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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 1963)
4 B SUNDAY, JANUARY 20. 1963 MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON I ltipna lc Matinn Grunn Ah pari Frnnnmirallw inn Orn frrmtn uiii iu uuiivii awui ni va emvviiviiiivuii y iy 11 vn W lwllfcw By EVA HAMILTON Mill Tribune Staff Writer A country awaking to mod ern. challenges and moving forward economically by the iron ore route is the descrip tion given bere of Liberia by Doyle K. Casey, who recently returned from the west coast of Africa He completed a two-year stay in that former lethargic country as public administra' tion advisor for the U. S Agency for International De velopment, the department of state agency which adminis ters the foreign aid program Liberia is really progress ing because of foreign in vestments, Casey explained. There is big money to be made in Africa and Ameri can and European investors are there to make it. Lebanese Oparata Store The Lebanese investors, too, are deep in the heart of Liberia. "Even in the Bush," Casey said, "you will find a Lebanese operating a store." Casey, who was ptatloned in Medford with the Air Corps during World War II, is a guest here with Mrs. Casey and their five daughters at the home of his brother, Rich ard W. Casey, 137 North Oak dale ave. "I have never seen a coun try so small so rich in iron ore," Casey declared. "You may think I am overrating the importance of iron, but it Is iron ore that is giving a new rating to Liberia." Lamco is spending $20(1 mil' lion on an ore plant, iailroad seaport and other equipment in Liberia and will complete the investment before real izing one cent in return. Such is the company's faith in the future of Liberian iron, Casey noted. Production is not scheduled to start before April. A Minerals Company What is Lamco? It is the Liberian American Swedish Minerals company. A 200-mllc railroad is part of its con struction program a id it has been employing several thou sand Libcrians. The tribal Liberians carry on the man ual labor and foreigners, plus some Liberians, perform the work requiring more train ing. The company expects to ex port several hundred million tons of 63 per cent iron ore to Europe and the United Stales. American Investors also have an interest in an other mine located at Boml Hills. Two additional plants are being financed by cor man investors. Lamco is located 4,000 feet above sea level and it Is just another world, according to the man who helped Liberia reorganize government oper ations. The humidity is high at Lamco, as it is throughout Liberia, but the temperature is cool and pleasant. Moving Forward "The Liberians are moving forward politically, too, al though not spectacularly" for another reason. And this rea' son is close to the work which Casey carried on there. Li berians arc willing to let someone else do the work for which they are not now pre pared and ready Casey's Job was to help with Liberia's efforts in reor ganizing government oper ations and to help stimulate economic development. As deputy chief of the public ad ministration division in Mon rovia, he worked closely with the Liberian Special Commis sion on Government Oper ations, the conduct of Liberia's first national census, the or ganization of the National Planning Agency, the Liber ian Development Corporation and the Rural Devolopment Program centered in the in terior of Liberia. Atlhough a very small country, about the size of the state of Indiana, Liberia ex erts great Influence in Af rica, and Casey gives much credit for this to the presi dent, William V. S. Tubman, now serving his fourth term. The Americo-Libcrians fill the principal government of fices. In Highway Program The country is now engag ing in a. rather ambitious highway program. "ne hun dred miles of highway have been asphalted. There are many graveled roadways as gravel is plentiful in Liberia, very rocky country. So Solution to Problem of Broken Home Is in Home rsiT nil COUNSELING HELP Dr. D. Kirkland West finds helpful in his counseling of young married couples a book, "Design for Christian Marriage", written by Dwight Hervcy Small. It Is one of many on the subject of miirringc he keeps on his library shelves. By EVA HAMILTON Mail Tribune Staff Writer For many months ministers and Judges throughout this country have been devoting their time to a study of the nation's "appalling divorce rate," and the accompanying break down of family life. Everyone reads about It. Everyone talks about 1' But, does anyone do anything about II? That's the question they ask. The answer is yes. at least here. And, the doing In starting at the grass roots as it does in most campaigns that reap results. Calling for cooperation of all ministers in coping with the "growing tide of broken homes," Dr. D. Kirkland West of the First Presbyterian church In Medford recently revealed some "shocking fig ures pertaining In the situ alion right in Jackson conn t.v. Gathers Stetittics During a four-month period, Dr. West gathered statistics from the Jackson county courthouse. They showed (hat this conn ly recorded during that time 122 marriages and 85 div orces, affecting 10S children The last figure is the one that worries him most. The second month the num ber of divorces stayed Ihc same, 22. The marriages in creased from 29 to 32, a heal thy sign at first glance. But (he number of children In volved in the broken homes Incrcnnod from 22 to 24. So, the situation was not so prom ising as the first impression might Indicate. The third month chosen by Dr. Wost igw marriages out numbering divorces by a lar ger margin, ao to 1:'. Again, the number of chiUlrc.i In volved stayed at approximate ly the same number. 23. The ratios In the fourth month were "the most rcgrclablc." There were 31 marring and 28 divorces, leaving ;tfl chil dren "victims of the broken home stigma," Dr. West noted. Suggests Several Answers What is the cause of all this? Dr. West suggests sev eral answers blithe imrn't de cided which one, if any, is correct. He Is sure of one thing. The 'til "death do us part" routine means little if anything to a growing number of people to day. Fewer and fewer people think of marriage In terms of life. The truism Is. according to Dr. West. "If I don't like it, I can change II." A marriage, he has found, Is viewed In Ihc same light as a new car by many cou ples. If you don't like this model trade It in for a new one. The attitude is not confined to any one class of people. The rich, the poor, the edu cated, the uneducated full into the same pattern, in lesser numbers In some places, per haps. Dr. West said. But, nev er in a sufficiently notable trend to enable those who study the problem to label any particular group a the 'most divorced" or the "least divorced." Figure In Answers The working wife, the too- young bride, and (lie Imma ture bridegroom all figure In nswers Ircqucn'ly given to the problem. It's too easy to get married, sonic experts volunteer. Wo men nave loo much money. Ihey have become too inde pendent to stay married, an other offers. Of all America's families in the $7.000-and-up Income bracket, two thirds have more than one wage earner, and in nearly 60 per cent ot there cases the second worker Is the wife: In the $7,000 to $10,000 In come bracket, half of all working wives bring home more than one-third of the family's total paycheck. These are figures released by Syl via roner, nnancial writer, and in no attempt to throw light upon this particular prob icni. nut, ur. West believes, sucli figures may be signifi cant. Vole of Majority "Too-easy, too-early marri ages ' seem to get the vote of the majority of people rcnort- ing their finding. when they try to answer why. But v-hat's to he done about it? rew people favor more laws to dictate more regula tions, except, perhaps, where a change is necessary tn the protection of the Individual and society. The most desirable answer, ministers and Judges agree, "will come by way of the home." Schools and many churches, here and elsewhere, are now giving instruction in marriage and family relation ships. But it gets a little em barrassing sometimes, they arc quick lo admit, when the teachers and minisiers have to condemn to the children they are trying to counsel, the very mistakes their parents are making. 1 rocky that a person is con stantly hearing bla ting In Monrovia as builders seek footing for construction, Cas ey said. "Tubman really has Roose velt bested," Casey comment ed, predicting that the Liber ian leader will be elected to a fifth term and inaugurated in 1964. There is much money to be made in the service indus tries in Liberia, according to Casey, who explained that the Libcrians know they are not prepared at present to handle all the needs in this field The government contracts with firms from other coun tries for some of these serv ices. Much improvement has been made in recent years, the Medford visitor empha sized. Stimulates Growth Casey said when he first took his family to Monrovia he was lighting the candles almost every night because the electricity was off. The Libcrians hired Americans to come in and improve these service industries and this has helped stimulate the economic growth of the country. There are no sewage plants in Monrovia, a city of 80,000 population, but this is not an emergent problem, Casey vol unteered. Most of the people use the old out-door methods, others have septic tanks. This does not create the problem one might think. It's quite all right during the rainy season, Casey explained, and the ants are great scavengers during the dry season. There are few er flies and mosquitoes than in many parts of South Amer ica. The Caseys were provided with a typical American house, four bedrooms with two baths, while in Monrovia. As servants, they had two house boys, indigenous Li berians. All domestics are men in Liberia, the visitor added. The women have ba bies, plant rice, pound rice and perform other tribal du ties. The tendency to use males instead of females in domestic positions carries through to the airlines where one finds stewards instead of stewardesses. Problem In Hiring One major problem in hir ing tribal Libcrians, Casey said, results from the fact that there are 29 tribes, speaking 29 dialects. Sometimes householder will have two house boys who can't even talk to each other. The official language in Li beria is English and the Americo-Libcrians, descendants of early American slaves, as well as some tribal Liberians, speak English fluently. Some of the Amcrico-Liberians, are recent arrivals in Liberia, coming from the United States maybe two or three years ago. Some go to the United States and marry Negro girls and bring them back to Liberia. You have to be a citizen to own property in Liberia and only Negroes can be citizens, Casey explained. "Society in Liberia is much more formal than in this coun try. That is, with the Amcrico Liberians." the former resi dent of Monrovia emphasized, adding "I didn't attend a num ber of functions because 1 didn't have the required top hat, striped pants and while tic and 1 wasn't going to in vest In them. Many of the wo men wear very expensive clothes, all Imported from other countries. My wife could tell you more about that." Tribal Liberiani Describing the tribal Liber ians, Carey said there were many differences in their fa cial features. Although they live In a small country, each tribe has maintained its indi viduality All Ihc men are e lied the "Boss" and all women "Missy'' when addressed by the tribal Libcrians The iron which is making Liberia a land of wealth also makes it a poor agricultural region. Even the waters are colored with the mineral, Cas ey said. The country doesn't produce enough food to feed its own people. Upland rice is grown but more Is need ed. It is Imported from Italy and the United States. All food, with the exception of fruit, for the foreign commu nity is imported. All food is called "chop." The pantry is Ihc "chop closet" and fresh produce Is called "frcrh chop." Native Fruits There are many native fruits - oranges, grapefruit, avocado, called butter pear, the papaya, called paw paw. and pineapples. The pineap ples are so sweet people think sugar has been added. Liberian children don't drink milk. Babes are nursed until they arc several years old. After that milk is no long er a part of the diet. They never have had milk in Liber ia. One reason is that the tsetse id 'pd :; , IT; O ; :;,' fit. ,. : CV'-i .'i ,.i : r-. r ',r --5 -f . . RELAX IN MEDFORD Mr. and Mrs. Doyle Casey are relaxing here with their five daughters at the home of his brother, Richard W. Casey, between house hunting tours around Medford. Janet, 14, now a student at McLoughlin Junior High school, is wearing a lapa, the Liberian cost- tumc, extra yardage of which Is used as a stole or a car rier for babies. The other daugiuers are Sandra, lo, and Patricia, 8, who have enrolled at Jackson school; Cynthia, 5, and Pamela, 2. Mrs. Casey plans to remain in Medford to keep their daughters in school until the end of the term. Medford YMCA Names Delegates: Five delegates to the Area Council of the Pacific North west YMCA were elected by the board of directors of the Medford organization at a recent meeting. They are Dr. William H. Roberts, Mrs. Scott Wicker sham, Terry Green, William J. Williams and Robert E. Nelson. The Medford members will attend the council meeting in, Seattle March 1, 2 and 3. The program there will give con. sideration to the purposes for which the YMCA works and to the implementation of these purposes in program aw tivities. It will devote considerable time to legislation concerning inter-association affairs and opportunities for exchange of ideas, according to advance reports of the program. Nine new directors will be elected to the Medford YMCA board at: the annual meeting of the membership Jan. 22. - for Healthy SEPTIC TANKS CESSPOOLS AND DRAINS (HIMICtl TOIlIll IN MUOUt SHELTER! lite SEPT0NIC Regularly! - Ktffpt lank working, odor- m m A fft. Coiy to wit. Fait, toft, if V 3T harmlm to plumbing. Com H only 3fle mo., 500-gol. tank. H Monty back gueranlttl 4 Trcatmtnlt At Your Orott or Hardware fly is still a problem. The cows seen in Liberia are there for scientific testing and for beef. Malaria is very common, much of it, in' infants, of the fatal cerebral type. The Cas eys took malaria suppressives, but Casey had one attack, which was mild. Temperature in Liberia is equalled by humidity, which always high. A tempera ture as low as 67 degrees is seldom recorded. It can, and does rain H inches in 18 hours. The humidity is high even in the "dry season" when the dust boils up until shrubs along the roadways are so coated it is difficult to identify them. Sets Up Training Program In addition to his Liberian assignment, Casey was asked by the U. S. Mission in Ni geria to come there and as sist in training officials at the cabinet level, who will be replacing the British in these positions. He spent a month just setting up the training program and found the Ni gerians wonderful people. ' Casey received his degree in politieal science at the Uni versity of Oregon in 1947 and worked two years for the League of Oregon Cities in Eugene. He received an Al fred P. Sloan fellowship in government management for graduate work at the Univer sity of Denver where he ob tained his master's degree. He worked with legislative committees in Sacramento, Calif., before joining the for- METAL WORKS BRILL Commercial Induitrial Reiidential Sheet Metal Work Stainless, Galvanized end Copper Fabrication 228? West Main PHONE 772-4440 eign operations administra tion. ' His next assignment, ac cording to tentative agree ments, will be to Uganda for a training program similar to the one developed in Nigeria. Mrs. Casey and their daugh ters hope to remain in Med ford at least for the remain der of the school year. Casey was with the foreign aid program overseas before going to Africa. 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