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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
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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