Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 11 January 1946 — Page 1

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MUNCIE, INDIANA, FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1946.

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DEGNAN CLUE FOUND Chicago.—As mourners attended the funeral of little Suzanne Degnan today, police found a clue which might link her kidnap-slay-ing with the recent “lipstick murc'.er” of WAVE Frances Brown. Detectives found scrawled on a post, near where Suzanne’s body was butchered, this message: “Stop me before I kill more.” o ACCEPTS POSITION Bluffton, Ind. — Cmdr. John W. Ferree, former Bluffton physician who expects to be discharged from the Navy next month, has accepted the position of education direction for the American Social Hygiene Association at New York City. Before entering the Navy in 1942, Ferree was head of the Indiana Board of Health.

COMPOSER DIES Goshen, Ind.—The songs written by Harry Von Tilzer, native of Goshen who died today at New York, apparently were better known than the composer. The author, whose real name was Harry Gumm, acquired his pen name by using his mother’s maiden name, according to old friends of the family. Von Tilzer and his mother, who was a hairdresser, moved from Goshen to Indianapolis in the 1870’s when he still was an infant.

TALKS FROM TOKYO Tokyo.— Transpacific telephone service between Japan and the United States was inaugurated today when Pvt. Vinson P. Pettit, Alva, Okla., called Wichita, Kans. He paid about $39. WANT NAZIS DEPORTED Washington.—Acting Secretary of State Dean Acheson said today the Allied powers still hoped both Ireland and Argentina would force the return to Germany of thousands of Nazi agents apd “obnoxious Germans.”. The-*»e*mg secretary at his biweekly press' conference, said the U. S. embassy in Buenos Aires three or four times a week is asking the Argentine government to round up and deport Germans.

JNDlANAPOLIS WOMAN KILLED Indianapolis.—Mrs. Blanche Barry, 60, Greenwood, was killed instantly here today when she lost control of her automobile and crashed into a tree. o RESCUE MISSION Anchorage, Alaska. — A.n army rescue plane today brought out the body of Mrs. Arthur McCullough and her critically-ill husband, victims of the sub-Arctic cold which seeped into their home at the remote Indian village of llliamna. Eskimos who came to the McCullough home on Christmas Day to sing carols found Mrs. McCullough dead and her husband unconscious. Their fuel supply was exhausted. An army land rescue unit made its way to the scene and built a landing strip. A C-47 brought the victims here. BUSINESSMEN HEAR FAST TALK

Advertising Solicters Use Strong Arm Tactics For Union Paper Advertising solicitors for The Labor Union, a weekly newspaper of Dayton, Ohio,, have been accused of approaching business men and intimating that by buying an advertisement in this publication they could assure themselves of friendly relations with the Teamsters’ Union. Any business man who falls for a proposition like that is not much of a business man. The Teamsters’ union is not interested in any newspaper or periodical that does not bear its name. And none of our publications accept advertising. They are financed entrely by the Teamsters. The Teamsters’ unuion is not interested in any kind of advertising promotions such as “year books” which annually multc business men out of thousands of dollars in the name of labor. Such year books are handsomely printed affairs of very limited circulation. Their advertising does nobody any good, except the promoters who are well paid for their efforts. The Labor Union does not repreent the Teamsters. Neither does it represent the American Federation of Labor. It has been repudiated by President William Green. During the last national campaign The Labor Union was against President Roosevelt. At that time (Continued On Page Two)

GOP Press Applauds OPA As Necessary To Country

Indianapolis Star Wisely Says That OPA Provides Needed Protection Against Excessive Charges—If Price Controls Aren’t Renewed We Will Have Inflation, Which Will Drain Pocketbooks of the Common People, The Workers and Small Salaried

People.

The Republican Indianapolis Star which recently rapped the party which it supports by warning that the GOP cannot hope to win in 1946 “merely by lambasting the New Deal.” has also spoken up in support of OPA and continued price controls—which all the old-line Republicans are agitating to have removed.

Proving that price controls are

still necessary, and are going to continue to be necessary, it cites what happened when price ceilings were removed on citrus fruits. There was no shortage of supply, yet dealers immediately took occasion to sky-rocket prices, just because they could; and the consumer was squeezed to the tune of about 40 per cent. Wereupon QPA promptly slapped back price controls. Edward A. O’Neal, president of the American Farm Bureau, representing the citrus trade, promptly protested. The various lobbies in Washington—and there are powerful, moneyed lobbies there representing virtually every sort of maker or grower of consumer goods in the country, as well as super-pow-ered real estate and rental property lobbies—are there to protest continuance of any sort of price control. But if greed will bring about such price-rises in commodities which are plentiful, as soon as restrictions are removed, think what would happen if rent controls foi mstance, were removed—the housing shortage being what it is, and is going to continue to be. The renter, the consumer, the average householder with only an average pay check or income, will be found with an empty breadbasket, as well as no place to live, if these lobbies are allowed to have their way. OPA and price control will end in June, unless renewed. It is imperative that they be renewed. If they r are not, w r e will have inflation. And inflation will drain not only the pocketbooks of the common people, the workers, the small-salaried people and the people of small fixed income, but will also hit those with fat pocketbooks with a devastating effect. As the Star wisely says, “the consumer should realize that OPA, in spite of former shortcomings, provide needed protection against excessive charges.” LaFollette Is Merciless Critic

The fatal flaw in “radical” Charles LaFollette’s senatorial program is the fact that though he himself is his party’s most merciless critic, he insists on keeping himself tied, politically, to the reactionaries. The state organization-controlled county chairmen of his own district stayed away from the meeting at which he had said he would announce his candidacy for the United States Senate. Does LaFollette think he will have any better luck when it comes to getting delegates to the state convention? Leaders of his party have indeed virtually “read him out of the party,” because of his liberalism, his pro-labor record, and the fact that, being liberal and pro-labor, he has voted with the Democrats on the latters’ constructive program. Yet LaFollette, with an allegiance which certainly is not blind, but appears incongruous, tags along

with them.

He did the same thing in the last “free”

GOP CHOOSES TAFT TO REPLY

Isolationist Is Elected To Answer President Truman’s Speech Nothing could be more significant than the fact that it was Senator Robert Taft, arch-reactionary, millionaire monopoly-supporter, isolationist and former Nazi supporter, who was chosen by the Republican National Committee to reply to President Truman’s speech to the American people. Mr. Taft is against full employment. It was Taft's amendment which crippled the Senate version of that bill. He sides with monopoly, which wants widespread unemployment so that it can grind down wages. At the same time, he sides with monopoly on its demand for entire removal of price control (though that will mean inflation), so the sky can be the limit on big business’s profits. He is not even for unemployment compensation— apparently he is for breadlines and apple-selling as accompaniment to the widespread unemployment which he favors. Being a Facist at heart, he naturally sides with Lamon Du Pont and other labor-haters in calling everything designed for the benefit of the common man as “Communistic.” Lamont Du Pont once remarked that the only time we ever had “full employment” in the United States was when we had slavery— and apparently Taft also thinks that the ideal labor situation. The Du Fonts, as is well known, not only control the vast chemical monopoly bearing their name, but also General Motors—as well as other vast economic interests—including implements of war, and a big interest in the atomic bomb. Considering Taft’s monopolistic sympathies, his Fascist tendencies, his isolationism, it is not surprising that he is violently anti-Russian, anti-Brititsh and—though he dared not oppose public sentiment by voting against adoption of the United Nations’ charter—he is still fighting Bretton Woods, even after its ratification; he is still opposing the work of the export-import bank, and he is doing his best to wreck the building of the “one world” in which there can be world peace, by opposing such things as the British loan, so necessary to world stabilization and international coopera-

tion.

The reason he gives for opposing

these things is the old Republican theme-song that they cost money. Monopoly has no interest in the common man of this or any other country. It is not interested in one world. It is not even interested in world peace, for war can be profitable. It is interested in maintaining, above everything else, the capitalistic status quo—in its words,

enterprise—and therefore

election, when CIO-PAC, though enthusiastic over Mr. LaFollette’s congressional record, was divided in its support of his re-election because he backed Dewey and the Republican reactionaries, against Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal. o— Mules live longer than horses, averaging 18 years to the horses’ 15 yeftrs.

would welcome an opportunity to bomb Russia off the map before Russia can develop a bomb of her own. Such peace-endangering sentiments have even been voiced by men of Taft’s “Little Faith” on the floor of the United States Senate. To give such men control of Congress in 1946 would be an interna-

tional calamity.

Taft even goes so far as to op(Contlnued On Page Two)

They Hunted a Scape-Goat and Found a Scape-Elephant Winohell said it, and it’s worth repeating: “Joe Bishop, the Greenwich village wag, notes that the Republicans are chagrined because the Pearl Harbor quiz didn’t make FDR the scapegoat. The fact, he says, showed a scape-elephant.” “The various probes remind us of Will Roger’s taunt: ‘Some of the investigators would look for bones in animal crackers.”—Walter Winchell.

GREED CAUSE OF MINE DISASTER

PHONE SERVICE IS CURTAILED

Longr Distance Service Across Nation Paijaly-

zed By Strike

New York, Jan. 11. —Long distance telephone service across the nation was paralyzed and local service curtailed at many points today as picket lines were thrown

^ | around telephone exchanges of key Coal Operators Respon- l cities in 44 gtates .

sibile For Death of 24 Miners In Kentucky

Full extent of the tieup could not yet be assessed, as picketing across the nation got underway at varying

The Bureau of Mines, at great i hours. The majority of telephone cost to the taxpayers, has worked j workers had not been due to report out methods of making coal mines for work at most points until later safe from explosions at compar-1 in the day. atively little cost. All that is j But in such major cities as New needed is rock-dust workings I York, Washington, Chicago, Phila where gais is likely to accumu- j Uelphia, Detroit, Cleveland and

late.

The plans are made available to mine operators and they have been widely publicized in trade and other publications. Nevertheless, from time to time, the country is shocked by disasters that take a frightful toll of human life. On the day after Chriistmas one occurred at Pineville, Ky., where an explosion trapped 31 coal diggers- Twenty-four were killed and seven were brought out more dead than alive. “Nevr Had a Chance.” The explosion was set off in early morning, shortly after the men had gone to work. “They never had a chance,” said a state mine inspector. Whether the mine owners had adopted protective measure won’t be known definitely until after the Bureau of Mines completes an investigation. Officials of the bureau, however, say that the management slipped up somewhere or the holocaust never would have happened. Only last August Federal inspectors went over the mine, found a number of shortcomings and made recommendations for their correstion. Apparently the suggestions were disregarded. Greed Against Lives. While many mine owners are dtv' ing everything to prevent accidents and are succeeding, others balance greed against human life and refuse to spend the money. The bureau insists it has no aothority to enforce safety requirements, but can oly “advise and recommend.” Final responsibility is up to the states. In many, laws are deficient and in some whose requirements are rigid they are not enforced, because mine owners control enforcement agencies. In Kentucky, for example, regulations are considered adequate, but officials of the United Mine Workers charge that enforcement is extremely lax. N. C. Adams, spokesman for President John L- Lewis, said the state’s inspection service is “notoriously dominated by the coal companies.” He added that he has four inspection reports showing - the Pineville mine to be dangerous. Safety “Too Expensive.” Last May, in Montana, 3 men were burned to death in a mine explosion. The Federal bureau blamed management and made suggestions to prevent a repetition of the disaster. The coal diggere at the mine are now on strike because the management has refused to follow the recommendations of the Federal authorities- The excuse is “that they would be too expensive” and the state permits the company to get away with it. Until two or there years ago the Federal bureau was not even permitted to make public disclosure of the result of investigations of mine accidents. All this was changed by a law put through Congress by Congressman Matthew M. Neely (DemW. Va.) requiring the bureau to make all findings public.—Labor.

Special Meeting - of City Council A special meeting of the Common Council of the City of Muncie has been called for January 18th for the purpose of electing a new councilman to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Councilman Charles Sanders. Mentioned as a possible successor to the late Mr. Sanders is Robert Weeks, a Republican who lives on North Elm street. There may, however, be other candidates for this place on the council, before the time for this special meeting. o Age Doesn’t Matter. December Can Bring to a Marriage With May a Lot That June Can’t Offer. Says Adela Rogers St. Johns, Noted Magazine and Film Writer, in a Story Illustrated in Color, in The American Weekly, the Magazine Distributed With Next Week’s SUNDAY CHICAGO HERALDAMERICAN.

Amelita Galli-Curci, famed coloratura soprano, is a self-taught vocalist.

Dallas, only emergency long dis tance calls were being accepted, and it appeared that by this afternoon telephone communication among most of the nation’s cities would be practically at a standstill. Dial service, which covers the bulk of telephones in most of the larger cities of the country, was unaffected thus far, but manual telephone subscribers at many points were without service. Such service as information, trouble, and the like were affected. The tieup came as the striking Association of Communications Equipment Workers (Ind.) threw picket lines around the exchanges, and telephone workers, members of the National Federation of Telephone Workers (Ind.) generally respected them. Picketing started after a night of rapid-fire developments in which the ACEW action was first on then off, th.en on again. GOP [OSES MUCH, LEARNS LITTLE

J

Labor Hating Strategy Has Failed Them In Four Elections

Most of our readers fully understand that the strategy of the reactionary old-time Republican leaders is deep set and very seriously planned. The fact that their laborprejudices of their ancestors and of hating strategy has failed them in the last four national elections does not sem to have had any effect on them. They never seem to learn anything from their blunders and mistakes. They kep on driving at

labor.

About 85 per cent of the daily press outside the South was against Roosevelt. But still Franklin D. Roosevelt won in four separate elections, and would have served, if he had lived, 16 years as the head of this great nation. The reactionary Repulican leaders must know— but they refuse to see the light— that it was the masses of the workers, organized and unorganized, that elected Roosevelt. It is really a pity that the younger element in the Republican party does not assert itself and try to dispense with the services of the reactionary labor-haters. Of course there are Democrats that are not much good either. Most of them come from districts like the extreme South, where it is difficult for labor to accomplish the results it has brought about in our northern states. But labor is making headway in the South, and the day will come when the southern reactionary Democrats will feel the power of labor. This does not mean that there are not some good men in the South, but it does mean tht the majority of them in Congress from the southern states are just as bad as the northern reactionary, father and son Republicans. One of the methods that have been pursued in recent years is to have columnists and special writers for newspapers act as the spear head for tearing down labor unions Those writings are not always the desire nor the feelings of the writer. Those columnists and special writers usually have understandings with the publishers to carry out a certain policy. Those columnists and special writers usually have understandings with the publishers to carry out a certain policy. The workers should undei'stand this when they read articles and editorials which are aimed against labor unions and which cleverly try to sell certain anti labor legis lation to the public. The Republicans may gain some seats next fall in Congress because many workers do not ko to the polls in an off-year election. But in 1948 it will be different. Unless the Republicans wake up and learn to see what is taking place all around them, and bring in some new blood that is not poisoned with the prejulices of their ancestors and of big business, they will still be outside looking in..

Petitions Oppose Purchase Oi Farm For Dumping Use

300 Property Owners Adjoining Proposed Location for Garbage Disposal Fear Loss In Real Estate Values — Collection of Garbage and Trash Is Resumed By City Rented Trucks — Proposed Dumping Grounds Would Affect Living Conditions

of Nearby Residents.

Petitions bearing the names of over three hundred property owners along the east edge of the city of Muncie are prepared and will be presented to the city council remonstrating against the proposed purchase of an eighty acre farm in that vicinity for the purpose of dumping trash and refuse collected by the city. It is estimated that the signed petitions represent between one and two thousand residents surrounding the proposed dumping grounds.

PHILIP MURRAY TALKS TOO FAST

President Truirfan Is Not Hostile To Labor, Says Tobin We cannnot at all agree with the statement by Phil Murray of the CIO that Pdesident Truman, in suggesting certain legislation based on the Railway Labor Act, is the enemy of labor and that he is endeavoring to destroy labor. That was a foolish, rash, unfair statement, and it was made impulsively by Phill Murray, without proper consideration or meditation or weighing of his words. Up to now there has been nothing in President Truman’s record that would justify such a statement. We do not know and cannot say what he may do in the future or how he will finish his term. President Truman has a difficult job trying to hold the members of his own party in line, and he is dealing with a very, shrewd, clever, brainy opposition. Again, there is a great real of dissatisfaction througout the nation and the world under the conditions prevailing, economically, industrially and otherwise. This is a natural condition at the end of every great war, and the last war was the greatest of all wars. We were somewhat unprepared for peace. The war ended many months ahead of schedule. But no matter how long the war lasted, we would have to go through this period of disturbance and unrest and dissatisfaction. It may be well that we are putting this condition of affairs behind us gradually. If President Roosevelt had lived, he could not have done much better under the present circumstances. His principal advantage would have been that of experience. He dealt with simililarly serious conditions after the first World War. President Roosevetl had e mthod of doing business which very few men in public life possess. He had the courage to challenge his bitter opponents for their atempts, for political reasons, to sabotage progressive legislation. He did this many times when he was trying to build up our armed forces against isolationist opposition. President Roosevelt took determined action because he found from his experience as governor of New York and four, eight and 12 years as President of the United States, that there were some men who had to be “told off.” President Truman is somewhat different in his methods of approach and action. We sannot blame him. It is his nature to be mild and kind and pursuasive. But But his own associates in the Senate, members of his own party, are taking advantage of his decency, his honesty and his kindness, and they are not supporting him or even the principles upon which the Democratic platform pledged it-

selm..

We are not attempting to preach politics, nor are we attemuting to pledge ourselves for the future, but before labor—and by that I mean the workers of the nation, organized and unorganized—change hors es, they had better find out where they are going and not hitch up on (Continued On Page Two) GOP Senator Brands Statement A Lie The Republican reactionary press of the country, trying to boom Taft for President and to back him up as spokeBman for the party in his radio reply to President Truman’s speech of last week, have played up the fact that postmen delivering mail to Capitol Hill says that eince Truman made his appeal to the people, congressional mail has increased “only 10 percent.” “Never Had a Chance” They have cited this as showing that the American people are either indifferent, or opposed to, President Truman’s program, and are therefore not bringing pressure to bear upon their representatives and senators as Truman urged. Senators Wayne Morse (R. Ore.) however, yesterday gave the lie to this Republican propaganda. The people have been writing, all right —but to their representatives’

homes.

Senator Morse told reporters that he has had “tremendous mail” since Truman and Taft spoke, and that out of these letters, which have come from Republicans all over the country, “9 to 1” favor Truman’s program, and are opposed to Taft. Morse, a “radical” of the La Follette type, himself supports the President, as he has most New Deal measures-

Several weeks ago city officials | proposed the purchase of the farm lying just south of the railroad tracks about one block south of East Jackson street at the edge of the city limits and extending southwardly. The purchase price rwas fixed at $250 per acre and it was proposed to expend an additional $40,000 for equipment with which to dig trenches and bury the city refuse upon this farm. The city council has once rejected a similar proposal for the purchose by a nearby farm for the same purpose but officials are insistent that something must be done to acquire new dumping grounds. The nearby property owners sense a certain loss of their real estate values together with disagreeable odors and unsightly surroundings for comfortable and healthful living providing the deal is authorized. The collection of Muncie garbage and trash has been resumed by the city following the abandonment of a contract to the Muncie Service Co. just before the first of the new year. The contract was let about four years ago and has been operated until recently when the private company quit on the com-' plaint that they were losing money. The city has rented trucks and is now financing the costs of such service from available funds under the supervision of the board of public works and safety. The proposed dumping grounds would affect living conditions of residents along East Jackson street on the east city boundary including the Delaware Country Club site and homes in Elliott Acres. It may be 'honestly agreed that anyone faced with the same problem whether they be property owners or residents of this area would most certainly oppose a city dumping ground within sight of their dining table and home. It would appear more sensible, healthful, and agreeable if the city would select a site farther away from the residential settlement to dump such trash although the costs of hauling would be increased. It is also regarded that a less costly site per acre could be acquired if a farm at a abater distance away was chosen and thereby the health of residents ^protect-

ed.

It is a foregone conclusion that any councilman who was faced wil h the same problem as these peopla

who reside closely to the now proposed dumping grounds would most assuredly vote against it. The greater majority of these home owners and residents are not within the city limits of Muncie but nearly all of them are contributors to the business and industrial system of the city. They are our neighbors and no doubt someday will be willingly annexed to the city of Muncie. With courtesy and consideration to the well populated area surrounding the proposed dumping grounds, this plan should be unanimously rejected by the city council and if- needed a more suitable locatidn be sought for this purpose. Officials faced with the same problem as these petitioners would not hesitate to oppose sucha proposal. opaIndorsed BY BUSINESS

Teamster Commends South Chicago Chamber of Commerce When the South Chicago Chamber of Commerce recently passed a resolution in favor of continuing the Office of Price Administration, the chamber was promptly commended by Fred H. Groth, secretary of Local No. 742 of Chicago. Brother Groth made news by praising the South Chicago Chamber of Commerce at a meeting of the ~ Chicago Trades and La bor Assemblly “Whenever an organization such as the South Chicago Chamber of Commerce gives its okay to the OPA it warrants the recommendation of all,” Brother Groth said in his remarks to the central labor body. His remarks drew editorial praise from the press, the Chicago Calumet remarking that “it would contribute much to the welfare of this community if labor leaders attended and participated in the proceedof our local chambers of commerce. “Local chambers are not exelu(Continued On Page Two)

What Do Republicans Offer? The Republican party is apparently preparing to go into the November congressional campaign on a platform of exhuming the body of President Roosevelt. They are attempting to convict him of the responsibility for war and rob him of the credit for victory. This, of course, is just the opening phase of the fight. If they can discredit President Roosevelt, they can then destroy all the progressive legislation he enacted. Their ambition is to defame his memory so thoroughly that everything for which he stood will be besmirched, also. Then all the humane laws that President Roosevelt championed and forced some doddering congressmen to enact, will be repealed and we can all go back to the good old Hoover era when an apple a day kept starvation away. A few liberal Republicans are trying to force their party to look into the future, instead of the past. They have not been successful. The Republican party is still the party of Senator Taft and Col. McCormick and Gov. Bricker. They will keep their party reactionary even if they never win an election. The liberal Republican should awaken to the fact that they are in the wrong company. They should come over into the Democratic party and help kick out reactionaries like Senator O’Daniel and Senator Bilbo and Congressman Rankin. Men like O’Daniel, Rankin and Bilbo belong with men like Bricker, McCormick and Taft. If the liberal Republicans value their party label more than the welfare of their country, they are not as liberal or as patriotic as they sound. If they choose to go into the next campaign wearing the label of the party that opposed the fortification of Guam, that opposed every defense measure prior to war, that attempted to arouse distrust of the prosecution of the war and that stirred up all the opposition to international cooperation to keep the peace, then they should not be surprised if many voters suspect their sincerity. Six of the seven senators who voted against the United Nations Organization last month were Republicans as were most of the others who tried to kill the measure with amendments. If you want their names, ask us. Just what is the Republican party going to offer us in the next campaign? A voodoo dance on the grave of President Roosevelt?