1W
GOLLEG
All
OJ
Legislative
Changes Seen
Next November
Kdilnr's note: The revolt which lead lo the 3'i lo I
voter rejection of the 196:1 legislature's lax increase pack
age is expected to affect next year's elections. This is the
last of a scries of article.
By ZAN STAKK
SALEM (UPI) Everyone expects next November's elec
tion to produce some sweeping changes in legislative mem
bership but nobody seems to know what changes to expect.
Will it be a reverse of the 1357 election when the Demo
crats swept to power because voters reacted to Republican
lawmakers who had increased taxes?
Or will Democrats be able to expand their present unwork
able 31-29 majority in the House?
Gov. Mark Hatfield doesn't know.
In a post-special session press conference, he said "The
legislature redeemed itself in the eyes of the public to some ex
lent." He then predicted "we will see a significant turnover in
legislative personnel next year."
Asked by reporters if he meant he expected Republicans lo
regain control, the Republican governor replied that the turn
over "will act on the legislature as a whole."
Legislators Have Different Ideas
The major reason for the uncertainly of what may happen is
the fact that the !)0 legislators still have about 90 different ideas
about llie people's mandate on Oct. 15.
Some believe it was a demand for economy. Others be
lieve it was a vole against slale aid lo education. Some feel it
was a rejection of the specific tax bill.
Many believe it was a demand for a sales tax. Others say
the public wants a cigarette tax.
Everyone seems to want economy. But nobody seems to
want the kind of economy that takes money from his pet proj
ects it's the other fellow's spending that's at fault.
There has been much talk about the legislature's poor image.
Members of the governor's staff admit Hatfield's popularity
slipped to a low ebb.
There seems to be a gap in communications.
State government finance is highly complex. Some agencies,
such as the Highway Department, are financed by so-called
dedicated funds in this case the gasoline tax and are not
affected by general fund budget cuts.
Agencies Losing Matching Funds
Other agencies such as welfare get more than half of
their money from county and federal matching funds. For every
$1 in state money that is cut from the budget, $1.50 to S2 in
matching funds is lost.
There are other agencies, such as the Department of Em
ployment, that are operated entirely with federal funds. Changes
in the stale's budget have no effect on operations of the de
partment of employment.
Timing was bad. At the same time the legislature adopted
a SliO million tax increase package. Ihe federal congress was
considering a bill to cut federal withholding taxes in the face
of increased federal spending.
The state's prisons, institutions, hospitals, colleges and uni
versities seem gripped in a population explosion thus it
eosls more to operate them.
The state has been operating at a deficit for years. This
year the surplus ran out. There was no multi-million dollar
emergency fund to ease the tax bite. - ....
Lawmakers cilher had lo cut services and delay construction
projecls, or raise taxes.
They raised taxes. The voters revolted.
The problem didn't go away when the austerity cutbacks
were enacted.
The problem is still there. It has simply been swept under
the rug until 1005.
What will happen in 'm is still anybody's guess.
ECM Future Seen
At Shakey
ttnusKFi.s (i;pn Aoricul
ture ministers from the six Eu
ropean Common Market nations
assembled today for talks ex
pected to decide if a French
German controversy on farm
prices will kill the six-year-old
economic community.
The agriculture ministers x
were to b joined Wednesday j
by the six foreign ministers,!
and possibly finance and trade I
ministers. The talks will last a '
week.
On the surface, the dispute
revolves around such prosaic
ilems as common prices for
beef, dairy products and rice.
But underneath lies the contin
uing struggle over the direction
Ihe common market should
take.
Sets Deadline
French President Charles de
Gaulle has demanded that uni
fied farm price and subsidy pol
icies be scl by Dec. 111. He
wants these policies to shut out
non-market nations and leave
the food markets of Germany
open for French surpluses,
making France the leading Eu
ropean farming nation.
Dc Gaulle, who has said he
may pull France out of the
common market altogether if
the deadline is not met. was
acting in line with his vision of
Europe as a "third bloc." an
inward-looking alliance. This vi
S'on was said to be a reason
why he vetoed Britain's bid for
NEWSOBRIEFS
HIMS FROM Ifc JP WUNB 0l0M
DISPUTES TIIISKATKN L.N. ADJOURNMENT
UNITED NATIONS. N. V. tUPt) The General Assembly
moved into Its last scheduled working day of this year today,
in adjournment threatened by disagreement on plans In ex
pand l0 top U'.N. councils.
JOHNSON PLEDGES DIVISIONS IN EUROPE
PARIS (UPI) President Johnson pledged firmly today to
keep the equivalent of six U.S. Army divisions in Europe "so
long as they are needed.''
SIX CHILDREN DIE AS HOUSE BURNS
PORTLAND, Maine (UPI I Six children, three of them
slale wards, were killed Sunday night when ipace healer
erupled in flames which snept t two-family house.
Point
common market membership 11
months ago.
Germany has blocked De
Gaulle's attempt lo enforce the
Dec. 31 deadline. Chancellor
Ludwig Erhard has scoffed at
De Gaulle's threats lo disrupt
the Communist and has de
manded that the market first
define its attitude toward global
tariff talks in Geneva next May.
Ashland Chamber
To Install Officers
ASHLAND - At a board of
directors meeting held last
week Dr. Leo vanDijk was
elected president of the Cham
ber of Commerce for the ensu
ing year. Dr. E. C. McGill will
serve as vice president. The
new officers will be installed on
Jan. 14.
Dr. vanDijk, a veterinarian,
has been vice president of the
chamber for the past year and
a half. Dr. McGill, who is as
sistant to the president of South
ern Oregon College, has headed
several committees.
Retiring from the presidency
is William Patton. business
manager of the Oregon Shake
spearean Festival Association.
vr- fc i
TO BE NOMINATED Thom
as Mann, above, U.S. Ambassa
dor to Mexico, will be nominat
ed for Assistant Secretary oof
State for Inter-American affairs,
according to a White House an
nouncement. Mann, 51, a career
diplomat, is from Texas. (UPI)
Accidents Take
Lives of Seven
During Weekend
By United Press International
Accidents claimed the lives of
seven Oregon residents during
the weekend. Five of the deaths
were recorded in the state.
Frank Gcslvang, 33, Klamath
Falls, lost his life in a fire at
his home Sunday. Gestvang's
body was found on a smoldering
mattress in a room in his home.
He apparently died of smoke
inhalation. The fire was blamed
on smoker's carelessness.
Earl Snyder, 46, Salem, died
when his sports car overturned
and burned on the Willamette
River Bridge in Salem Satur
day. He was director of the Ore
gon Board of Aeronautics from
1954 through 1961.
Child Killed
Erin Murphy, 18 months, Sa
lem, was killed in a two-car col
lision on Interstate 5 in Port
land Saturday.
B. G. Bryant, 34, Portland,
lost his life in a one-car acci
dent on U.S. Highway 26 near
sandy Saturday.
Mrs. Nora Klingcr, 75, Hcrmi
ston, was fatally injured when
her car struck a parked logging
trucK on U.S. Highway 30 near
Hermiston Friday night.
Elmer Lealherman, 62, Eagle
I'omi, ana nis, wile, Elvira, 60
were killed in a two-car, head
on collision on U.S. Highway 90
near Yrcka, Calif., Friday night.
SP May Curtail
Passenger Service
PORTLAND (UPI ) Southern
Pacific has advised the Inter
state Commerce Commission it
wants to operate its Shasta Day
l'ght passenger train only dur
ing the summer vacation sea
son. The Shasta Daylight now runs
three times a week between
Portland and San Francisco.
Robert M. Gilmore, Southern
Pacific's general passenger traf
fic manager, said the number
of passengers carried in the
first five months of 1903 was
down 27 per cent from the same
period in 1961. Additional cars
would be added to the Cascade
streamliner lo provide service
he said.
Plans call for (he Shasta Day
light to operate from June 10
until ihe day after Labor Day
Arctic Air Mass
Sweeps Mid-West
By United Press lniernaiinn9i
An Arctic air mass sent tem
peratures falling far below zero
across tnc plains and Midwest
today with subfreezing temper
atures reported as far south as
the central Gulf stales.
The mercury plunged to .16
degrees below zero at Bemidji,
Minn., and 30 below at Interna
tional Falls Minn
Locally heavy snow squalls
blew off (he Great Lakes east
ward to the Ann.ilarhianc
kegon, Mich., reported six inch
es oi iresn snow in six hours
today, making a total of 15
inches on the ground.
Rain and snow fell along the
northwest coast. A half inch of
rain fell at Astoria, Ore., in six
hours and another inch of snow
put nine inches on the ground
at Spokane. Wash.
50 Pens Used To
Sign Education Bill
WASHINGTON (UP!) - Prcsi-
dent Johnson todav used 50 pens
to sign inlo law the $1.2 billion
college aid bill at a White
House ceremony.
The first two pens were pre
sented to Sen. Wayne Morse, D
Ore., and to Rep. Edith Green,
D-Ore.
Regional Edition
Medford
20 Pages Two Sections
Rebellious Tin
Miners Agree To
Release Hostages
Four Americans
Included in Group
LA PAZ, Bolivia (UPD-Re-bcllious
tin miners at Catavi to
day voted approval of an agree
ment reached with the govern
ment by their leaders for the
immediate release of 21 hos
tages, including four Ameri
cans, held since Dec. 6.
The vote came after hours of
bitler wrangling at the rally,
held in the mine, where mine
leader Vice President Juan
Lcchin was alternately attacked
and defended for his handling
of the situation.
The embattled miners had
previously demanded Ihe re
lease of three arrested Commu
nist labor leaders held in La
Paz in exchange for freedom
for the hostages.
Lone Concession
Lechin arrived in Catavi laic
Sunday to get the miners to
ratify the grcemcnt announced
during the week-end in La Paz.
The only concession Lcchin was
known to have won was a gov
ernment agreement to withdraw
trops deployed in the mining
area.
Hundreds of miners at the
mass rally voiced their disap
proval of the agreement. The
women, wives of the miners,
were especially displeased.
They openly accused Lechin of
bungling.
The miners had cabled ac
ceptance Sunday of Lechin's
order lo release the hostage
"to avoid a bloodbath, but
when he arrived in Catavi Ihe
meeting was announced lo dis
cuss the matter further.
Lcchin made a bitter state
ment at his home before lcav.
ing La Paz Sunday, threatening
future kidnaping incidents and
warning that Bolivian workers
will follow the path of Cuban
Premier Fidel Castro.
Hostages Named
The American hostages were
Thomas M. Martin of New York
and Michael Kristula of Cadil
lac, Mich., both U.S. Informa
tion Service officers: Bernard
Rifkin of Montclair, N.J., U.S.
Embassy labor attache: and
Robert Forgerstrom of Honolu
lu, a Peace Corps volunteer.
They were taken prison Dec.
B after traveling to the moun
tainous mining region to deliv
er Alliance For Progress funds
for the construction of a school
and an orphanage.
Attorneys Research
Sinatra Kidnaping
LOS ANGELES (UPI) - At
torneys for two suspects in the
Frank Sinatra Jr. kidnaping to
day were conducting their own
investigations and presumably
attempting to arrange fast bail
as Ihe young singer prepared to
return to Lake Tahoe where he
was abducted.
Santa Monica attorney George
A. Forde was retained by Jo
seph Clyde Amslcr, 23, of Playa
Del Rey, Calif.
Attorney Rex Ellis was rep
resenting 23-vcar-old Barry
Worthington Keenan, son of
wealth stockbroker John F.
Keenan. 1
While work was just begin
ning for defense attorneys' fed
eral agents virtually had the in
vestigation WTapped up for the
U.S. attorney's office.
Medford Building
To Have State Wood
WASHINGTON (UPI) -Wood
from Oregon will be used for
(he interior of the new federal
building in Medford, Ore., Rep.
Robert Duncan, D-Ore., has re
ported. Duncan said the General Scrv
vices Administration informed
him of the plans. He also said
the GSA reported that local
manufacturers of pre-stressed
concrete beams and other pro
ducts would be given an oppor
tunity to submit bids to contrac
tors on the project.
Senofe Confirmi
Marshal lor Oregon
WASHINGTON (UPI) - The
Senate today confirmed the nom
ination of Eugene Hulct to be
U. S. marshal for Oregon.
The confirmation was unani
mous.
Hulct. a Democratic slate
representative, was picked lo
succeed the late Paul Kearney.
MEDFORD, OREGON,
SUNDAY FIRE Charred timbers and melal
cabinets and radio equipment twisted by Ihe
heat are all that remains Uiis morning of the
Radio Station KDOV building on South Pacific
Highway. The stalion, approximately 100
yards off the highway, was leveled by the
Radio Station KDOV Plant
Is Destroyed in Sunday Fire
Fire of undetermined origin ,
late Sunday leveled the Radio
Station KDOV studios, offices
and transmitter building at 2471
South Pacific Highway.
William H. Hansen, station
owner said this morning
that plans are to have the stalion
resume broadcasting within 30
days. A 1,000-watt spare trnns-
Report on Merlin
Project Approved
The Bureau of the Budget to
day approved Ihe Reclamation
Bureau project report for the
Merlin Division of the Rogue
Basin project, Congress man
Robert B. Duncan, announced
today.
Duncan's bill, HR 62B2, and
its companion, Senate 1536 intro
duced by Oregon hens. Maurine
Neubergcr and Wayne Morse,
aulhorizes $14,750,000 for the
project.
In a telegram lo the Mail
Tribune Duncan said that he
would press for early hearings
on the project by the House
Interior Committee.
The proposed project is for SALEM (UPI) -Wilh Ore
irrigation in Illinois Valley and ' gon's lease of the planned
ine dam woum De locateu seven j
miles north of Grants Pass on
Jump Off Joe Creek. Irrigation
reports were first started by Ihe j
RB in 1937 and Ihe feasibility
reports in August, 1958. The dam
would be an earlhfill structure
205 feet high, 1,000 feet long at
the crest and make a reservoir
approximately 2.4 miles long
and .8 of a mile wide. The
38,000 acre feet of water would .
be adequate to irrigate 9,2(i0 j
acrcs of land.
Portland Suburb
Affected by Slide
LAKE OSWEGO (UPI ) -Tele
phone service was disrupted and
a Southern P a c i fi c Railroad
spur line was blocked by a slide
north of here late Sunday
The slide was believed cause
by a leaking water main. II oc -
curred near the highway
aiiout :
two blocks north of the city lim
its.
A spokesman for Pacifc North-
west Bell said the slide inter-
rupted service for an undeter-
lnH it m h r nf illvl nmors
The damage was repaired in a
iiimivvj
few hours
No scheduled train service
was affected
CHRISTMAS SEALS lijhl IB and
otfc!f RESPIRATORY DISEASES
f f SHOPPING
Tribune
MONDAY, DECEMBER
blaze which was not noticed due to the heavy
fog until the building collapsed. Firemen
saved surrounding buildings, including the
one at left which houses an auxiliary 1,000
watl transmitter.
milter, housed in a nearby build-
ing, was not damaged
Medford city firemen were
notified of Ihe fire about 8:30
p.m. by a motorist on U.S. 99.
At the time of the report the roof
had already collaspcd on the two
story structure. Firemen said
that heavy fog at the time made
the fire difficult to see since the
station's building was about 100
yards off the highway.
: n,,,., i.., in,,.!,.,
remained at the scene for about
four hours, mainly to save sur-
rounding buildings and cool a
butane tank near the burning
structure.
The Medford fire jnarshall and
slale deputy fire marshal are
checking the scene of the fire
today in an effort lo determine
its cause. The station, started in
August, 1958, operated daytime
on 5,000 walls of power on 1300
kilocycles. An announcer left the
stalion about 5 p.m. Sunday
when Ihe stalion concluded
broadcasting for the day.
Boeing Funds for
Boardman Expected
Bonrdman Space Age Industrial
Park apparently an accomplish-
el '"! the Boeing Company
board of directors was expected
to meet loday and appropriate
funds lor initial development of
Ihe project.
II. C. Saalfcld, director of the
slate's Vcteruns' Affairs Depart
ment which now owns the 100,.
ooo-acrc tract in northeastern
Oregon, said "we have por-
formed all Ihe stale's obliga-
lions.
Planning and Development Di
rector Samuel II. Mallicoal, who
has mothered the crisis-ridden
project for Ihrec years, said
"the slale has met its require
ments. It's now up to Boeing.
, b(1 mlml?M by'tne com,any'S
diroc-Iors at their meeting to-
We expect an appropriation to
day
, Californian Injured
l . , , ArrMent
YREKA - Clayton Floyd Jr.,
j 37, of Tulclake, Calif., was being
u,,, in , siskivou Gen -
, ospoial here today on a
h -geTdrunk driving follow -
iV"'"01 OrunK Uimilh. iuihiw
lno ..n a...,. ni n wnu'n ne a su
sM'ored major injurics.
.... -
The accident occurred at 7:30
p m sunday on California 139
about half a mile north of Tulc
lake. A car operated by Floyd
went off the road and into a
ditch, the California Highway
Patrol reported.
No one else was involved in
the accident.
WEATHER
KOItKt'AST: Valley ia and
ftmukr ihrmich 'I iirsday. ( loiidv
'tui'Mlay arp for l ow tmilKhl
nmi Jfi. High lifsday nrxr HA.
Trm i.
HlchrO Yrslrrrlav . iU
l.oursL Mortilni .. . Vi
Our Skies Tonight
Sunt-1 todav . t in P m,
Miitrne IfniMttrow . .. 7;1.r mil
Miifinnri tonight S.1X p.m
I tril Oiiarlrr . ,, it. 23
IMIU.K I'l.AM.T
('I lint (nrox!tnair dliianen
frtini fhr Karlh tnitlrht)
Mrrrnrv fit million mllr
Vrtm .i A millinii mllr
Jupllfr . . . l-'fi million mtlr
Kalurn AM million nillr
58th Year Price 10 Cents
16, 1963 No. 231
Study To Check
Water, Sewage
Problems in Area
A two-year Bear Creek Basin
study on water and sewage
1 problems will he slarted in JaIJ
nary. County Judge Earl M.
mmiTi Bam ivmujf
The over-all study would cost
an estimated $47,000, of which
Ihe county has budgeted $25,000
for Ihe first fiscal year ending
June 30.
Judge Miller said Ihe estimale
came from the consulting engi
neering firm of Cornell, How-
land, Hayes and Merryfield,
Corvallis. This firm has not
neen nircn to maae tnc study
aimougn n migni dc ine logical
choice since it has studied vari
ous areas in Ihe county already
in connection will) this problem.
The sludy would cover Ihe
county from Ashland lo Eagle
Point and Gold Hill, Miller ex
plained. Miller stressed thai the county
would not finance a sewer sys
tem (or everyone. It means lhat
Ihe court wanls a study of the
entire basin In see what the
overall problem is and what
should be done, particularly for
unincorporated densely populat
ed areas, he explained.
Earlier it was found that the
county would not be entitled
legally to federal mulching
funds for such a sludy. The
various cilies involved would
not be asked lo contribute, al
though Iheir cooperation would
be solicited, Judge Miller said.
USSR Emphasizes
New Food Program
MOSCOW (UPI) - Russia In-
d.-.y announced a record $212.3
billion peacetime budget for the
next two years that emphasized
bread and hiillcr instead of
guns.
The budget presented lo Ihe
Soviet Parliament cut mili
tary spending by 4.4 per cent
from the previous budgcl. Mili-
. ''I'' . expenditure represented
"TV '"'r . . r,
bu,,,RC ?
t C(M)( (,nn )p cl,rrcnt ycar.
... a, ..Miitiri WuS i , r, I-
. - ..... l:.
lion rubles. At the artificial rate
of exchange, the ruble is fig
ured at approximately $1.10.
NATIONAL CHAIRMAN
WASHINGTON (UPI) Rob
ert Boll of Milwaukic, chair
man of the Young Republican
Federation of Oregon, has heen
named national chairman of the
Young Republican's First
Voters Committee.
Sports Bulletin
POHTI.AM) (LTD - Mnlford
ranked serond among Oregon
class A-l high school basketball
Irums In the weekly journal
toachc' poll today. South Ku
gene led wilh Ii7 of a possible
HO points while .Medford polled
5H.
Ill A-2 ratings, ( oiiilllr lopprd
Ihr pack while Phnrnlx was rat
ed sixth.
Chief Executive
Terms Measure
Most Significant
Job Declared
Far From Finished
WASHINGTON (UPI)-Prcs-ident
Johnson today signed into
law the $1.2 billion college aid
bill and said it is proof the na
tion plans to give its youth "all
the education they deserve."
ine President, who signed the
legislation at a ceremony in the
White House Cabinet Room,
termed it "Ihe most significant
education bill passed by the
Congress in the history of the
republic." The new program
provides for grants and loans
to help build college classrooms
libraries and laboratories.
But Johnson warned, that the
job is far from finished. He
urged Congress to take prompt
action on the rest of the admin
istration's education proposals,
particularly aid 'to primary and
secondary schools, and govern
ment support ol adult educa
tion programs.
In a tribute to President Ken
nedy, who waged a long fight
for the bill, Johnson said
"there was no topic closer to
his heart." He said the bill was
a monument not only to Ken
nedy, but "to every person who
participated in passing it."
The President used about 50
pens to sign Ihe bill, passing
them out afterward to con
gressmen and educators attend
ing the ceremony. The first two
went to Sen. Wayne L. Morse,
D-Ore., and Rep. Edith Green,
D-Orc., the managers of the
bill.
The three-year program is de
signed to meet an expedted "ti
dal wave" of college students
in the 1900-70 decade. A major
part of the late President Ken
nedy s education request, the
bill would authorize the first
broad assistance program for
the nation s colleges since the
land grant act of a century ago.
If used lo the limit, the $R35
million in direct federal grants
I and $300 million in low-uucrest
tan. could I Ronerate up to
.. " '"'". , , lnn ' H
campuses ot 2,100 pub
lic and private colleges, univer
silica and technical institutes.
Two to One Match
Colleges will have to match
federal grants two lo one, and
supply at least one-quarter of
total project costs wncn seeking
the 50-year loans.
The program will be open to
privately endowed and church
connected institutions as well as
publicly owned and financed
schools. No funds will be spent
on chapels or divinity schools,
nor on sports arenas or other
buildings In which admission
would be charged.
There also arc limitations on
use of the $li90 million car
marked for grants lo help build
undergraduate academic facili
ties. Classroom buildings under
thai part of Ihe program will
have to be designed for instruc
tion in the sciences, mathemat
ics, engineering and modern for
eign languages.
The $145 million reserved for
post-gradualc facilities and Ihe
entire loan fund can be used
for buildings designed lo teach
any non-religious subjects.
the hill also allocates 22 per
cent of the undergraduate
grants for public junior colleg
es and semi-professional techni
cal institutes.
The program will be admin
istered by the U.S. Office of
Education, which will allocate
funds on Ihe basis of priority
lists submitted by state educa
tional agencies.
Medical schools also are ex
cluded from the program. Con
gress earlier this ycar passed
a three-year $23(1 million con
struction aid program (or modi
cal, denial and other health pro
(essional schools and tuition
loan for needy sludcnls
PORTLAND (UPI)-Dr. Paul
S. Wright, minister of the First
Presbyterian Church Sunday
night was given Ihe E. B. Mc
Nauglilon Civil Liberties Award
for 1903.
Residents Cautioned on
Ice Skating;
Except possibly for some pro
tected coves, the ice is not
thick enough or hard enough
for ice skating at Howard Prai
rie and Hyatt Lakes, Jackson
County Park and Recreation Di
rector Neil Lcdfard said this
morning.
Temperatures at the lakes so
far have been only a few de
grees below those In the valley,
Ledward said. Announcements
will be made as soon as the ice
is safe for skating, he added.
The concession at Howard
Prairie Lake will be open be
tween Christmas and New
Year's and tiach weekend that
conditions permit. The main
area will be closed alter 5 n.m.
The lodge at Hyatt Lake is now
FAVORS CHINA President
Gamal Abdel Nasser, above, ot
the United Arab Republic, has
called for admission of "Ihe
real China" to the United Na
tions and toasted Red Chinese
Premier Chou En Lai as "one
of the great makers of the
Chinese revolution". Nasser
spoke at a slate dinner given
in Cairo in honor of the visiting
Chou. (UPI)
Baldwin Hills
Residents Return
To Ravaged Area
LOS ANGELES (UPD-Bald-win
Hills area resident re
turned lo their flood ravaged
homes today thankful only three
persons were killed when an
earth reservoir dam burst and
caused $10 million damage.
A warning of nearly four
hours was credited with pre
venting it "from becoming one
of the big disasters of all time."
With these words, City Ally.
Roger Arnebergh seemed to
sum up the feelings of city of
ficials that most residents of
the heavily populated area es-
Pictures of the devas
tation caused when the
Baldwin Hills reservoir
dam in Los Angeles
burst Saturday are on
Page 5B.
caped death Saturday when a
wall of water destroyed or dam
aged nearly 1,000 homes.
However, there was a possi
bility the death toll might rise
higher as residents and workers
d"B thru6h throe ct
. ,, ... , .
M Cct wife, ripped hrouBh an
area a mile and a halt square
with homes up to the $30,000
class.
Codrnn Off Area
Police threw up a cordon
around (he area lo prevent loot
ing and only residents wilh
passes were allowed to pass.
Hundreds of policemen patrolled
(he muddy, debris-filled area.
Mayor Samuel Yorly Sunday
appointed (he heads of three,
leading universities in the area
(o nominate members for a
blue ribbon fact - finding board
of inquiry.
The appointments worn
promptly accepted by Dr. Nor
man Topping, president of Iho
University of Southern Califor
nia: Dr. Franklin Murphy,
president of UCLA, and Dr. Loo
DuBridgc, president ot ine Cal
ifornia Institute of Technology.
The death toll could have
been staggering had the dam
broken at night.
Hundreds of the 16.500 resi
dents would have been killed."
said a policeman who helped
clear Ihe area. "Had it taKon
us another 15 minutes we prob
ably all would have been lost.
Officer T. H. Mason saw ne
and other policemen were sent
to the scene immediately after
a crack appeared in the north
wall of the 500-foot long, 135
foot high dam. Ho said many
residents didn't even know the
dam existed.
Max K. Socha, chief engineer
of water works, said the dam
designed by Ihe late R. R.
Proctor, was one of the most
advanced structures of its type.
Proctor, who died a year ago,
was a worldwide authority on
earth-empacled fills, and Ihe
Baldwin Hills dam had served
as a model in both hemis
pheres, Socha said.
Although an official investiga
tion was being held, observers
speculated a series of holes in
the concrete and asphalt lininjt,
revealed after the 300 million
gallons of water emptied, could
have been the cause ot the col
lapse. Ice Too Thin
open, the manager there said.
Many head injiu'ies occur each
year as a result of not being
able lo control one's self on
the ice, Ledward warned ico
skaters. Most of the accidents
result to inexperienced skaters,
he noted.
Ledward advised against skat
ing on softened ice since it is
dangerous and resulting cuts in
the ice will ruin the surface for
the next day.
He suggested those skating
away from controlled or popu
lated areas provide such equip
ment at 100 feet ot rope, an
inner tube or similar object,
long planks, a first aid kit,
matches with which to start a
warming fire, and a change of
warm clothing.