Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 9 August 1946 — Page 1

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tOM'TTAKi ACHANCef

THE POST-DEMOGRAT The Only IDemocratic Paper In Delaware County Carrying the Union Label

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VOL. 27—NO. 7.

MUNCIE, IND., FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 1946.

PRICE 5 CENTS

SATIRE ON HITLER SHOWN Berlin. — “The Great Dictator,” Charlie Chaplain’s satire of Adolf Hitler, will be shown in Berlin tonight to determine German reaction, but American military government officials do not pre- ! diet a long run for the film. “Today in Germany the picture I misses the point completely,” one I officer said. “It makes fun of j something which isn’t funny any

more.”

Gates’ Administration Is Planning New Taxes

INQUIRY IS A

GOOD PRACTICE

A [J D W N ^| 0 ™ Little Interest Shown

SEARCH FOR 2 BANDITS Chicago. — Police searched today for two bandits who killed a former army air forces officer and wounded his ex-Wave fiance as they sat in an automobile late last night discussing plans for their marriage. Lewis Zeinz, 26, a veteran of the China-Burma-India war theater, was shot through the heart. Miss Ingrid Janis Laresen, 23, was wounded in the left thigh. Miss Laresen told police the bandits took her wrist watch and Zeins’s wallet and then shot them.

RAIN PRAYERS ANSWERED South Haven, Mich. — Prayers by the Assembly of God congregation for rain were answered today when .58 inches of rainfall here broke a drought of a month and a half. A special service was held in the Assembly of God Tabernacle Tuesday. After today’s rain in the South Haven area, the church announced that a public thanksgiving service would be held

Sunday. o

RAIN AIDS CROPS Chicago. — Thundershowers early today brought much-needed rain to crops in northern Indiana, Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and lower Michigan. The federal forecaster at Chicago said that rain fell in the areas that needed it most, and in greater quantities than during the entire month of July. He said the rainfall would “aid considerably” in producing a bumper crop of corn and other vegetables. A total of 1.3 inches fell in Chicago within a two-hour period, and 1.68 inches were registered at Rockford, 111., compared with .68 inches for July.

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BALL TRUCE END St. Louis. — Jorge Pasquel, millionaire president of the Mexican Baseball League, today proclaimed that his truce with the U. S. major leagues was at an end and that he would resume ( his raids against all big league clubs except one—the Cardinals. In a long-distance telephone conversation with The StarTimes, Pasquel shouted across the border his anger at Mickey Owen, Brooklyn Dodger catcher who jumped back to America from the Mexican League and is seeking reinstatement into organized

baseball.

NURSES URGENTLY NEEDED Washington. — The Army today directed its separation centers to ask nurses being discharged to volunteer for Red Cross service in the infantile paralysis emergency. Names of the volunteering nurses will be referred to national headquarters of the Red Cross in Washington for assignment in the stricken areas.

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TO EXAMINE HEIRENS :■ j.. ; .. .. • Chicago. — Dr. Foster Kennedy, director of the neurological service of Bellevue Hospital, New York City, was named today as the third man on a “jury” of psychiatrists to examine William Heirens, 17-year-old confessed slayer of three. Kennedy is a professor of neurology at Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. His selection was announced today after a meeting of prosecution and defense counsel and two psychiatrists already appointed by Criminal Court Judge Harold G. Ward to examine Heirens.

TMAGIIT’ BOYS AT WORK

Vote Against Civilian Control Of Atomic Bomb

Is Vote For War

DURANT TRIAL AUG. 16 Frankfurt. — The Army announced today that WAC Capt. Kathleen Nash Durant, charged with larceny, embezzlement, conspiracy and being A. W. O. L. in the Hesse Crown jewel case, would be tried about Aug. 16 before a general court martial, which would include two WAC officers. The Army had no report on the preparation of charges against Col. Jack Durant, her husband, and Maj. David Watson, who also are charged in the case.

State Highway Chairman Seeks New Increase In Gasoline Tax—Governor Gates Has a Little Idea About Cigarette TaxMany View Latter Tax As Move Toward An Indiana Sales Tax—Quotations From Governor’s Special Tax Message Will Revive Many Memories. With municipal and county taxes climbing in every community in the state, the harassed taxpayer is getting little consideration from the Statehouse, where the Gates administration is cooking up a series of new taxes for recommendation to the 1947 Indiana

general assembly.

Already, John H. Lauer, state i ;— : highway commission chairman, simply are is beating the legislative tom-tom | not effected by increased or new for an increase of one-cent in ! taxation,

gasoline tax to bring that fee to

five cents a gallon.

The Governor also has an idea that a cigarette tax—perhaps as much as five cents a package— would be a good thing to add to the already over-burdened tax-

payer.

It goes without saying that such taxes would affect a maximum of Hoosier citizens, but the “get-the-money” crowd should be reminded that by the same token, they will antagonize a maximum of voters. The proposed cigarette tax is viewed by many as a “foot-in-the-door” move for an Indiana sales tax, a form of taxation that long has been distasteful to Hoosiers. They have shown, on many occasions they do not care for tax token or the added cost to each and every purchase they make —— The highway commission chairman has been quoted as saying his department can not carry out its construction and maintenance program with prospective revenue from gasoline and auto registration fees. This statement is made in the fact of a report of the Indiana petroleum industries committee, which estimates the gas tax will add $30,000,000 to the state highway fund this year on the basis of figures for the first six months. That figure is 38 per cent above the receipts for the last peacetime collection in pre-Gates 1941. The administration, which, of course, is Governor Gates, seems to think the average Hoosier has little or no memory. To refresh these flagging memories we quote briefly from tl)e Governor’s special tax message to the 1945 Indiana general assembly: “I do not favor new taxes except for two purposes—that of postwar construction, mainy in the established state institutions, or for the relief or rehabilitation of returning veterans. Much “relief and rehabilitation,” no doubt, would be derived from a gasoline tax to boost for Mr. Lauer’s commission. Later in his tax message, the Governor proclaimed: “I hope I am wrong when I say, in all frankness, that I can now see but little opportunity for matching expenditures with current income in the next biennium . . . We must cut to the bone all but essential services. We must hold the line againts increased spending ... We must fight against reduction of our working balances. We must effect sound

Invstigation Might H i ( Some Of Our Indiana Politicos

The domination of the House on atomic matters suffered a slump when Chairman May of the House Military Affairs Committee, together with the Brass Hats, got in bad with the Mead Committee. Up to then, the 'House had favored military control of the atom, as against civilian control, favored by the President, and urged by all the scientists in America. The Senate had passed the Civilian Control bill. Nothing in the world can compare with the importance of the atomic bomb, and the present and future control of atomic energy. It boils down to this: in the hands of the military, it is a gun that can go off half-cocked, a ‘force that can destroy the world. A vote against civilian control there is a VOTE FOR WAR. Civilian, and scientific, control means development for peaceful purposes, and for the benefit of all mankind. But there is an insidioug angle to this, too. For atomic energy can in a few years supplant coal, oil and electricity. BIG INTERESTS therefore have a life-and-death interest in the matter. Either they get control of it, or ! And they have sided with the Brass Hats for military control. One has only to read between the lines of the Mead Investigating Committee reports to see why. A vote for Military Control therefore was a vote for MON OPOLY, as against the people. Yet the people slept through the debate on this Act, and probably hardly yet know what it was all about. And for a while it looked as though May and the Brass Hats might get their way. Then came the Mead investigation, and May no longer had time to lead the fight for military con-

trol.

After May somewhat bowed out of the picture, the House compromised, passing an amend(Continued On Page Three)

GOP Deliberately Plans to “Create Legislative Deadlock” • “A Republican leader told me the other day, with the simple candor of one describing vacation plans, that his party hoped to capture the House this fall because from there it could create such legislative frustration and deadlock in the next two years as would undermine Truman and ensure GOP victory in 1948.” That is a statement by the Washington editor of the New Republic, made in the current issue. We’ve been saying just that thing for some time. Now, it seems, the Republicans are beginning shamelessly to admit it. They seem to think that the people of this country are either deaf, dumb and blind, or that they will stand for anything.

Where Does Jenner Stand? The Republican state committee, in a statement recently released to the press, boasted that “Indiana’s Republican delegation, with the sole exception of Representative Charles M. LaFollette, voted against the British loan.” The statement was interpreted editorially by many newspapers as an indication of the possible position of the Republican senatorial candidate, on international affairs and one, the Indianapolis Times, described the statement as “short-sighted politics.” The Times said the statement was issued "with an air of smugness and pride,” and declared “we find it difficult to determine where William E. Jenner, the Republican senatorial candidate, stands on any world issue.” “So perhaps,” the editorial continued, “this indicates he will plug for world co-operation. The spokesmen of his party on foreign affairs, Senator Arthur Vandenberg, and other leaders with broad experience, have been strong for the loan and for a global approach to world problems.”

sides of the aisle have been general, since the Mead Investigating Committee cut loose with its investigation. Capitol Hill at pres ent is hardly on speaking terms with the armed forces. Since it was revealed that telephone lines are “trapped,” members are afraid to talk to the brass hats, and one branch of the armed forces with liason officers on the Hill reports that cases and incoming calls have dropped off from 300 to 400 a week. At the same time, it has been pointed out that of the 435 members of the House, more than 300 are lawyers and other businessmen. It is no secret that many of them use their seats to promote their business interests—and a good many more either are influenced in favor of Big Business by their own business bias, or less honestly, because of the power of money and influence exerts ed in their own elections. Indiana’s long-time Republican Senator James E. Watson once remarked to a visitor in all sincerity, ‘We hardly can attend to the business of the United States Senate, because we have so much business to attend to for the folks back home. Why, I might be right there on the floor of the Senate, making an important speech, but if a business man from back home were to appear and crook his finger at me, I’d have to quit and go out to the cloak room toseewhat he wanted.” It is pretty well known that “Our Jim” used to lend a ready ear to BIG Business, too. There has been a lot of “listening to business men” in the present session—and not all of them from “back home.” The greatest array of money-dripping lobbyists in the history of Washington has been overflowing the corridors of the capitol during the past months, talking, and letting money talk, against price control; against low-priced housing; against health and social security legislation; against new minimum wage and hour legislation, and most of the other legislation for the benefit of the common man, which President Truman has advocated. Yes, there is a good deal more investigation needed. It may even hit some of our Indiana Representatives

VIOLENCEWAS BILBO'S THREAT

U.S. Senate Should Refuse Seat To Mississippi’s Candidate

Theodore Gilmore Bilbo was assured of re-election to the United State Senate in the primaries of July 2, a circumstance refleqting no credit on the State 6f Mississippi or the government of the United States. It is the duty of the federal government to assure its citizens the right to vote without intimida" ion, particularly in elections for federal office like United States senator. Federal troops should be sent anywhere that armed supervision is necessary to guarantee the basic rights of citizenship. That’s what the Revolutionary War was all about. And the Civil War. We won both those bloody conflicts and presumably established forever the principle that men are free and equal. They were not equal and they were not free in Mississippi last month. That’s why Bilbo won. Only a handful of the Negro population dared to vote. Bilbo had warned them that they did so at their peril. By such a threat, Bilbo violated the feredal constitution. Troop trains should have been rolling into Mississippi witffin 24 hours after Bilbo defied the constitution. The United States Senate has the power to promptly enforce the Constitution in this case. It can deny Bilbo the seat to which he was elected by threats of violence. In many of the more enlightened parts of the country there was amazement that a man like (Continued On Pape Three)

Chicago S u n Expresses Views On Anti-Racketeer-ing Bill (Editorial from The Chicago Sun of July 8) When the Hobbs apti-racke-teering bill was passed, this newspaper termed it a legislative monstrosity. Nothing in President ’ Truman’s message, explaining his reasons for signing the bill, alters our judgment that it is extreme, vague, one-sided and should have been vetoed. The President said he had been assured by Attorney General Clark that the bill would not “in any way interfere with the rights of unions in carrying out their legitimate objectives.” He pointed to the section reaffirming the Norris-LaGuardia, Clayton and Wagner acts, which establish the basic rights of labor. He stated that the legislative history of the measure indicates it was not intended to harm labor generally. But the language of the bill is extremely broad in defining “robbery” and “extortion” in interstate commerce. Presumably it is no longer legal for Teamsters’ Union members to coerce payments from farmers driving their own trucks into city market, and, of course, it ought not to be. The question is whether the law may not be applied more widely—against strikers who, for example, throw a mass picket line around a steel mill and thus interfere with interstate com-

merce.

Is a mass picket line a “legitimate” union activity? Most people say it is not, but the problem is surely one for local law enforcement. If the Hobbs bill should be applied the pickets would face 20 years in federal

prison.

Mr. Truman and Attorney General .Clark have ventured a guess on hoyv the Supreme Court, in wtiifty Futur'e cases, may interpret the law. That is not always a safe course. But let us assume that the guess is correct and that the stated purpose of the Hobbs bill will not be distorted. It i^ still legislation revealing the vindictive spirit of Congress toward unions. The relatively minor wrong an individual union member may do subjects him to two decades of imprisonment as

a felon.

In the Wagner Act, which outlines illegalities from which an employer is prohibited, there is no criminal penalty whatsoever. The worst that can happen to an employer is an order to reinstate improperly fired employees with back pay — and many such employees lose a lot more money than the farmer does to the Teamsters on a New Jersey high-

way.

In Coming Fall Election

BUY LESS, BEAT THE PROFITEERS

Protest Strikes Will Increase Prices — Stay At Work Best Method

Editor’s Note — The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has consistently maintained the right of a farmer to drive his own produce to market without question, It is only when a farmer becomes a for-hire trucker by transporting general merchandise and the crops of a number of farmers that the Teamsters’ Union insists that he operate under under conditions like the other for-hire truckers with whom he competes. o Voters Should Be Registered

Every qualified voter has a definite duty to perform, and at

once.

That is to make sure that he, his friends and his neighbors are properly registered as voters for the November 5 election. Although workers in both major political parties are bending every effort to effect a complete registration, their work alone is not enough. Each individual mush realize the importance of checking his registration to be sure he will be entitled to a vote in November. Now is the best time to do it. Registration officers are not so busy as they will be in the closing days of the regisnation period and a minimum of time will be required to take out “vote insur-

ance.”

Young voters, particularly those who have returned from military service, many of whom attained voting age while serving their country, should consider the battle of the ballots as important as the winning of the war, for it is the candidates of their choosing who will play important roles in this precarious era when we are attempting to win the

peace.

Party workers should be reminded that the person who can be registered is interested and can be iduced to vote in the fall without much difficulty. This is important! Do it now!!

Some union leaders, drunk with power and mad for publicity, are advocating general strikes to stop the rising cost of living. They are too new to the labor movement or too ignorant of economics to understand the result of what they advocate. The wrong way to cope with living costs is to shut down industry. That would only aggravate present shortages and send prices higher. The right way to reduce living costs is to buy less and produce more. That means staying on the job. It means reducing your purchases of everything to the absolute minimum. Buy as little food as you can get by on. Buy no clothes if you can put a patch on an old suit or an old shirt and make it last a little longer. Drive the old car a few thousand miles more or ride the street

cars.

Don’t run down to the store with your pay check in your hand when you see new radios or vacuum cleaners advertised. Make the old rugs and carpets do, no matter how thin or ragged they

are.

This magazine vigorously supported the OPA and bitterly protested its repeal. The death of the OPA will bring hardships on everybody except a few profiteers. But the Only place to hit a'profiteer is in his pocketbook. You

can knock him cold if you refuse to buy. the things he offers you. As production goes up, prices .will come down. They will come down faster if you buy less, because then you increase the supply on hand. The Teamsters’ Union foresees grave consequences as a result of the public betrayal on OPA. We discuss them in this issue, as we have in previous issues of this magazine. The consequences will be made graver by hasty action on the part of labor. Leaders who advocate a strike merely as a protest against Congress are playing with fire. They are inviting a greater peril than that which exists. Labor has a chance to bring the nation out of the crisis precipitated by an impotent Congress and a sinister conspiracy of industrial interests. If labor succeeds, its influence will rise to new heights and it will have the power to permanently correct basic faults in our economic system. It can raise the standard of living in the United States and stabilize conditions throughout the world. .This is a time for cool heads who can anlyze complicated situations such as this and advise a course of action for the public

benefit.

They cannot afford to let their anger or resentment blind them to the consequences of bad advice from poorly informed and irresponsible leaders. THE POLICY OF THE TEAMSTERS’ UNION IS TO STAY ON THE JOB! This does not mean that we are surrendering to inflation. On the contrary it means we are fighting with the most effective weapon we have—our productive power and our buying power. Our advice to our membership is—don’t get frightened and don’t get impulsive. Save your anger for election day, when you can take care of the congressmen and senators who threw us into this mess. Spend more energy on the job and less money in the stores. That’s the only chance you have to win. If every union pursues this same policy, we may

win.

Labor is the only hope of the country today. We must not fail.—International Teamster.

A trackless trolley coach line can carry 10,000 persons per hour. Peaches for home canning and for eating fresh are plentiful this year, the U. S. Department of

Agriculture reports.

The gentle ayenger. First of a series of gripping stories about the exploits of a fearless sleuth who waged a relentless war on the underworld. The story of the great Lorimer frame-up appears in The American Weekly, the magazine distributed with next w e e k’s CHICAGO SUNDAY

HERALD AMERICAN.

A Large Number of Voters Will Remain Unqualified for Voting To Faulty Or NonRegistration—Most People More Eager To Grasp At Money-Making Than To the Selection of Qualified Men To Serve In Public Offices — Republican Workers

Hope for Light Vote.

Less than three months remains until election day and party workers have begun to poll precincts but to date little or no interest is manifested by the public as to which candidates might be chosen to handle certain governmental duties for the ensuing two and four years. It may be considered a bit early as yet but candidates and party organizers are fearful of a lack of enthusiasm this fall which of course

is not good for any democracy.

Canvassers and other trend

finders report an extreme lack of interest among voters and predict a large number of persons will remain unqualified for voting due to non-registeration. This condition can only result in another light ballot election such as was held in the May primaries unless the next few weeks brings about increased interest among the

people.

Opinion hunters seem to find most persons more eager to grasp at money making and acquiring hard-to-get merchandise than thinking about who are more qualified and should be elected to serve them in public offices. A high degree of selfishness is prevalent among the populace and although they are quick to condemn government for each and every inconvenience, yet, they now appear to offer slight consideration towards the betterment of such government through their rights to select those who will administer the duties of that

government.

The 1946 election will choose one of the two United States Senators from Indiana to represent this state in the highest legislative body of the nation. Also, eleven Hoosier members of the House of Representatives will be selected as well as ten officers of our state government and fifteen local county officials. In addition, township trustees and county councilmen are to be named who will share important positions in the interest of public welfare during the ensuing months.

Republican workers and candidates in this community as well as throughout Indiana hope for a light vote while the Democrats plead for a wide expression of the voters. Both leaders predict and depend on success subject to either large or small voting numbers. The local registration officials controlled by Republicans discouraged a large primary vote in the spring by failing to allow sufficient registration deputies to properly canvass the voters. It is presumed that such action will again be prompted this fall which places a greater responsibility on each voter to see that he or she is qualified to enter the polls on election day. Voting remains the greatest privilege of freedom in this democracy. The world has fought two bitter wars to protect this freedom of expression by the people and it seems senseless for such great victories to be converted into losses when the people refrain from exercising this privilege. It is admitted by all that government is necessary. It is even more necessary for government by the people to establish a future world peace. Therefoi'e, it can be resolved (Continued On Page Three)

O 1

Plans Completed For School Term

The trustees of the various townships of Delaware County

The“ two major party organize-1 met with County School Super-

tions have adopted platforms and defined issues which will be carried to the voters and citizens of each community in this state between now and Nov. 5th. It may be regarded safe to assert that no more than five per cent of the voters could as much as name the planks of either party platform and much less intelligently discuss or define proposed issues upon which they should act wisely at the polls on election day.

intendent Merritt Reed Monday, and plans we^e made for the opening of all township schools. All of these schools, except the Eugene Field School of Center Township, will open Friday, August 30th. Field Schoql will reopen Monday, Sept. 9th, the same date as the opening of

the Muncie city schools.

The list of teachers is almost completed, and the few vacancies are expected to be filled shortly.

Good-Bye, Little Merchant! On July 1, big business got its wish. The OPA was drowned In a flood of propoganda released by the organized industries of America. The surge of prices upward began almost instantly. No legislation Congress has enacted, or that the National Association of Manufacturers will let it enact, can halt the steady spiraling in the cost of living. A lot of foolish little merchants jumped up and down with joy when Congress passed the phony price control bill that killed OPA regardless of a presidential veto. * They chanted with ecstasy that they were free from price control. * They thought they could roll in the money trough with the big boys. But they found out differently. That money trough is off limits for all but the captains of industry who financed the Ipng and costly campaign to kill the OPA. The little groceries and meat markets and other shops run by rugged individuals have discovered that they are not free from price control, as they imagined. They merely substituted private control for federal control. The big industries are raising prices to the little merchants who, in turn, are raising their prices to the public. But the little merchants take all the heat. It is to them that the indignant public makes its complaints. He shouldn’t be. He is on the way out. When the public is no longer willing or able to pay the inflated prices, it is the little merchant who will go bankrupt. He will be replaced by agents of the big industries that fix prices. The big industries will then control the retail outlets of their products as well as the wholesale. Every time a product is moved, it will bring then an added profit. Already the monopolies are cutting the ground out from under the foolish little corner grocer who thought he was a big shot. They are underselling him and letting him sweat it out with his angry customers. He thought he was being “regimented” by the OPA. That was what the big industries told him to think. He swallowed their smooth words and applauded when his Congress left him helpless. Now he has economic indigestion. He is finding out what regimentation really is. It is not the “regimentation” of the OPA that protected his profits while it pi*otected his customers’ prices. It is the ruthless regimentation of extermination, practiced by monopolies that will tolerate no competition. They are hungry for the profits denied them by the government during the war. They want all the public has saved, and all it earns. And it looks as though they were about to get it. Good-bye, little merchant. We have “free enterprise” now.— International Teamster.