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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (March 3, 1961)
I 9 M MM) Jobless Payments for Railroaders Approved House Committee Votes Measure To Extend Benefits Proposal Offers Equal Treatment Washington - IDPD - The House Commerce Committee today unanimously approved an anti-recession bill provid ing $24 million in extended jobless payments to 60,000 railroad workers. No hearings were held on the legislation so it could be speeded through Congress. A committee spokesman said it would be considered by the House "as soon as possi ble." Follow Up To Bill The measure was designed as a follow - up to a House passed bill calling for up to 13 weeks of additional bene fits for more than 3 million idled workers in other indus tries. Railroad employees, who are covered by a separate sys tem of unemployment com pensation, ' would receive equal treatment under the proposal. .' . . Commerce Committee Chairman Oren Harris (D Ark), sponsor of the measure, said he hoped it would re ceive fast approval by the House so it could be consid ered with the major extend ed benefits bill by the Senate. Would Extend Payments Harris' proposal would ex tend jobless payments to rail workers with no less than 10 years service who have ex hausted their right to receive benefits because of long-term unemployment. ' : ,' Those with longer ..service qualify for extended benefits already under a 1959 amend ment toj the., Railroad Retire ment Act. Employment on the nation's railroads dipped to 714,000 at the end of January a 70 year low. About 127,000 rail road workers applied for un employment benefits at that time and 20,000 others had exhausted benefit rights. Extension of benefits for railroaders would be financed by an . increased one-fourth of 1 per cent tax on the car riers for a two-year period starting next Jan. 1. Copco, PPL Seek Authority To Merge Salem The Pacific Power & Light Company, Portland, and the ,' California Oregon Power Company, Medford, have filed a formal applica tion seeking authority to merge, Public Utility Com missioner Jonel C. Hill an nounced today. The merger in which Pa cific will be the surviving corporation, was approved by the stockholders a few weeks ago, Hill said, adding that the case would be given a date for public hearing. Hill said, "Negotiations are now underway to secure ex pert outside consultants who will testify in behalf of the public at, the hearing." In the application Pacific said the merger will result in a larger and financially stronger company that will be in a better position to finance future construction require ments in this rapidly growing area and will take advantage of a fully integrated opera tion that will eliminate the duplication of facilities, func tions and activities. Repossession Battle's First Round Won by Car Central Point The first round of a battle between an unknown finance company and the driver of a car want ed for repossession was won by the driver last night in Medford and Central Point. Wally Bowen, Central Point chief of police, unfolded the bizzare story this morning. At 7:20 p.m. yesterday, Cen tral Point police received a call from a service station operator. The man said a car had hit a stop sign, jumped a curb, almost ran Into a build ing and nearly missed a fire hydrant on the corner of Oak t. and Highwayy 99 in Cen tral Point. The vehicle was apparently being chased by a second car, the man indicat ed The first car then made a U turn and headed toward Madford, with the second car in lot puriuit. Police found New Decoration jj Statements Asked From Members of Home Rule Group Prepared statements favor ing or opposing a home ruie charter in Jackson county must be submitted by the county home rule committee members March 16, Mrs. Thomas Rutter, committee chairman, said last night. Committee members expect ing to be absent should sub mit their votes in sealed en velopes before that' date, ac cording to Mrs. Rutter. All votes must give the reason for or against home rule, she said. -- The committee will , then Judge Asks for Program Material Public. Welfare Administra tor James Pullman has been asked to gather all informa tion available on the new food surplus program and how it can be implemented in Jack son county, County Judge Earl Miller said this morning. Miller said he had asked Pullman earlier to prepare this information. He declared that a story Tuesday on the surplus food allocation plan as "premature." "We want to obtain all the information possible on this new food plan and how it will work in other counties so we will be ready to go on it in September," Miller said. Tuesday, Miller had said approaching spring with in creased employment opportu nities made establishment of the program at this time un necessary. There were indications this morning that the program might be started in Jackson county this spring. However, H. D. Christenson, Medford, public welfare commission chairman here, said he had no statement until he had con ferred vith the county court and other commission mem bers. The next commission meeting is March 21. Pullman said he has pre pared a summary of informa tion on the program including the rules for obtaining the surplus food. He will present this to the county court. lire marks and oil on the high way from the scene of the accident to Medford. The tracks turned up McAndrcws st, and went to Summit st. They continued down Sum mit then turned onto West Main, and eventually disap peared headed toward Jack sonville. Central Point police re ceived a call from Medford police later in the evening. A man had called the Medford department and reported he represented a finance com pany (name unknown). H c said he had been chasing a car the company was trying to repossess. Bowen said that if and when the drivers of the two cars are identified, they will be cited for conducting a speed contest on a highway and leaving the scene of an accident. present its majority mendations to the recom county court. If the vote and recom mendation is favorable, the committee will start work on a proposed home rule charter which would be put on the ballot for voter approval. A bill now before the legis lature would propose placing the charter measure before the voters during the primary or general elections. This is a modification of the .original bill which proposed calling a special , election. ' Attorney General Robedt Thornton's opinion had stated such a measure could be voted on only during a general elec tion. The local committee agreed last night to support etffch leg islative bill relating to home rule as it is presented to the state legislature. The committee interviewed County Clerk Marvin Mad den and County Commission er Edwin Taylor last night. Next Thursday night's inter view with District Attorney Alan Holmes will complete the program of interviews with county officials, former county officials and those closely associated with county government. Madden favored tying coun ty government closer to state government instead of making it more independent of the state as a home rule charter would provide. Taylor said he had not been in county government long enough to know its chief prob lems and how a home rule charter would or would not correct these problems. Sale of Tools To Russia Blocked Washington -IUPIU The ad ministration has blocked the sale to Russia of $1.5 million worth of machine tools used in making parts for the guid ance systems of missiles asd spacecraft. Commerce Secretary Luth er H. Hodges announced Thursday the gevernmcnt had permanently revoked the ex port license of a Vermont firm to ship the 45 machines. Hodges said the Defense Department would buy the high-speed, ball-bearing man ufacturing equipment. Some senators claimed the tools could add greatly to Russia's military potential. Commissioner's Car Involved in Mishap Jackson County Commis sioner Edwin Henry (Pickle) Taylor was involved In a two car traffic accident Thursday at the Intersection of Fifth and Holly sts. There were no reported injuries. Medford city police said a car operated by Taylor collid ed with a pickup truck oper ated by Forrest Wendell Big ger, 39, of 17 Ross court. The accident occurred about 5:30 p.m. Police said the county car sustained damage to the front end and the Bigger vehicle was damaged on the right side. No citation! were issued. Suspect Quizzed In Robbery of Bank at Shedd Search Continues For Second Man Albany, Ore. - (UPU - Au thorities said today a suspect was in custody in connection with Thursday's bank robbery at nearby Shedd and that $19, 691 of the $20,880 taken had been recovered. Search continued for a sec ond man. Marvin Vernon Clark, 23. Jefferson, was arrested dur ing a car check near Jeffer son late Thursday by Deputy Sheriff Leroy MacLaughlin of Marion county. Statement Said Given Sheriff George Miller said Clark, questioned much of the night, had given a statement but he declined immediately to release details of it. Dist. Atty, Courtney Johns said Clark would be charged with assault and robbery. The money was found in a bag in the car. Five persons who were in the Bank of Shedd at the time of the holdup were locked in a vault before the two young robbers fled. Forced To Open Vault One of the bandits pointed a revolver at bank officials and the other forced M. G. Burt, Albany, a bank exam iner for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., to open the vault. After the gunmen put the money into a paper bag they locked the five in the vault. Two women employees, who had been at lunch, let the others out of the vault. Potato By-Product Plant Being Built In Central Point Central Point - Construc tion is under way here today on a new Rogue valley Indus-try-a potato by-product manu facturing and distributing plant that will employ a mini mum of nine persons. The plant, called the Ranch Fresh Foods company, will be located on the west side of highway 99, just north of the Pine st. intersection. The com pany Is renovating and adding to a building that now stands on the property. ' Dorance Hayes, of the T. J. Hight agency,, Medford, who made the announcement, said the firm plans to be in produc tion in approximately 60 days. The plant will have an ap proximate floor space of 3,432 square feet. It will be out fitted with the latest In potato processing equipment, accord ing to the announcement. Products of Company Products of the company will include potato, barbecue and cheese chips; shoe string potatoes; trench fries; and pop corn. They will be sold under the brand name of "Gold Rush." Hayes said the company plans to distribute its products in the southern Oregon-northern California area. The range of operations will initially ex tend from Bend to Klamath Falls; Redding to Roseburg; and Eureka to Coos Bay, on the coast. Hayes said the owners of the company are James Gar vin and Jack Damron. Dam ron will manage the plant, he said. The company plans to use 7,000 pounds of potatoes per day per eight-hour shift. As many of the potatoes and oth er materials as possible, will be purchased locally, Hayes said. Nine persons will be em ployed in the plant itself, ac cording to Hayes, and addi tional sales and distribution personnel will probably also be needed. Russia Said Stalling Peace Efforts in Laos Washington -WPP- The State Department today charged Russia with stalling peace ef forts in Laos to gain time for a military build-up by Com munist forces seeking to over throw the royal government. ROCKET LAUNCHED Cape Canaveral, Fla. -il'PD-Thc Air Force today fired a poor man's rocket with tele scopes and other devices to an altitude of 1,580 miles to take a peek at earth's radiation fields from the depths of space. BIDS INVITED Seattle - (UPU - Army engi neers today invited bids for construction of a ground -air transmitter receiver building at the North Bend, Ore., Air Force station. Bids will be ortned about April 11. Regional Edition Medford 18 Pages Labor Warns Workingman Suffer Higher Costs, Lower Benefits Sen as Result Major Testimony On Bill Completed Salem - IUPD - Organized labor warned a Senate com mittee Thursday that if the legislature approved a three- way workmen's compensation system the workingman in Or egon will suffer. An attorney for the Oregon AFL-CIO described the pro posal in SB334 as "excessive ly expensive and inefficient." William Babcock of Portland said costs will go up and ben efits will go down. Testimony Completed The Senate State and Fed eral Affairs Committee com pleted major testimony on the bill but Chairman Walter J. Pearson said amendments and two companion bills will be heard next week. Under three-way, employers could insure their workers not only with the State Industrial Accident Commission but also through private companies or self-insurance. The state has all but a monopoly in this field now. Brown Sums Up George Brown of the AFL- CIO summed three-way up by saying "We represent the workmen and if we thought it would help them, we- would support it." The obvious con clusion is that it doesn't help, he said. Associated Oregon Indus tries - main sponsor ol the bill - contended that the pres ent monopoly system is a fail ure but under the optional plan employers and employees would have a better program. Most states have a three-way system. Grand Jury May Meet on Thursday A grand jury hearing may be called next Thursday to consider evidence in the case against LeeRoy Sanford Mc Gahuey, 43-year-old Central Point man charged with first degree murder, according to District Attorney Alan B. Holmes. Holmes said he had hoped to have the hearing Tuesday, but a member of the grand jury would have been unable to attend. The district attorney said he was able to get a tape re corded statement from McGa huey regarding the murder of 23-month-old Rod Cameron Holt, son of Mrs. Lorls Mae Holt. Mrs. Holt and her son were found slain in a Central Point apartment Feb. 22. Holmes said he wanted a separate statement on the murder of the boy, since in cluding other matters brought out during the confession might cause the entire tape to be excluded becau'se of "matters of prejudice." The original taped confession in cluded admission to stealing the gun used in killing the woman and boy. The gun, a .22 single action revolver, was found In a loan shop in Redding, Calif., Mon day, by Jackson county dep uties. HEARING SCHEDULED Salem - (UPII - A hearing has been set for March 18 on application of the Bend-Portland Truck Service for exten sion of its service into Jef ferson county. WEATHER FOKKCA8T: Mostly rJoudv to nltit and Saturday. Orraiional ihoueri or mow flurries, maln tv over the mountain. Low to night 28-30, High Saturday An. Temp. Highest Yeslerdny 48 Lowest this Mornlnt ... 31 Prec. to 10 u rn. Today. Trace Our Skies Tonight fttinift today 6:04 p.m. Sunrise tomorrow .... 6:42 a.m. Moon Tine tonight .... 1:71 p.m. Last Quarter . iMarch 9 PROMINENT KTAHS The Twin, high over head 9:00 pin, Proryort, helow the Twins. PflOMINRNT CONSTELLA TION S Orion. In the south west 9:16 p.m. t.trV In the southwest 12 57 a.m. MEDFORD, OREGON, FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 1961 in Compensation Wv si iV A - 1 , " V - ' x V , - Hf , v ww - v. v ( -A ' - 4 if ' : t ' " S I h I .'. . 0 v. , A'! . m ? ESCAPES FLAMES - Mrs. Nelson Rocke feller, wife of the governor of New York, is shown being helped down a ladder by a fireman as fire broke out In the Execu Rockefeller, Wife Rescued; Fire Destroys Valuable Art Albany, N. Y. - IUPII - Gov. and Mrs. Nelson Rockefeller and three of their servants were rescued by firemen to day when a flash fire swept the first floor of the state executive mansion, destroying paintings worth nearly $350,- 000. The Rockefellers, two maids and a butler, trapped for a Complaint Seeks $25,000 in Damages A complaint has been (lied in circuit court by Ted Ross, Applcgate, seeking $25,000 general damages, $727.25 medical expenses and $2,250 for loss of earnings, from Rodney Keating and his daughter, Lucy, East Valley View rd. According to the complaint, Lucy Keating was bucking an automobile from a driveway on East Valley View rd. Mu 21, 1060, when It hit Ross us he was walking along the road. The plaintiff charges that the driver was negligent In the operation of her car. The compluint states that Ross Injured his left leg, juw, right shoulder and neck In the accident. Ross is represented by the law firm of Frohnmayer, Lowry, Hogan and Dcalher age. JUDGE BILL PASSED Washington -ITU-- The Sen ale today passed President Kennedy's judgeship bill after increasing the number of new ferierai Judicial posls to 73 -14 morj than he requested. 55th brief period In their upstairs living quarters, were helped down ladders to safety. Fire men found flamcc shooting from the first floor windows when they arrived, Rockefeller returned to the smoke-filled upstairs rooms to save several paintings, Includ ing one of his father, and twice went Inside to survey the damage to Ills prized painting after the fire was controlled. "All the good ones are gone," he said. More than 25 valuable oils and drawings on the first floor were burned from their frames by the early morning fire. Smoke and water dam age to the building was heavy. Rockefeller estimated the damage to tho 100-year-old building and Its art treasures at half a million dollars. All of the paintings were insured. They included a $250,000 collection donated by former Gov. Avcrell Harri man and a group of Rockefel ler's paintings valued at $100, 000. A loam of art experts from the Museum of Modern Art and the Rockefeller family staff (lew to Albany from New York to appraise the damage. The governor put on a busi ness suit over his pajamas be fore helping his wife, who wore a dressing robe over her dress, down the ladde.- raised by firemen. Mrs. Rockete'.lcr stood outside talking to re porters while her husband went inside the stately three story brick building to survey the Aimago. Firemen controlled the Year Price 10 Cents Tribune No. 298 Wil tive Mansion in Albany, N. Y., early today.' Rockefeller said damage to the house and valuable art collection would run about half a million dollars. (UPI Telephoto) blaze less than an hour after it broke out in a first-floor drawing room, sending thick smoke swirling through the 34-room mansion. Rockefeller said he and his wife were awakened by the smoke boiling through their second-floor living quarters. It once served such governors as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Gro ver Cleveland, Theodore Roo sevelt and Charles Evans Hughes. Tunisians Threaten To Rush Congolese Camp Lcopoldvillc. The Congo -IUPU - Angry Tunisian troops of the United Nations Com mand threatened today to In vade a Congolese army camp to release a Tunisian officer who was being held prisoner, but UN officors managed to restrain them. Eugene Business Firms, Salem Warehouse Burn Unitsd Prou International A fire In downtown Eugene caused more than $100,000 damage and a condemned warehouse burned to the ground in Salem four blocks from the city hall Thursday night, Six business firms were damaged in the Eugene fire which broke out at a bakery shop on East Broadway and spread to a depurlmcnt store, music store, gift shop and cof fee shop. A nearby record store tfas damaged by smoke and water. Blast Shatters Big Section ol Mine in Indiana Death Immediate, Investigators Say West Terre Haute, Ind. - (UPU - Exhausted rescue crews today brought up the bodies of 22 men killed in a massivo explosion in a coal mine on the banks of the Wabash riv er. The miners were felled where they worked Thursday night when the blast shattered a quarter-mile section 180 feet below ground in the Viking Coal company mine. Hope Dashed Throughout the night there had been hope that some might have found an air pock et and survived. But it proved to be a vain hope. The last miner was found at 7:35 a.m. dead. Investigators said the 22 men working on the 4 p.m. to midnight shift never had a chance. The blast unloosed tons of coal and earth, twisted coal moles and loading machines into masses of ' metal and knocked out the mine's ven tilating system, slowing res cue operations. , Met Immediate Death We found the men lying where they fell along t h o sides of the tracks where they must have been working at the time of the explosion, State Mine Inspector R. E. Hudson said. 'A couple of them appar ently tried to crawl. They got only about 20 feet. The rest dropped dead on the spot. Company Vice President Birch Brooks said, "we don't know what caused the explo sion for certain-we have our suspicions." He did not elabo rate. . Brooks said a joint investi gation would be opened Sat urday by representatives oC the U.S. Bureau of Mines, state mine investigators, tho United Mffie Workers,' insur ance investigators and com pany officials.- - ',-'.. , v Rescue crews carried tha bodies out one by one through the long, chilly night and cart ed them away in ambulanr,es to a mortuary chapel. , - ; Air Wat Poisonous The grim operation was slowed, Hudson said, by tho "poisoned air and the dark ness.'.' Crews worked with only the lights on their hel? mets and rebuilt the ventilat ing system step by step to force fresh air ahead of them. Wives, children and friends some sobbing, others grim and tight-lipped ; clustered around the crude lean-to building that covered the shaft as the bodies wero brought up. Gain Reported in Lumber Market Portland-(UPl)-A slight gain . during the past two weeks, was reported in the lumber market today by Crow's Lum ber Market News Service. Crow's said inquiry has been slightly belter for stand ard and better grades but that so far the upturn In buying had not been heavy enough to strengthen prices. The utility grade market rose $2 to $3 in both green fir and dry hem lock, following heavier buy ing In the South and South west. Plywood held at the $60 mark for sanded stock. G. P. Man Nominated To Succeed Gunnar Salem - IUPII - Robert G. Davis of Grants Pass, general manager of Southern Oregon Plywood Corp., was nominat ed today to succeed Peter Gunnar as Oregon Republican chairman. Davis attended Medford High school and graduated from the University of Oregon law school in 1948. He is mar ried and has one child. The blazo occurred just ona year to the day after the Hoff man Hotel, just half a block away, was destroyed by fire. The fire was fought from 10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. In Salem, the two-alarm fire which destroyed tho old warehouse also resulted in . heavy damage to a switch en gine r.nd a refrlgeratrr car on railroad tracks adjacent to the building. A spokesman for SP&S rail road said tho building had no value but that damage to tha two units and the trafk wr about $5,000. V
