Medford mail tribune., May 15, 1961, Image 1

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(Sir o)0 h g
Home Building
Industry Said
Turning Upward
BY A. ROBERT SMITH
Mail Tribune Washington Correspondent
Washington (Special) The home building industry, North
west lumber's biggest market, is on the rise again.
Congress, too, is nearing the action stage on a new gov
ernment housing program designed to stimulate buying and
building of new residential projects.
Whether the upturn will be sharp enough to make up
for the slump of recent months remains to be seen, but
economists have been forecasting a modest turn for the better
this spring for housing and lumber sales. . '
New housing starts for March, latest month for which
statistics are available, were at the annual rate of 1,283,000
units. This represented a gain of IS per cent over March of
last year.
New Home Spending Increases
The Census Bureau reports that spending on new homes
during April amounted to $1.6 billion, which was a 15 per
cent increase over the previous month. The normal gain in
April over March is only 10 per cent.
A survey made by the Wall Street Journal indicates a
mood of cautious optimism among builders around the coun
try. They report that a buyer's market still prevails but that
there is a noticeable upturn in consumer confidence that the
recession is ending.
One other reason for an increase in home buying, aside
from seasonal interest, is the availability of mortgage loan
funds, in some cases at slightly longer interest rates. A U.S.
Savings and Loan League official estimates that the average
interest rate now is about 6 per cent. A year ago it was 64
per cent. .
A factor in the caution of builders is their large inventory
of houses. Last year there were 1,238,000 new homes started,
an 18 per cent reduction from 1959, but not all of these
were sold. Sales must be brisk to have a substantial impact
on the lumber industry and related building fields.
Feature of Proposal Controversial
The housing program recommended by President Kennedy
has received approval from the Senate Housing- Subcom
mittee and is likely to come before the Senate shortly. One of
its features which may aid-lumber sales is somewhat con
- troversial. ,
This is a provision which calls for FHA-backed mortgages
up to 40-years in duration with no mony down on low-priced
housing. These easy terms would apply only to housing cost
ing no more than $13,500. 1
This is an experimental idea which would last 12 to 18
months. In the past this provision hasbeen used by FHA in
offering easy terms to families forced to move because of
some government program, such as slum clearance or high
way construction.
The National Home Builders Association is supporting
this proposal, arguing that homes today are built with better
materials and design than ever before. E. J., Burke Jr., presi
dent of the Home Builders, said this will encourage builders
to develop the "compact-car" type of homes which" is the
first of our objectives for this year."
The National Association of Real Estate Boards opposes
the 40-yearWimortgage. .Curtis E. Huber, speaking for this
group, said It held out an "illusory promise of 'easy' home
ownership to 4 million American families in the moderate
Income group who are not today homeowners." .
Dawn Pavment Scale Altered ' v' -' ''
The Kennedy Administration housing bill also raises the
mortgage limits for FHA participation irom $zz,ouu to jur
000 and alters the sliding scale by which down payment
requirements are determined. It would require three per
cent down on the first $13,500; plus 10 per cent of the next
$6,500; plus 20 per cent of the next $5,000; plus 30 per cent
above $25,000. -
Sen. Maurine Neuberger (D-Ore.), a member of the Senate
committee which is handling the housing bill, strongly sup
ports the bill, especially its features which she hopes will
boost housing needed by elderly folks and young couples of
modest means-those are most interested in "compact-car"
type homes. -
"Young couples and older citizens are not particularly
interested in big houses for their own needs, and I am In
favor of emphasizing home construction programs, which
will satisfy their requirements," she said. "Also we must
provide an adequate test of the market for sale of homes
without down payments on a long-term mortgage basis.
Many people cannot become home-owners' on any other
basis."
"Housing program of the scope proposed by President
Kennedy is necessary to move Oregon's lumber-based econ
omy out of the doldrums," Sen. Neuberger asserted.
Thornton Forced To Cut
Crime Prevention Plans
Salem (UPD Because the
legislature did not provide
$50,000 in pilot funds, Atty.
Gen. Robert Y. Thornton said
today he is having to curtail
his crime prevention program.
The money request died in
committee.
Thornton said he is forced
to let his crime prevention
director go on or before July
1. Former Tillamook Police
Chief Philip G. Averill took
over the post May 31, 1960.
Although the funds were
denied, 'Thornton said he in
tends to continue the program
for the next two years "but
not in the way we had plan
ned" We'll try to make out as
best we can and hope there is
more interest in the 1963 leg
islature." A state crime commission
proposal by Sen. Carl Fran-,
cis (R-Dayton) and others died
in the same committee - ways
and means. It asked $50,000
and would also have studied
crime prevention.
Search Pressed for Parents of Two
Children Found Slain Near Redmond
Bend - (UPD - The search con
tinued today for the parents
of two small children whose
bare and broken bodies were
found in a rocky gorge near
Redmond Friday.
State police reported Sun
day night that several leads
had been checked out but that
nothing has turned up so far
as to the identities of the boy,
about 6, and the girl, about
4. The children were of In
dian or Spanish descent, po
A proposed state criminal
identification bureau under
the state police failed. Fran
cis noted that $20,000 was ap
proved, setting up a police
training advisory committee.
The group will set standards
for city police and county
sheriffs' offices.
Hearings on Zoning
Proposal Scheduled
Ashland Public hearings
on a proposed residential
zoning ordinance in Ashland
will be held tonight and Tues
day night.
The planning commission is
scheduled to hold a public
hearing on the proposal at 8
o'clock tonight in the city
council chamber. The council
will have a hearing at 8 p.m.
tomorrow.
The proposal calls for creat
ing a multiple family unit
known as Zone 3, and Zone 4,
a single family unit area.
lice said.
A pathologist's report show
ed that both childlren had
been criminally assaulted be
fore being thrown into the
Crooked River Gorge. The re
port Indicated they may have
been strangled and bludgeon
ed. Warren Albright, Jefferson
county district attorney, spec
ulated that the parents of the
slain children also may have
met with foul play. He said
Laos Conference
To Open Tuesday;
Rebels To Attend
United States
Bows to Pressure
Geneva (UPD The 14-nation
conference on Laos finally
will open Tuesday, four days
late and torn by fights over
what delegations will be seat
ed, it was announced today.
Britain and Russia, in their
roles as cochairmen, an
nounced that the first session
of the long-delayed parley will
start Tuesday afternoon.
The announcement came a
few hours after the United
States had reluctantly bowed
to British and French pres
sure and agreed to permit the
Communist Pathet Lao rebels
to attend the sessions as the
equals of two other Laotian
delegations. The Royal Lao
tians balked, however.
The acting head of the
Royal Laotian government
delegation said his group
would not attend if the Reds
and the "neutralist" faction
from his country are admitted
on an equal footing.
Spokesmen for British For
eign Secretary Lord Home
and Soviet Foreign Minister
Andrei Gromyko, the cochair
men, told a news conference
that they invited all Laotian
delegations here to take part,
saying they -"have agreed to
seat representatives from
Laos proposed by individual
governments participating in
the conference."
The United States immedi
ately issued a statement say
ing it would attend the con
ference, despite the fact it
recognizes neither neutralists
nor rebels, simply to give in
terested nations a chance to
work out "true neutrality"
for the strifetorn kingdom of
Laos.
Record Budget
Approved for HEW
wasnington - rain -The
House Appropriations Com
mittee voted today to give the
Health, Education and Wel
fare Department a record bud
get of $4 billion for the fiscal
year beginning July 1.
The committee's recommen-
dation was $48,154,919 above
what was sought in President
Kennedy's budget. The- com
mittee - called for fresh as
saults on cancer, heart disease,
infant mortality, alcoholism
and the problems of the aged.
It also called for a - new
training program aimed at
"really doing something
about" retraining jobless
workers to fill a shortage of
skilled workers.
Talent Approves
Sewer Charge Hike
Talent - The Talent city
council has approved a $1 in
crease in the monthly city
sewer charge effective July 1.
This will raise the monthly
charge from SO cents to $1.50.
The additional $1 will be
placed in a fund to be used
for enlargement of the pres
ent sewer system in the fu
ture. Council members pointed
out that present facilities do
not meet state requirements.
No Hazards Reported
In 226 Medford Homes
No fire hazards were noted
by firemen in 226 of the 416
homes they inspected last
week.
- They made 289 recommend
ations for correction of haz
ards.
"Firemen stopped at 882
dwellings. No one was home
at 401. Sixty-five occupants
rejected the offer of inspec
tion. TO DISCUSS PLANS
Ashland F. D. Morgan,
state highway department di
vision engineer, will describe
plans for the southern Ore
gon portions of the interstate
Highway 5 freeway at the
Tuesday noon luncheon of the
Ashland Chamber of Com
merce in the Mark Antony
hotel.
this was entirely speculation
but added the possibility of
foul play for the parents was
raised because no children
have been reported missing.
The nude bodies of the bad
ly beaten victims were re
covered Friday afternoon.
A state police spokesman
here said a Federal Bureau
of Investigation agent was ob
serving the investigation in
case the FBI was given Jurisdiction.
Ms
in Alabama
Regional Edition
Medford
18 Pages
INDIVIDUALIST B. E. Westgate, above,
operator of a shoe shine parlor at 701 West
Main st., Medford, doesn't give a hoot what
anyone else does about daylight saving time.
By placing this sign in his window he has
Dr. Richards Sees
Challenge as Head
Of California Group
Assuming' a newly created
position' for coordination of
higher education in California
poses him a "tremendous
challenge," Dr. John R. Rich
ards said today.
Dr. Richards, chancellor of
the Oregon system of higher
education for the past six
years, this fall will assume
the duties of the first director
of the new California Coordi
nating Council for Higher
Education. His office will be
in the Bay Area.
Richards, who is in Med
ford today, will speak this
evening at the first annual
scholarship recognition dinner
for high school students here.
The dinner will be at 6:30
p.m. at the Rogue Valley
Country club.
The i announcement came
from Council President Rob
ert J. Wert, a Stanford Uni
versity official.
Provided With Background
"Dr. Richards' work in Ore
gon as the coordinator of all
of Oregon's state - supported
colleges and universities has
provided him with a back
ground Ideally suited to meet
ing the challenges of Cali
fornia's enormous future
growth in higher education,"
Dr. Wert said.
The council was created last
year by the California legisla
ture to advise it and the gov
ernor on educational financ
ing matters and to help plan
for development of education
al programs. Its 15 members
include laymen and repre
sentatives from the Univer
sity of California, the state
college system, junior col
leges, and private colleges
and universities.
This morning, Richards said
that California has, through
the creation of the council
and by other actions, started
a trend away from direct leg
islative and executive con
trol of higher education. This
is directly contrary to the
trend In other states, where
more and more political con'
trols- have been imposed on
the academic community, the
chancellor said. This has long
been one of his major con
cerns, he stated.
He said California i new
approach is a tremendously
challenging one, and that the
new 'position Is one of few
in higher education which
could have persuaded him to
leave. He said his eight years
Attack freedom
MEDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY. MAY 15, 1961
if 11';: 9
with Oregon higher education
have been satisfying and re
warding, and his decision,
which was arrived at after
several months of talks, and
was not announced until the
legislature adjourned, was a
difficult one.
Presents Opportunity
"This presents an oppor
tunity to apply the lessons
learned in Oregon to the mas
sive structure of higher edu
cation in California," he said.
The California position will
pay somewhat more than he
has been earning in Oregon,
but this was not a major fac
tor in his decision, he said.
Dr. Richards was to visit
Southern Oregon college dur
ing the day, and have lunch at
Rogue Valley Manor. His visit
here was arranged by Frank
J. VanDyke, former member
of the state board of higher
education, and an old friend.
To Attend Meeting
Richards will attend a
meeting of the new California
council on May 26. It will
come into official existence on
July 1, and he will assume
his duties in the fall.
The announcement of Rich
ards' decision to leave brought
him high- praise from board
members. Vice President Wil
liam Walsh, Coos Bay, said
that expansion of higher edu
cation in Oregon during Rich
ards' term of office has been
spectacular, including campus
buildings, larger enrollments,
increases In salaries and edu
cational television.
Dr. Richards, 52, is father
of three and is a graduate of
Pcnn State. He earned his
Ph. D. from the University of
Chicago. He came to Oregon
eight years ago from New
York university as vice chan
cellor, and assumed his pres
ent post two years later.
WEATHER
FORECAST: Pilr and warm
through Tuesday. Low tonight
40. High Tufirtay SO.
Illghttt Yeittrdar 71
Loweit This Morning It
Our Skies Tonight
Sonnet today . ....... 7:2 p.m.
Sunrise tomorrow 4:49 a.m.
Moon set tonight . 1:31 P-m.
First quarter -.May Z2
PROMINENT STAR
Aplra, due south 1:11 p.m.
VISIBLE PLAN 1ST B
Mars, dut west 1:30 p.m.
Jupiter and Saturn,
In the southeast ItStt.m.
Venus, low In east 4:01 a.m.
facial
56th
Tribune
solved the whole problem as far as he is
concerned and if you want a shine you'd
better get there before he closes, which is
4:30, that is 5:30, or late afternoon, any
way. '..
Bengf son Files
Affidavit Against
Circuit Judge
O. H. Bengtson, Medford
lawyer, filed an affidavit of
prejudice against Circuit
Judge James Main following
a circuit court hearing this
morning.
Judge Main was to consid
er a motion to resubmit the
eight pending indictments
against Bengtson regarding
the Medford Escrow company
to the grand jury. The motion
was not argued.
Bengtson, representing him
self, read a lengthy statement
giving his version of the back
ground of the previous trials
and legal processes taken
against him. He insisted that
Circuit Judge Edward C. Kel
ly should disqualify himself
as he had offered to do on
May 3, Bengtson alleged.
Judge Kelly confirmed
Bcngtson's ' statement this
morning. But he said his of
fcr applied only to today's
trial. He said that now he
would set a date to hear the
motion to resubmit the eight
indictments as soon as he
learns that Judge Main is of
ficially disqualified.
Would Not Sign Order
If Judge Kelly rules In
favor of the motion to resub
mit then he would not sign
the order to disqualify him
self, he explained. "My order
to disqualify myself would
not involve any of the pre
liminary procedure," he said.
"Mr. Bengtson cannot have
me disqualified since I'm al
ready involved in the case,
having ruled on a number of
motions and demurrers.
If the eight indictments
should be resubmitted to the
grand jury for consolidation,
Judge Kelly said he would
not disqualify himself since
his offer had applied to only
one of the eight indictments
Under law, Bengtson it al
lowed two affidavits of pre
judice. He can apply his re
maining -affidavit to Circuit
Judge Orval Millard, Grants
Pass, who presided over previ
ous trials concerning embez
zlement indictments against
Bengtson.
Bengtson maintained this
morning that politics were
heavily involved In this mat
ter since Gerald W. Scanncll
then deputy district attorney,
and candidate for district at
torney, was actively cam
paigning at the time the ear
lier Indictments came up.
Bengtson said this morning
he feels he Is being persecut
listurbance
Year Price 10 Cents
No. 46
Funeral Service
For Gary Cooper
Tuesday Morning
Tributes Pour In
For Deceased Actor
Hollywood - (UPD - Tributes
from all over the world ar
rived today at the homo of
Gary Cooper, who lost his
four-month battle against can
cer Saturday at the age of 60.
The messages of sorrow
spoke of a personal loss felt
by friends of the late actor on
and off the screen.
Rosary for the three -time
Academy Award winner will
be recited tonight. Cooper
died at his Holmby Hills man
sion. His wife, Veronica, and
daughter, Maria, 24, were at
his beside.
Requiem Mais, Tuesday
Solemn Requiem Mass will
be recited at 9 a.m. (p.s.t.)
Tuesday at the church of the
Good Shepherd in Beverly
Hills. The eulogy will be read
by the Most Rev. Timothy
Manning, auxiliary bishop of
the Los Angeles archdiocese.
Six close friends, Henry
Hathaway, William G o e t z,
Jimmy Stewart, Jack Benny,
Charles K. Feldman and Jerry
Wald, will serve as pallbear
ers at the burial at Holy Cross
Cemetery in Inglewood.
Honorary pall bearers in
clude author Ernest Heming
way, who is ill and will be
unable to attend, John Wayne,
Henry Ford II,; Bing Crosby,
Burt Lancaster, Dick Powell,
Kirk Douglas and Danny
Kaye.
Bequest Contributions
Mrs. Cooper asked that con
tributions be made to the
Sloan - Kettering Institute of
Cancer Research in New York
City In lieu of flowers.
Cooper s casket will be seal-
ed because the family wants
him to be remembered as his
friends saw him 'in life."
Fear that the ceremonies
might turn Into a circus has
prompted Mrs. Cooper to ap
peal to the public to let her
husband be laid to rest pri
vately and in a dignified man
ner. - ,
Extra police have been as
signed to the funeral proces
sion.
Dunsmuir Youth
Killed in Mishap
Yreka - An 18-year-old Col
lege of the Sisklyous student
was killed early Sunday morn
ing when his car struck a
highway divider strip send
ing it out of control and over
an embankment on Highway
99 north of Dunsmuir.
The victim was identified
Thomas Lee Edson, of
Dunsmuir. Siskiyou county
sheriff's deputies said Edson
was driving south on Highway
99, and attempted to pass a
truck on the four lane high
way.
After hitting the divider
and careening over the em
bankment, the car struck a
tree. The accident occurred at
5:45 a.m. 300 yards from the
Dunsmuir city limits.
Edson was the son of Mr,
and Mrs. Thomas Edson,
Dunsmuir.
Ag Year Rainfall
Totals 15.88 Inches
Precipitation for the cur
rent agricultural year for
Medford and vicinity already
totals more than for the entire
1959-1960 year.
Weather bureau records
show 13.80 Inches of precipi
tation here since the start of
the agricultural year Sept. 1,
1960. Total for the period
Sept. 1, 1959, to Aug. 31, 1960
was 15.86. These figures com
pare to an average of 18.15
inches of precipitation for this
area. Total for the year at this
time a year ago was 14.78.
The weather bureau report
ed 109 inches of snow on the
ground at Crater lake com
pared to 84 at this time a year
ago. Total for the season is
508 Inches. There had 'heen
1 420 up to this time last year.
Gliders'
Group Planned To
Defy Segregation
Customs in South
Whites Armed With
Clubs and Knives
Birmingham, Ala. - (UPD -White
and Negro "freedom
riders" who set out to crash
Deep South segregation bar
riers were attacked by white
men in two cities Sunday.
A crowd of about 100 white
men, some armed with clubs
and knives, attacked a Grey
hound bus on which nine
members of the Congress on
Racial Equality were riding
at Anniston, Ala. There were
13 other persons on the bus,
including an Alabama state
investigator.
Another group of white
men at Birmingham attacked
James A. Peck of New York
City, editor of a CORE puffli
cation and one of the leaders
of the tour. Peck and a Ne
gro student from Morehouse
college, Atlanta, were hospi
talized. To Defy Segregation
The CORE group planned
to defy segregation customs in
bus terminals at Montgomery,
Ala., today and then move to
Jackson, Miss. The tour began
in Washington, D. C, earlier
this month.
The Anniston attack de
stroyed the bus, and three
persons were hospitalized for
treatment for smoke inhala
tion.
When the bus tried to leave
the terminal at Anniston,
group of about 100 white men
appeared, . threw chocks be
neath the wheels to keep It
from moving and began to
slash the tires. One man tat
down in front ot, the bus and
dared driver O. T. Jones to
start..
-State investigator E. L. Cow
ley, who got on the bus In
Atlanta, prevented the occu
pants from leaving the bus,
and Anniston police Chief J.
L. Peek held back the crowd
outside.
Stt Bus Afire
The bus was able to leave,
but a tire went flat just out-
side the city. The mob, which
had' followed in private auto
mobiles, began throwing
stones at the windows. Some
one tossed an incendiary de
vice in one window, and the
bus caught fire.
The mob disappeared as
soon as the flames broke out,
and the passengers left the
bus. The interior of the ve
hicle was destroyed.
No arrests were made.
Edtjle Point School .
Entered on Week End
Eagle Point - Burglars en
tered Eagle Point Elementary
school during the week end,
but nothing was reported
missing or damaged.
John Larson, school cus
todian, discovered an open
window in the eighth grade
room Sunday night. School of
ficials said burglars apparent
ly entered the room, and
made an unsuccessful attempt
to get into the main school
building through a transom
above the room door.
"Private Enterprise Has Been Dealt Another
Blow. The Government Wants Us to Pay
For This Ourselves"
Union Members
Reject Contract
Offer From AGC
Strike Authorized
At Discretion
Portland - (UPD - Possibility
of a strike in Oregon's heavy
construction industry appear
ed today after members of Lo
ca 1701, Operating Engineers
Union, rejected a contract of
fer from Associated General
Contractors.
The union represents some
5,000 workers in Oregon and
S o u t hwest Washington. A
strike would also tie up oth
er workers.
Pay Offer Turned Down
The vote was 1,387 to 292
to turn down an offer which1
was reported to have includ
ed a 13-cent pay hike, two 10
cent increases over the next
two years and a 2V4 cent in
crease in contribution to the
health and welfare program.
The union authorized its ne
gotiating committee to call a
strike at its discretion.
Balloting on the offer took
several weeks. The offer was
made after negotiating ses
sions before e federal medi
ator here.
Associated General Con
tractors said they received
verbal notification of the un
ion rejection today.
Willing To Met
A. H. Harding, manager of
the Portland chapter of AGC,
said:
"The employers stand ready
and willing to meet immedi--
tely with Federal Conciliator
Leroy Smith for further dis
cussions and have so notified
both the union and the con
ciliator. Meanwhile, the em
ployers will continue to make
work available."
The old contract expired
March 31.
Mrs. Fagone Named
Mother of Year
Mrs.:' Upiene Fagone was
named Medford mother of the
annual; contest sponsored by
radio station KYJC and Med
ford merchants.
Mrs..-Fagone, of 629 , Pine
st... has three children, her .
husband, S. J. (Bennie) Fa
gone, is an employee of the
Medford post office. She has
been active in local and coun
ty PTA groups, Post Office
Emoloyees auxiliary and Cub
and Girl Scouts.
Mrs. Fagone and members
of her family were guests for
Mother's day dinner at the
Medford hotel. She received
gifts from local merchants.
Mrs. Ruth Vessey, of 123Z
Stewart ave., and Mrs. Ruby
Htatt, of 1428 East Main St.,
were runners up.
North Lane of
New Bridge Closed
Motorists were reminded to
day that the north lane on the
Eighth st. bridge will be
closed to traffic this week.
- City Public Works Director
Vernon Thorpe said that Peter
Kiewit and Sons company,
contractor for the overhead
freeway structure, will be
working on a concrete sup
port at that location. The sup
port is being erected between
the east end of the Eighth st.
bridge and Main st. bridge.
The support, one of a num
ber which will be needed for
the freeway structure, is ex
pected to be completed by
Friday. ' .
. j-v a
ed rather than prosecuted.
A
I
ts