a joint meeting of the two groups Feb;: 9,'.!'Jones.told Judge MlllerV' Jortetf'Hs head, of the O and G executive com mittee of which County Com missioner Chester Wendt is a. member. Miller is a member of the roads committee. Resolution Passed The resolution was passed on condition that Thomas Parker, " Ashland . contractor, and his associates follow through on their, proposed $165,000 winter sports area development, Miller ex plained. The local project was among a long list of similar projects tentatively approved provid ing funds be made available and government agencies such as the forest service give approval. Wchdt had stated previous ly that the county's portion of the overall 14-mile road will be included in the new county road plan now being developed. Jackson county's portion covers three miles. No paving work -could be done until spring. According to earlier re ports, paving of the road and Loud Sonic Boom Is ) Heard in Rogue Valley A louder than normal sonic boom heard here last night caused little damage, but con siderable comment. Medford police, who fixed the time of the boom at 8:16 p.m., said they received 25 telephone calls inquiring as to the source of the noise. The only report of damage received by police was from an unidentified woman who said the boom broke three windows in her residence. An other woman complained to police that the sound waves from the boom blew out the pilot light on her gas furnace. APPLING OUT OF GAS Salem lUPH Secretary of Staie Howell Appling Jr. ran out of gas in Portland Mon day night as he and Mrs. Appling were returning to Salem from a Lincoln Day banquet. Milwaukie Democrat Rips at Pearson Over BilS To Permit Mill at Gardiner Salem - iliPH - Rep. Beulah Hand (D Mliwuakie) lit into fellow Democrat Walter Pear son, senator from Portland, to day and called his State and Federal Affairs committee a "clique of special interest boys wheeling and dealing'' over two bills aimed at granting easements for a proposed pulp mill at Gardiner. Appeals to Public Rep. Hand appealed to the public to oppose passaae of ti)e two bills which Thursday won approval from Pearson's Senate committee. a plan for snow removal ap parently .is all that stands in the way of early development of the ski resort 15 miles from Ashland. The Ashland contractors have indicated they are ready to install facilities including lifts and- a ski lodge as soon as the road is paved. Bank Robber Kills Woman Hostage Lake Charles, La. -IUPII- The young Negro bank robber or dered his three hostages, two women and a man, out of the car and shot them as they fled. . When one of. the women squirmed in the dirt on the side of the road, he pulled out a knife and stabbed her again and again to make sure she was finished. The other two lay sprawled on the ground and ."played dead." It prob ably saved their lives. -. It happened Thursday night before . closing time at a branch of the Gulf National Bank. The branch slays open late on Thursday. - , ' Less than three hours after the bandit . stuffed. $14,049 into a little black suitcase and kidnaped, the three bank em ployees, he was arrested at a roadblock driving the car be longing to Mrs. Julia Fergu son, 50, who died en route to hospital. She had been stabbed in the throat and near her heart. . Hubbard Man Dies In Gar-Train Crash Hubbard, Ore.-IUPU-John D. Hopkins, 23, Hubbard, was killed in a car-train collision here Thursday ' e v e n i n g nearly the same spot where his brother was killed in a train accident four years ago. Hopkins' car was struck by Southern Pacific's passenger train Cascade. The auto was hurled 90 feet, siiearing- off a power, .pole and throwing Hopkins out. Engineer Arthur R. Knauss of Portland said the train was going 77 miles per hour. Friends of the family said Hopkins' brother, Ray, was killed by a train Feb. 20, 1957, less than a block from Thursday's accident. Ray,. 16, had been walking along the tracks, they said. WEATHER ! FORECAST: Partly cloudy to night and Saturday. Low to night 28. High Saturday 48. Temp. Highest Yesterday 47 Lowest this Morning- 36 Prec. to 10 a.m. Today 01 Our Skies Tonight Sunset today 5:46 p.m. Sunrise tomorrow .... 7:01 a.m. Moonset tonicht 8:38 p.m. First Quarter Feb. 21 EVENING PLANETS Venus, ahove the Moon.' Mars, high in south 8:23 p.m. Venus is now about 52 million miles from the Earth; Mars is about 82 million miles away. chairman of the Oregon Dem ocratic party, objected before the committee that the bills would open the door to indus try that would mar and de stroy Oregon's coast. Amendment Declined She said that the measures granted broad powers to the State Land board in granting easements, not only to the proposed International Paper Co. plant, but to any other firms that might want to come in. The committee declined to amend the bills. Sweetland's Bill Would Double Medicare Share Legislature Nears End of 6th Week Salem-IUPIl-A bill to double Oregon's share of the medi care program over the next two years was introduced to day by Sen. Monroe Sweet land (D-Milwaukie). It was among several new measures offered as the legis lature neared the end of its sixth week. ' Under S w e e t la n d's bill medicare would be tied to So cial Security and $13 million allocated. This is double the state share recommended by Gov. Mark Hatfield, whose bill is patterned after the present federal-state medicare law. But Congress may amend this law and Sweetland said his bill would enable Oregon to proceed without delay should the Social Security type program pass Congress. Sweetland's bill is broader than the original Oregon medicare measure and would cover all persons over 65, picking up those who have less than $2,500 a year income. His measure is contingent upon congressional action. A bill by Rep. Robert Smith (R-Burns) to let the state purchase Boardman in dustrial park outright was read in the House. Smith said ranchers were disturbed over trading grazing lands in south east Oregon for the Morrow county site. Another measure read in the house was one to bar dis crimination in any place of fering public goods . or serv ices. It is similar to one pre viously introduced. Sen. Richard Groener (D- Milwaukie) offered a bill to let suburban customers of city-owned water utilities seek rate relief through the public utility commission. Rep. Jua- nita Orr (D-Lake Grove) in troduced a bill to - prohibit suburban rates of more than 25 per cent above what city customers pay. Other measures offered in the House would make li censed physicians not liable for civil damages in connec tion with emergency care and make scholarships to state col leges and universities up to $500 available to qualified students. The latter would ap propriate $75,000 to be award ed by the State Scholarship Commission. Bus Driver Killed Near Grants Pass r-.ranis Pass -I1IPU- A Grey hound bus driver from Port land, Milton Wllburn Erick son, 50, was killed early today ulmn slrnrk hv a car about 5 miles north of here on High way 99. State Police said Erickson had stopped his bus to go to the aid of another Greyhound bus that had stopped because of a flat tire. Officers said Frirksnn was struck hv a car driven by Robert Doran Brick- ey, 22, Grants Pass, as he crossed the highway. The accident occurred about 12:45 a.m. Drain Bank Holdup Suspect Arraigned Portland - (UPD - A federal grand jury Thursday indicted Donald Gene Kelso for the 52,400 robbery last month of the Drain branch of the U.S. National Bank. Kelso was arrested near Drain a few days after the holdup. six puppet committee mem bers," Rep Hand said today, "has added another disgrace ful example to this commit tee's continuing flagrant mis use of power." Charges 'Ridiculous' The committee's attitude Rep. Hand said, is "the public interest be damned. Pearson, not visibly dis t u r b e d by the charges, chuckled and said, "Beulah, I didn't know you cared that much about me." He added he saw no reason to reply further to such "ri Regional Edition 20 Pages Crane Plunges In Missile Pit; Six Workmen Die 14 Others Injured; Two May Not Live Roswcll, N. M. - A 35-lon crane plunged into a deep missle- launching pit Thurs day, killing six workmen. Fourteen men were in jured, two so seriously they were not expected to live. Police said the crane got too close to the edge of the 170-foot-deep hole, a silo for the launching of Atlas ICBM missiles. Men working on the con crete sides of the silo were brushed from the walls like flies with a giant whisk as the crane plunged by. The crane's fuel tank exploded, spewing flaming fuel and debris over the workers. In juries ranged from severe burns to lacerations. 'Lots of Flame' "I saw the crane topple," said Earl D. Motion, an iron worker and welder who was working in a gallery running from the silo to the concrete control house nearby. "The crane blew up when it hit the bottom. There was lots of flame in the bottom of the hole." About 25 men were work ing in or around the silo. D. L. Orendorf of the Corps of Engineers said it appeared all the men had been ac counted for. . The accident occurred 23 miles northwest of Roswell on U.S. Highway 70, where 12 Atlas launching sites are being constructed, generally circling Walker Air Force Base. Wesfern Railroads Seek Merger OK Washington -ttJPU- Four Western Railroads today sought from the Interstate Commerce Commission ap proval of plans to merge their lines in a giant system operating in 17 states and two provinces of Canada. The directors of Northern Pacific, the Chicago, Burling ton and Quincy and the Great Northern railroads approved the merger plans Jan. 26. Under the proposed plan those three railroads would be joined into one company to be called Great Northern Pacific & Burlington Lines Inc. The new corporation would lease the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway which is jointly owned by Great Northern and Northern Pacific. "Now A Little Foreground Briefing- r Medford Truce m Liberia Suggests Leaders Attend Peace Meeting - Conference Would Be Held at UN United Nations, N.Y. - (UPD - Liberia today proposed a 60- day general truce in the Con go while leaders of all the country s political tactions come to the United Nations headquarters for peace talks with Secretary - general Dag Hammarskjold and the Se curity Council. Liberian Ambass-ador George A. Padmore put before the Security Council the sug gestion first made by Presi dent William Tubman of Li beria. It included a proposal that the Security Council schedule a session in the Congo or in a nearby territory for a first hand look at the situation. Padmore did not make the suggestion as a formal resolu tion. Others Working Liberia, the United Arab Republic and Ceylon had worked for several days on a resolution to deal with the latest Congo crisis touched off by the slaying of Patrice Lumumba, but diplomatic sources said it was not yet ready to be submitted. Russia was understood to oppose the planed Afro-Asian resolution because it contain ed no demand for Hammar skjold's removal. Ambassador Omar Loutfi of the United Arab Republic out lined to the Council five points of the resolution he said would be submitted "in due course". They were; Removal of Forces -U.N, steps to prevent at tacks by Moise Tshombe's Ka tanga forces using foreign con tingents. -Removal of foreign mili tary and paramilitary forces from the Congo and the appli cation of sanctions if a U.N. order to this cfefct is not com plied with. -An immediate investiga tion to identify the "murder ers" of Lumumba and punish them. -A return to the country's legal institutions, including the reconvening of parliament under U.N. protection. -Reorganization of the Con go's armed forces and their isolation from the country's politics. . Iik ii JLA XT MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1961 EARLY BLOSSOMS Against a backdrop of bare tree limbs, Ginger Newberry smells the sweet purple blossoms of a Chinese magnolia tree that has busied -out all over. Appraisal Plans Told for Building Site Oregon Congressman Edwin R. Durno notified the Mail Tribune Thursday that an ap praisal of the proposed fed eral building site will be made here next month. But, even as the apraisal is being made, a new motel will be going up on approxi mately the same site. ' Durno said the appraisal will be made March 13, and will be followed shortly with a second appraisal. He pointed out that the appraisals should be completed within 60 days of the appraisal announce ment. The proposed site of the $3,- 365,000 federal building, ac cording to the General Serv ices administration, is on a square-block area bounded on the north by 10th St., on the east and west by Riverside and Central aves., and on the south by approximately where 11th St. would be, if 11th st. extended through the block. Construction to Start However, a smaller site lo cated in this same general area is wanted by the Imper ial "400" motel chain of Los Angeles for a new 40-unit mo tel, costing approximately $120,000. Plans for the motel are already In the hands of the city building department and construction is expected to start next week. If construction does start next week, then the motel will have been under construction for three weeks by the time the federal government gets around to making its first ap praisal. If the motel is in the way, the federal government, if it so desired, could conceivably condemn the property. But, the GSA has announced in the past that it would not pur chase the property unless it could be obtained at a "rea sonable" price. County Receives Two Checks from State A check for S3.790.84 has been received by the county treasurer's office from the sec retary of state for the county's share of money received from liquor licenses. The money Is added to the general fund Also received this week was a check from the state high way department for $7,057 This amount pays for county property which will be right of way for Highway 98 free way near the county shops 9MJe- MftdWJ& IEiiTRIBUNE Congo Arguments Silted In Barnett Road RR Crossing Judge James M. Main will hear arguments in circuit court Monday on the reply of the Public Utilities commis sion to a suit by the city of Medford. The city is asking that part of a recent PUC order on the proposed Barnett rd. railroad crossing be de clared void. Monday's hearing will be the first court test of a case that started in September, 1039. when the city petitioned the PUC for a railroad cross ing at Barnett rd. The city had proposed to extend Bar nett rd. across the tracks to connect with Melrose ave. At a hearing, held In Sep tember, the city pointed out that no railroad crossing exists in Medford between Stewart ave. and 11th st., a distance of nearly a mile. City Attorney Joel Recder, spokes man for the city, contended that the crossing was urgently needed to facilitate traffic movement in this part of the city. The Southern Pacific rail road vigorously opposed the crossing as being unnecessary. Hands Down Order Nearly a year later, in August, 1060, PUC Commis sioner Jonel C. Hill handed down an order in which he granted the city its request for the Barnett rd. crossing, but also stipulated that In ex change the city should vacate its 11th st. crossing. The order directed that, at the same lime as the Barnett rd. crossing is opened, the Medford city council should pass an ordinance closing the lllh st. crossing. Hill con tended that 11th st. should be closed because it is a traffic hazard, and also because closure would be necessary in order to give Southern Pa c I f I c adequate "switching" room. The city, however, was not willing to accept the terms of this order, and, in November, City Attorney Reedcr filed a suit seeking to void that part of Hill's ruling regarding 11th st. The complaint contends that Hill's order is unconstitu tional and exceeds the PUC commissioner's authority as an administrator under state law. Exceeding Authority Specifically, the city claims that Mill is exceeding his authority by ordering the 11th st. crossing closed without iiii having a public bearing. V San Antonio, Tex., has enjoyed about 10 days of warm sunshine and the magnolia tree responded with blossoms. . - ---r,".. , (UPI Telephoto) se Also, that Hill, an administra tor, is going beyond the' con stitutional separation of pow ers by dictating legislation to the city council, a legislative body. Regarding the lllh st. cross ing as dangerous, Reedcr said the city agrees that it is dan gerous, but adds that all rail road crossings are dangerous. After the city's complaint had been filed, the PUC then countered with a demurrer which contends that even if what the city says is true, it is still not entitled to relief. It is the arguments on this demurrer that Judge Main will hear in circuit court Mon-. day. The session starts at 9:30 a.m. Condemnation Suit Filed in Court A condemnation suit has been filed by the state high way department in circuit court here to obtain three par cels of land near Ashland for the Seven Oaks-Neil creek section of the Highway 99 freeway. The highway department seeks the property for right of way for the construction of a connecting road between Orchard and Ashland lanes. The complaint has been filed against Mr. and Mrs. Hugh G. Simpson, Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Joslyn, Mr. andor Mrs. Donald J. Wol- cott and the State of Oregon represented and acting by the director of veterans affairs. Two parcels of the property total .80 of an acre with the third 50 square feet. The true value of the property, accord ing to the complaint, is $550. xpiosion ratal To African twiners Johannesburg, South Africa-IUPD-A thousand pounds ot dvnamite exploded in a gold mine near here today, killing or trapping 22 miners working deep below ground. The blast occurred at the start of the 8 a.m. shift, shat tering heavy wooden shoring in a shaft and sending tons of water cascading into the lower levels of the mine. Authorities feared scores had been trapped but officials put the casually toll at 12 natives and two white miners killed and two whites and six Africans missing and presumed dcad 55th Year Price 10 Cents No. 286 Imor Reigns in Congo as youths Attack Missions Lcopoldville 0IPII New waves of terror and violence rolled across the Congo today. Lumumbist youths attacked Roman Catholic missions and killed and mutilated a priest in Bukavu, a stronghold of Lumumbist forces in ; tha north. . A United Nutions spokes man said bands of youths protesting the death of Pa trice Lumumba swarmed through, the streets of Bu kavu, capital of Kivu Pro vince, sacked and burned a Roman , Catholic mission and attacked priests and nuns. Kasavubu Switches A group of Lumumba sup porters in Stanleyville beat to death a man who had openly criticized his successor, An toine Gizenga. Gangs of Lu mumba youths roamed tha African quarters of Lcopold ville during the night, attack ing supporters of President Kasavubu and hacking one man in two. President Kasavubu, who has been cool to United Na tions operations in the Con go, did an abrupt about face today and pledged his full support to Secretary-general Dug Hammarskjold. Power Display To show his power he sent a battalion of well-armed paratroopers swinging past the U.N. headquarters in Leo poldvillc. They marched in perfect step and wore im maculate jungle green uni forms. Kasavubu cabled Hammar skjold, "At the moment when your person is being violently attacked by different coun tries we want to assure you again of our confidence and the wish of the legal govern ment of the Congo to co operate with you." Be. UmK mmm "WnU P, 4
