The Times from San Mateo, California • Page 1

Commuters Plan to Fight Fare Raise EN I NS LA' LEADIn6 NEWSPAPE jp DEVOTED TO THE INTEREST' jMfflSSbS OF SAN MATEO COUNTY OF SAN MATEO COUNTY A DOME OWNED NEWSPAPER UNITED AND' ASSOCIATED PRESS DIRECT WIRES VOL. 54, No. 156 TWENTY EIGHT PAGES SAN MATEO, JULY 1, 1954 5c PER COPY $1.25 PER MONTH COPTER SEEKS RESCUE FROM MOUNTAIN TOP San Mateo's First Congregational clurch was split open today as it took a giant 28 foot step toward San Mateo drive. The unique moving project, wis part of the 100,000 building program of the church, located at the northeast corner of San Mateo drive anfl Tilton avenue. Purpose of the move of the chancel was to provide for 150 additional seats In the middle of the church.

The entire building project is being handled by Arthur Eros. Construction company, San Mateo. Ia the foreground, studying plans, are Ken Hopklrk, job superintendent, and Scott Huymond, architect. Telephone Co. Maintenance 200,000 Expected To See R.C.

Rodeo SLMo'Pilotm Mercy Flight to Sequoia Height Woodlake Man Diane Biggies, 17, 485 Beach avenue (center, above) was chosen queen of the first annual San Bruno community fair last night from among nine entries. She will be crowned next Thursday, July 8, at opening night ceremonies at the fair, El Camino Real and Santa Lucia avenue, at 8 p.m. The pretty graduating senior of Capuchino High school was sponsored by the city Lions club and drew a total of 33,810 votes. Shown with her in the picture are second place winner Betty Scheidegger (23,060) at the right and Lorraine Canino (31,088) at the left, third place winner; They will serve as queen attendants during the; fair. Prize for the: queen will be $100 and a vacation in Hollywood.

Disaster Under Flood Debris, Off icials Fear Fifty five Known Dead But Countless Others Ijost in Mud EAGLE PASS, Texas UP) At least 55 persons are dead in the Rio Grande's most devastating flood in history, but the death toll might rise to disaster proportions today. Across the river from here, at miserable Piedras Negras, Mexico, it was feared hundreds may have died in the collapsed adobe huts of the door. Of the counted dead, 38 were at Piedras Negras. Nearly 100 mites north of the river, at Ozona, Texas, one of the flash floods which fed Rio Grande's swollen stream Mon day, killed at. least 16 others.

Another died in a Pecos 'river flood. Manv Saved Unstreanvat Del Rio, Texas, and Ciudad Meauco; and downstream at Laredo, Texas, and Nu evo Laredo, Mexico, there were few casualties and no deaths from the unprecedented 1 1 coil. Adequate waTiiinas' and otner saieguarns plus organization paid off, officials Large numbers of sick and injured were making their way toward makeshift hospitals last night in Piedras Negras. Sixty five injured were in a temporary medical shelter, and more moved in every minute Thousands Homeless At least 15,000 were homeless and some 7000 refugees huddled in the hills of Coahuila with no shelter, no food and no water. About 80 per cent of the homes in the city of 35,000 were flooded.

Half of those were destroyed as the adobe fcrick crumbled In the flood. Da vli sht may he tod ay, haps next week may bring a more startling toll of death. But the true death count conceivably may never be known, "Hundreds More "From what I heir, there may be anywhere from 200 to 500 dead," said.H. G. Walker, United States public health service official, here to help in rescue and Manuel Olivares, a lumberman of Piedras Negras, told the story (Turn to Page 2, Column 8) Ship Collision In San Pablo Bay RICHMOND The freighter Pacific Transport, in the bay area loading for Yokohama, was slightly damaged in a collision with two barges and a piledriver in San Pablo bay shortly after midnight.

No personnel injuries were reported. Preliminary examination disclosed' a small hole in the freighter's starboard bow. Ike Farm Program Looks Dead for Year WASHINGTON. (IF Republican leaders said today it looks as though President Eisenhower's farm program is dead fcr this year, killed apparently GOP spokesmen said by big city Democrats. The administration wants to abandon the present rigid high farm price support program an favor of flexible supports which almost certainly would be lower.

The congressional farm bloc wants a one year, extension of the present system, however, and the house agricultural committee has approved an extension bilL Notice to Subscribers If for some reason you da not receive jour Times, please call the CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT, DI 3 1131, before 7 p.m. and a special copy will be delivered wyon immediately. French Give Up lLarge Section Of Indochina HANOI, Indochina (IP) The French command today announced, the abandonment of the entire southern 'sector of the rich Red riveT "delta because Communist in ifiltration had made its defense impossible. The French said 15..000 French troops had been with "drawn from the rice rich plains and the thriving towns between the Red and Day Tiv "ers, because the area was so trotted" by infiltrating Reds that it could not resist a major Communist attack. The mass evacuation of French forces, described by a military Spokesman as "extremely grave absolutely necessary," turned over to Communist control the 2,000.000 Vietnamese of the region.

It was a major Xed victory in which scarcely a single shot was fired. Guard Supply Line The French high command said troops will be concentrated along the supply lines connecting Hanoi and Haiphong, the Gulf of Tonkin port of entry for American murj According to the high command, France had no choice in giving up the southern half of the delta, The irea is populated mostly by rice farmers. Many strongly anti Communist Roman Catholic priests reside in the abandoned section. Military sources said the southern sector was honeycombed with Communist troops and the non Catholic population was almost solidly for the rebels. Towns Surrounded The French had held only a few towns, surroundsd like islands by Red infested rice fields.

Whenever French Union troops wanted to use a road they had to fight first. Every attempt to reinforce a garrison or "clean" an area meant costly end bloody work that would be undone the next day, the French said. Every morning French patrols "opened" roads to Ninh 'Binh and other south delta centers, clearing them of mines and removing bar (Turn to Page 2, Column 7) THE WEATHER Fair tonight and Friday. Mild temperatures. Low tonight S3 degrees; high Friday 80.

SPEND THE 4TK IN A 1954 P0NTIAC! Ws'r hof at a firecracker on tvr trade in dealti Com In mow and walk owl with a nw 1954 Pontine. Wna! a 200 California Driv Diamond 4 7341 Be Carried Over Long Mountain Trail (Tlmti GoiinlT Ntni Service) MILLS FIELD, July 1 A coast guard air rescue team, including a helicopter and a communications plane, took off from here this morning on a mercy flight to Sequoia Kings Canyon National park, near tresno, calculated as tne supreme test of the helicopter as a rescue instrument. The pilot is a San Matean. Pea son the rescue flight will be the ultimate test rests in the fact the helicopter must climb to an elevation of 7358 i'eet above sea level, over a mile and a half, to reach the "Sugarloaf Meadows" campsite where Leon Baker, 60, of Woodlake, lies dying from a broken back and punctured lung. On Rugged Trail Baker suffered the injuries when his horse stumbled and fell on Rangers said the campsitei is teachable on the ground only by rugged 12 mile trail from Horse Corral, which Is 20 miles by road from Grant Grove.

Gordon Kiehn, an Exeter physician, rode into the camp by horseback last night and reported Baker too seriously injured to ba brought out by trail. Another factor will be extreme heat of 120 degrees, which' has a tendency to hmder the helicopter's capacity to. reach the extreme Coast guard officials here said the previous record high flight for a helicopter is 8500 feet San Mateo Pilot Today's navy plane was piloted Lt. James A. Diltian of 41 West Thirty eighth avenue, San Mateo, Aboard the helicopter with him was Comdr.

Arthur Davison, executive officer at the air rescue base here, and Chief Aviation Mechanic Acanno. A coast guard amphibian accompanied the helicopter on 'the flight to provide radio contact with the base here. Lieutenant Diliian, under present plans, was to land his craft at a.1 small town Three Rivers some 25 miles southwest of the accident scene some time tonight. There the helicopter will be stripped of all excess weight passengers. The rescuers will wait until early tomorrow morning, the coolest (Turn to Page 2, Column 5) 0 con HEAR the wonderful JANSSEN ORGANO at Terrier Rescued From Slough Mud A frightened small brown terrier was hauled from the muddy slough east of Haddon avenue in Shcre view today, minutes before it would nave smothered and disappeared from sight, The struggling dog was spotted by H.

M. Brahy, 1001 Haocion drive. He attempted to reach the animal, but was unsuccessful. He then calleu San Mateo police who in turn phoned the Peninsula Humane society shelter at Coyote Point. Carl Castro, shelter worker, wadec! into the mud up to his hips and pulled the dog out.

Only its muizle and eyes were above the level of the mud. The dog was cleaned off and taken to the shelter where its owners were being fought today. Peninsula Hit By Fire Series (Tirnrs Ittdwooil Cily EBrrnul REDWOOD CITY, July 1. County fire fighting crews were called in less than an 13 hour period yesterday and today to hattle fires near San Mateo, Redwood City, Woodside and Menlo Pork. An old slorago shed on Brewer east of San Mateo was destroyed by flames this morning.

Two hundred young pheasants perished in the flames. Nursery Damaged A flash fire at a Woodside road nursery yesterday afternoon caused damngs estimated at $7000. Firemen doused a raging grass fire behind Sequoia hospital early yesterday afternoon as the flames threatened fivE homes. At about the same time, another crew was called to rontrol a grass fire near the Dumbarton bridge approach. Damage at the Brewer island wnicn oroKe oui ai a.m., was set at $400.

The pheasants were in a brooder inside the shed, which was one of a series of old structures on the island. Seasonal workers are currently living in I some of the buildings during the haying season. None had been I (Turn to Page 2, Column 6) Senator Butler Is Rushed to Hospital WASHINGTON HP) Sen. Hugh Butler Neb.) was rushed to the Navel Medical Center Ht Bethesda, early today in a critical condition after suffering a stroke at his home. Butler apparently suffered the stroke in his sleep.

He was found unconscious this morning and was taken to the hospital. Kep. Carl T. Curtis R.J, dean of the Nebraska congressional delegation, said Butler's condition "is critical." Several hours after he entered the hospital, Butler's aides reported he was still unconscious. Churchill Sails Toward Homeland NEW YORK OP) Prime Minister Winston Churchill left for home today.

Churchill, who conferred five days with the president iu Washington and spent 30 hours in talks with officials in Canada, declined to see this press prior to sailing on the Queian Elizabeth. However, Ambassador Sir Roger Makins, who conferred with both Churchill and British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden aboard ship, said in an interview later that the two countries "are in full agreement as to how we are going to proceed." Late Race Results TUMWoE HOlIE SECOND FLYINQ POLE kAJV ATOM OCCUPADO S. P. Fare Hike Faces Battle By Commuters REDWOOD CITY, July 1. Any fare increase for Southern Pacific's Peninsula commuter run will meet stiff opposition from patrons, of ficials of the Redwood City San Carlos Commuters' club indicated today.

The SP revealed yesterday San Francisco that it is "think in g': of for higher commute fares on the Peninsula. However, it declined to state how much of an increase wnuld be sought if the company decides to go before the state public utilities commission with a recuiist for the fare in crease. Ws its Study Roland A. Harms, 366 West Oak wood bouleviird, Redwood City, president of the Commuters' club, said "commuters would unhappy about any fare increase; He dedinet'l to comment other than to say would be nee essary to determine how much of an increase tha rsilroad would, seek. "I hope it's some reasonable amount," Harms stated.

"If it is exorbitant, we'll go to bat' for the commuters," The Southern Pacific company's action will be discussed fuilher Tuesday at a jirector'; meeting of the Commuter club in Redwood City. Secretary Outs(Oken Another official of the club, Secretary Maurice Frendergast, who lives at San Carlos avenue, San Carlos, was more outspoken in his opposition, "I don't like it," Prendergast stated. "I don't see where they Have any right to increase fares. They haven't done anything, to improve their equipment 'except promised that they will get some new Koting that the rush hour commuter service was "excellent" In his opinion. Prendergast suggested that the Southern Pacific increase its receipts by "improving its off hour service." "If you want to go to the city (Turn to Page 2, Column 4) FHA Vice Rife, Probers Hear WASHINGTON (TP) Sex, gambling and hints of "payoffs" were injected today into the senate investigation of tfci; federal housing administration.

Chairman Homer Capehart said he was "pretty discouraged" with the whole picture. There were these major developments as Capehart's banling committee dun a little deeper into the question of how builders got away with using government insured to reap "windfall" profits running into the multi mil iions: 1. Andrew Frost, recently suspended New Mexico assistant FHA commissioner, invoked the fifth amendment and refused to answer a long series of questions. These included whether certain contractors doing business with the agencu were hosts ai a girlie party for him. The question suggested three girls were paid $400 to $500 for the evening.

Special Ccmraittee Counsel William questioning placed the girlie party in the Motel Ala magoirdo on March 31, 1953. 2. Burton C. Bovard, suspended general counsel of FHA. headquarters here, conceded he had heard that Clyde L.

Powell, fired as assistant FHA commissioner in April; suffered heavy gambling losses, but he did net report to the FBI. S. Bovard suid he failed to turn over to the Fill information which indicated an' FHA inspector in. New York Cily was onthe. payroll of a.

contractor at. $500 a wee. Special committee Counsel William (Turn to if 'age Column 4 Men on Strike Work Halted Here; Big Tieup Seen by Next Week Western Electric workers in six San Mateo cities walked off their jobs here this morning following a strike call in New York that idled 17,000 workers. There was little effect on the actual operation of the Pacific Telephone companyhere. Leave Main Office Officials said it was impossible to fix the exact number of workers who left since their number varies from day to day, but normally there are not.

more than 10 employed at any one of. the five main offices in this county. Earl L. Reno, assistant manager of the phone company in the Kur lingame San Mateo area, said that workers left, the main office at 1480 Bui lirigame avemic and also the smaller office on Edison avenue in South San Mateo. Similar walkouts took piece in Redwood City and at.

Mills Field where the installation experts were at work on a central office installation. Installation Completed Reno said that there would be no effect to the public because of the walkout until pickets appear. The workers here had been finishing last details on the. major Diamond exchange installation for the past few months. No picket lines were established in any San county exchanges said Reno.

If picket. lines wire put up th situation may become acute, it was pointed out. Other telephone company employees' would probably honor the lines. SAN FRANCISCO Western Electric CIO Telephone Equipment Installers were ordered off the Job at 11 a. m.

today in Northern Cali fornia and Nevada in a nation wide strike. No Pickets The 769 installers are working in scattered telephone company exchanges throughout the region including 12 in the San Francisco hay area. No picket lines will be estab (Turn to Page 2, Column 5) Heavy Gusts Hit Peninsula Peak gusts of 44 miles an. hour hit the Peninsula at 10:14 last eight, the U.S. forecasting station at Mills Field but Telief was in sight for today, with climr mg temperatures due tomorrow.

These are' expected to reach. 80 degrees locally. And better news, still, is the long range forecast of sunny skies throughout the Fourtn of July. noil day week Meanwhile, District Weather Forecaster Corday Counts explained the unusually strong winds last night resulted from cool ma: rine air moving in from, the ocean. "As it moved in over the Peninsula hills, it picked up velocity and then dropped to the flat terrain," he said.

Sustained winds continued at 38 miles an hour, throughout the day and most of the night, according to forecasters. Stiff winds became apparent about 10 a.m. when these reached 20 miles an hour. The velocity continued 1 increase to the point where the weather bureau reprofed several telephone calls; were received from concerned residents in the county, particu larly those residing in hill areas: Sailboats on the bay were reported haying considerable difficulty coming into; First gusts began to fait 40 miles an hour at 4 p.m. Today however, these had reduced considerably, reaching only about eight miles an hour in the morning.

The sea bree expected later to the afternoon wa due to reach 10 to 20 miles am hour. REDWOOD CITY, July 1. CUT I Some 200,000 visitors are expected to join in the mammoth Fourth of July Peninsula celebration, the fifteenth annual event of its kind, which will begin here tomorrow night and continue through Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Ribbon cutting ceremonies wilt Celebration: FRIDAY, JULY 2 6:00 p.m. Concessions open.

7:00 p.m Amateur Show in Sport and Hobby Tent. 9:00 to 1:00 ajn. Dancing to music of Big Jim DeNoon with Cdtton seed Clark as rnaster of cercmonies. officially' touch of the gala' festivities' at: the rodeo: grounds. Pony Relay Race Earlier in the day a pony express relay race by Nevada Carson, sole surviving, descendant of the West's famed Kit Carson, will start at the San Mateo county Santa Clara county line at 9 a.

m. and wind up in front of the courthouse in Redwood City. about 10:13 There, Carson will be greeted by county! Peninsula Celebration, a sociatlon officials, pretty rodeo queen Joanne Bordi and her six Carson. arrival will herald the event of "Kit Carson" of TV fame, motion star Bill Williams, who' will headline the rodeo show. GUATEMALAN REBELS FEUD AMONG SELVES Driving here from Los Angeles, Williams is expected to switch to horseback prior to his entrance into Redwood City.

Naval Units Dae o'clock tomorrow afternoon three United States naval ships will dock at the Port of Redwood City They: will, include: two minesweep ers, the USS Ruddy, USS Zeal and' a rocket the USS 525. All to Page Column 2) men, both leaders said they were extending until 3 a.m. tomorrow the cease fire In effect between the rebels and the Guatemalan army. El Salvador's President Oscar Osorio, acting as mediator, voiced optimism' that a settlement could he reached. But real peace seemed remote as Honzon's junta rushed troops to.

'Communist: strong points in Guatemala where vengeful Red leaders were reported trying to' foment peasant uprisings. Red indoctrinated farm workers were, said (Torsi to Paje 2, Cetamn Z) SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador iff) Guatemala's rival anti Communist; chieftains haggled until nearly, dawn today in a vain uftort to. agree on a peace settkment which would givetheir war split land Its fourtt government in a week; The peace talks, between rebel Col. Carlos Castillo Armas and Elfego Mcnion, head of Guatemala's new governing junta, broke up at a.m. Castillo' Armas announced he was returning to his rebel headquarters at Chiquimula.

In a statement issued to news.