Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 32, Number 308, Decatur, Adams County, 29 December 1934 — Page 1

WEATHER Mo«tiy cloudy t0.,9m ~9 m »"d Sund,y> LoMbly »"ow or ~n south portion ‘ider tonight and ~tr«n« ROU,h ®“ n ‘ day-

ARMY SCANDAL ROCKS WASHINGTON

■[XPECT FIGHT I’ | giß CHANGES I INTAXSYSTEM i pl ■[eolation RecommendI ing Lifting Os Exemp- . I tions To Be Fought 11 '■tax STUDY GROUP i I I Si (.GEST CHANGES | Indianapolis, Dec. 29.—<U.R) Mil a vigorous tight at the com■hi legislature over taxation ■ t property owned by rehg■L charitable and fraternal w nizations was anticipated ’ after the governors tax ■«tudv committee recommends Bed exemptions be lifted on all *frsS P g r at all forms of whose properties were exfrom state taxation, the tax group of 22 members made 4nite recommendations for legisrecommendations for tax were approved by the which consists of rep from all lines of busand interests. Viter an all-day session yesterthe committee adjourned until ■ when discussions will lie iiKt on a proposed new law to rethe present $1.50 tax; livensTS Ijjof peddlers, itinerant merchants others not liable under the store tax; changes in the intax 'aw, ami suiisl itu': three per cent sales tax I : gross income tax. ;e. -omm-nding legislation the < .•■mptions from nelignc: -. ami fraternal propel i . commit:*- asked that and occupied by th*' themselves he tax exMB The move is designed to curb of such organizations in profits from property withpaying taxes on either the inJK3 t.« or the real estate itself. * ' 9 The stat" tax board has estimat ■Ri that there is approximately > in tax exempt property Indiana 9fl| Other recommendations for Wispusstai bv the committee m ; ''■•’■ht all Barret law bonds tax flB Eire legislators more leeway in of tax laws. (This n■Mbn to a proposed amendment to state constitution, which if up by the 1935 legislature V be placed before Indiana for their approval or lira; in 19361. flKbtendlng the moratorium b sales of land for the colb , * taxes until Jan. 1. 1938. Attending the law passed by legislature, permitting tax <!•■ to pay the amount du" SBblil installments over a period of ■■ betnpting personal property am! funds, the proceeds ot are used for charitable. MBfew or educational purposes committee also asked that —legislate - lift the exempli property owned by Greek I organizutmns. Millions of d It* real estate, owned by * fraternities and sororities, be forced to pay taxes. Airplane Has Landed Safely o V., Dec. 23 IV’.’t American airplanes whi.h vani,a8 * 1 n^it ,i sieavv !’i ®MWfflow'stonu radioed t-.duy ' me. landed safely with its f.*c.c gSB* t!| ?-nts on a mountain near A'. ■, ~]i^^K* JaaJ " il - ''Waiting ri'-cii" ftsn, the radio commit, i . “id, huddled around a smuil Hi night. l-omniunication was dost °ffici ds said, because I '*‘ n walllet ' tn saVP ' a,i ’ to aid reetuera. ° Is Set For I Editors’ Meeting t B «P01fe. Dec. 29 - (IT i ■|\ Finney, president f the In Mr D ’mocMtlc editorial a-. ;'l, “"otteed today that thI 7"‘*' nler ■'neeting aid ' iKßliiL 01 tlle will be !;• i ! ’’ , hotel Saturday -cMC' Paul V. M iNntt will be th" l'<» A9J|...“,‘ 1> ' 1 Walter. Omer S J.h ’ __democratic chairman, will

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Vol. XXXII. No. 308.

Three Diphtheria Cases Are Reported Tires cases! of diphtheria, four cases of influenza and three eases of scarlet fever were reportej in Adama County by the Indi ma Dlvi«lon of Public 'Health, morbidity report for the week ending Saturday, De em >er 22. An increase of rases of dii htberia and influenza was noted over the entire state although there was a decrease in cases of s ,rlet fever, i HIGH PER GENT OF VOTES GUST Only 12.3 Per Cent Os Registered Voters Failed To Cast Ballots Only 12.3 per cent of the regist-1 ered voters in Adams county fail-1 ed to vote in either the primary or general election, according to figures just compiled in County Clerk David D. Depps office byMiss Iverna Werling, chief registration clerk. A total of 11.143 persons were I registered, and 1.376 failed to vote J in either election. The highest percentage of votes' cast was in the North St. Marys precinct whore only 10 out of the 245 registered voters failed to vote. Only four per cent failed to go to the polls there. In the North Preble precinct 29.7 per cent of the voters did not vote in either the primary or general election. A total of 81 of I the 273 registered voters did not vote in one election thi-i year. This was the largest percentage of failures to vote of any precinct in the county. The Decatur vote ranked about equal with the vote cast in the entire county. Only 12.1 per cent of the registered voters failed to - g<> the polls in one of the two elections. Os the 3.281 registered 39S failed to vote in either elec- ■ tlon. FEW WILL SEE MINTON SEATED Only Few Hoosiers Will Gain Admittance To Senate Chamber Washington. Dec. 29,-Hoosiers who want to sec Sherman Minton take the oath of office Q-s the new Democratic junior senator from Indiana probably will be disappointed. because there are only about 600 seats in the senate galeCo! Edwin Halsey, secretary of the senate, said that each member of the senate and house would receive one ticket, and that members of Minton’s immediate fanub would be given admission, but tha physical limitations would prevent any large delegations from attending the ceremonies. Reports hud reached Washing ton that a special train wou’d ’come from Indianapolis *th a large delegation interested in th j Installation of Minton along witn I the other new senators. I Minton, former ■ fnr , he Indiana Public Service lomTisslon. wh= defeated Sen. Ar- - thur R- Republican oi■iponent of to • proposed payment of th 1 viding that veterans on reli ibe paid. wminn’s views t, Senator-elect j n terest ■ Den> 'X""X’e n dtys ago tDal ‘;; e T.'-.e Riehartl"l >w *

Probe Vandalism in Columbus Wreck 1 avi* wifiar- '•] / . in a ffr.x arUBM %M. 3 f 1 — —x Suspicion of vandalism was investigated by railroad authorities as a result of the tragic wreck of a 'southbound Pennsylvania passenger train when it crashed into a string of freight cars on a siding track inside the limits of Columbus, O. This photo shows a view of the wreck in which two persons were killed ami 14 injured. A tampered siding switch was blamed for the disaster.

RURAL SOLONS Rural And Small-Town Indiana To Have Over 50 Per Cent of Votes Indianapolis. Dee. 29. — A box score tabulatin of membership of the 1935 session of the state Legislature shows that rural and small-’own Indiana will have more than 50 per cent of tlie votes. The five big cities will have onlv 21.4 per cent. United States census figures : show that 64.8 per cent of tlie state’s population abides in cities, and in orporated towns, while 352 ner cent live in ttnincorporafed villages a"d rural areas. Thus, the box sc* re would indi- [ I cate that about 35 per cent of the ' nnpnli'tion have more than half ■the representation. This, of, ■ course, on a purely ge. graplii' | i basis. The biggest group, geographically, cornea from towns of pnnu’a-1 lions between 2.501 and 15.000. i Tin's groin comprises forty-seven [ ir.eml'er(. or 31.3 per cent. The second largest delegation is from , areas up to 2.500 population. { i There are forty-one. or 27.3 per [ ■ cent, from these sparsely settled ' : districts. The birrer towns, from 15,001 I to lOOftOO in population, are send-[ ing thirty senators and reuresen- { ta’ives. They make up 20 per ■ cent of the total representation. And the last group, cities of more | than 100.000. including Indianapo-, b's. Fort Wayne. South Bend. F> snsville and Gary, are sending j ! th'-tv-two. or 21.4 per cent. From the point of view of pm-1 session or employment, lawyer* *>re leading the field. Twentv-fonr ! House members and nineteen sen- [ itors come from the ranks of the j barristers. The total, forty-three, { comprises 25.7 per cent of the, (CONT'NUED ON PAGE SIX) FAMOUS MOVIE STAR IS DEAD I owell Sherman Dies Late Friday After Attack Os Pneumonia Hollywood. Dec. 29.-(U.R)-I*ow- j ' ell Sherman, film director and act-, ' nr died of pneumonia at a hospital, here late Friday. He was 47 years . ' zxlrl ° Sherman, who directed Mae West ’ : j "She Done Him Wrong and Katharine Hepburn in ■'’' lor " I ntnrv" was ordered to the hospital ' 1 5 Thnrsdav front ,he Patlie [I,. .«.'■* «•«““"I ■ “'s>°X«« !"d- ' <- a [ ' <,uickly ’ on was the divorced hus-1 >! T- He?ene Costello, a sister 11 ; 0 7 M rs‘John Barrymore. t

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, December 29, 1931.

Sheriff .Johnson Is Vacating .Jail Sheriff and Mrs. Burl Johnson are packing their household goods at the Adams county jail in preparations to move. Mr. and Mra Johnson expect to live on High street. S eriff-ehl t Dallas Trown.and his family will take over the jtil. Mon-i day afternoon. He will begin his of-fi-cial duties Tues ay morning. 0 County Board Meets Monday The county commi'sinners will meet Monday 'o allow bills for the month of December. The old board will also conclu.’e its 'business for the year cf 1935. Tlie menfiers of the board -spent some time today in tlie county auditor's office exa r.ining the bills but re.fr ined from taking action on them until .heir sceduled meeting Monday. 36 CASES TRIED IN CITY COURT — Mayor Krick’s Annual Report Shows Intoxication Charges Lead — Mayor George Krick heard 36 1 cases In mayor’s court during 1934, the annual report of the executive shows. The majority of cases were for public intoxication, 20 of the 3G violations coming under this head. Fines collected totaled $142. the renort .shows. A few cases are still pending final decision. The number and classification 'of cases heard by Mayor Krick follow: Petit larceny, four; assault and battery, three; public intoxication 29; vagrancy, one; motor vehicle, ; laws, five; unlawful hunting, two: { gambling, one. Under the law the mayor acts, •as city judge in minor cases.

Dallas Broum Is Well Qualified For Duties As Sheriff Os Adams County

(Editor's Note— Following is the I third of a series of short sketches { : of men who will take office in Ad{urns county January 1. Others will 'follow until New Year’s Day.) Both by physi(,ue and train ' MM ' n s Dallas Brown is well . T equip ped to 9 ■ ■ handle the of flee of sheriff I? , " of Adams conn-o yMt’*’' ty which lie will take ■»k if" Snß <>n Jan'"".'- '-. ESjMHI Staniliug i-i six I'ei-t XII I,l ' 1 1 ' ates posing figure in any crowd of men. He is a World i War veteran, trained in the use {of firearms. Mr. Brown was born in Root ‘ township March 4, 1897, the son [of Mr. and Mrs. S. E. Brown. With ' ! the exception of a few of his child- , [hood years and his experience in {the army he has spent all his life ;in Adams county. ITS attended the Aber school in Root township, the Steele school [in Washington township and the I Centra! grade and high school in

DISTRIBUTION DUE NEXT WEEK Over Four Million Dollars Will Be Distributed To Indiana Schools Indiar polls, (Dec. 29- Flovd 1. McMurray, state superintendent f public instruction, will distribute, more than $4,090,000 to Indium schools next week from funds made available by the state grass incoi.e tax. The distribution will bp ma ’e on basis of S2OO fore: h teaching unit. A.n average 'property tax rate of mere t * n 11 tents on each SH(O of [property would have been necess-, ary t.; raise the amount of th" dis-1 ! tribntion, Mr. McMurray eaid. The distribution is the third during the present school year from tlie state's replacement taxes—the | intangibles, excise and gross in- ' com '. On October 1 school received $554 51“ from the general intangibles t x and on Nov. 1 the distribui tion front the beer t* x amounted to; { $1,269,80(2. When tho gross inc re I tax distribution is made, schools I will have received approximately { $5,825,000 from the new taxes thi,i[ school year, Mr. Ml Murray said.. Further payments to schools will be ma.’e from the intangibles tax April i 1, the excise tax M.y 1 and the! gross income tax July 1. With only halt ot the distribution { far the school year completed, it' ap.ears certain that schools will {receive more iron the new taxes this year than last, when the total amount was $10,608,338, Mr. McMurray s id. Henry G. Miiler Is Seriously 111 Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Miller received word late Friday night that their son Henry G. Miller, 54, of St. Fran{cisville, Illinois, is in a serious condition. Tlie telegram did not state the nature of the .son'u illness.

I Decatur. In 1919 Mr. Brown joined the I army. He was first assigned to j Company A. Fourth Field Infantry. [ Later he was transferred to Bat- [ tery A of the 139th Field Artillery. He spent several months overseas before receiving hife honorable discharge papers at Ft. Benjamin Harrison. When he was mustered out of the army, he was lifted as a first seargent. After leaving the army he worked in a number of garages in Decatur. Three years ago he married and moved to a small farm in Root township near the Dent school , house on the Belmont road. Since i that t'me he lias been out ot regu | lar employment. To make ends [ meet he did a little farming on the { river land near his home. Last year { he did some work for the Adams county highway department. Mrs. Brown’s maiden name was Alta Briener. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mat Breinor of this [city. There are two children in the [ family, Clara Bell and Betty. { Mr. Brown is a member of the | Methodist church, the Knights of {' Pythias lodge and the American ' Legion. As a member of the Amer- {i lean Legion drum corps lie lias i I made m.my friends in the county. 11

AMERICAN GIRL IS IMPRISONED IN GERMAN JAIL Elsa Sittel Is Charged With Public Slander Os Adolf Hitler TAKEN MONDAY AFTER REMARKS (Copyright 1934 by United Press) Waldmohr, Oennany, Dec. 29. j (U.R>—Miss Elsa Sittell, of New York, wan in solitary impison-1 ment at the county jail today, i facing a charge of slandering , Adolf Hitler. It seemed improb-j able sha could be released even i on parole to await trial before next Wednesday. It was understood G. A. Makin-1 son, American consul general,' was on his way here in an effort to see her. Miss iSittell has re-j eeived no visits since her arrest I Monday. Requests for her release, have been made to the stale's attorney but no decision in her i case is expected until after Hie New Year’s day holiday. | (Miss Sittell, it was said nt Paris, is a naturalized American. I She went to the United Stateo in ; 1925. She was born in Lorraine {while it was Get man territory. When France got it after the world war. her parents elected to go to Germany, she to remain and . be a French woman). Miss Sittell was arrested last Monday, the day after she left Paris to seek the parents she had not seen for 10 yeari. She lias been held at Waldmohr, it was learned, despite a statement by Waldmohr police that she had been indicted and imprisoned at another place which they refused, i to name. { The charge against. Miss Sitte’l I is "publicly insulting both Hitler and a customs guard who exam(CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX) AVIATION DEPT. WILL BE ASKED — Bill Will Be Proposed Creating State Aviation Department — Indianapolis. Dec. 29. — A bill : proposing to establish a state department of aeronautics is being prepared for introduction in the Indiana general assembly, which will begin its biennial session next January 10. Aviators —there are approximate- { i ly 300 of them in Indiana —and air-| : planes would be licensed. The last airplane census showed there are 252 in the state. There are 29 gliders. Airports also would be licensed under provisions of the bill under consideration. There are airports in 42 cities and towns. One of the features of the pro- j (posed legislation would lie to eliminate from Hoosier skies craft which a*'!' not considered air-| j worthy. Some planes now in fre- { | quent use in the state, it was said. : i are not licensed by the federal avia ion commission. The aviators and others who I have been studying the bill uleo i are considering a provision to put: a small tax on gasoline at the' fields to help defray the expenses | of the state department of aeronautics. In turn, the state depart-1 ■ ment would help grade the aviation fields and otherwise help keep them in good condition. The head of the proposed new ' state department would be an, aviator, qualified to nee to it that every provision of the law is observed. At the present time, there is no state license for aviators or airplanes. Air regulations and laws as fixed by the federal government are observed. o ( Hundred Dollars Is Found In Book Mrs. Jennie Dun; an of Bluffton , found five S2O gold certificates in a book she morr. w. d from a neigh-. bor. The owner of the book claimed \ she 'did not know anything about? the certit’i- ates. The women cashed i the notes and divided the mony, but | how the certificates got into th?i book remains a mystery.

Price Two Cents

Chronology Will i Feature Edition A chronology of the high lights of news events in Decatur and Adams county during the year 1934. will be one of the features of the New Year’s litsue of the Decatur ' Dally Demol rat. i In accordance wit.lt annual cusi tom, the Dcnocrats flint t ttbllcatlon of Uro New Year will go to I press at noon Tuesday. All news| Items should ho In the office not later than 9:30 a. nt. Tuesday for publication on that date. HOSPITAL HEAD GRANTED LEAVE Miss Emilie Christ Is Given Four To Six Months Leave Os Absence Miss Etnilie Christ Friday night ’ was granted a four to six weeks { i leave of absence as superintendent { 'of the Adams county memorial hos-' pital by the board of trustees. I Miss Elizabeth Pearl Pitman. 45, | {former superintendent of the Fort. ’ Wayne Methodist hospital and now j of Richmond was selected by the { ' board to serve as head ot the local I hospital during Miss Christ's ab- , ' sonce. Miss Mayme Toveer was hired by the board to work in the office and do the bookkeeping work for j the hospital. Site will begin her { duties January 1. This was tin- la meeting of the ; {year for the board of trustees, who , are A. J. Smith and Charles Voglcwede of Decatur, E. M. Ray of Berne and W. W. Briggs of Geneva. : Mr. Ray’s term concludes on December 31. His re-appointment or! lite appointment of a successor will be made at the first regular meet-, ing of the new board of Adams {county commissioners on January , i 7 ' ' -- I Miss Christ asked for the Wntvo of absence to take a rest. She ! stated today that she expects to do nothing but rest for the first {month. After that her plans liave not been made. Miss Christ came here on April ] 30. 1923, direct from the Panama { Canal Zone where she was tile sup | ervisor of one of the districts. She is n graduate of the Lutheran hos-, pital at Fort Wayne and nursed in tlie Robert Long hospital at Indianapolis before going to the Canal Zone. j The board of trustees Friday expressed complete satisfaction with . {Miss Christ's record during her | ' stay here. "In addition to het , skill in directing the nurses under {lter she proved a capable executive,” one of the trustees stated Hits morning. The annual appro-' priation for the hospital has decreased from $7,000 to $4,000. Miss { Christ has been here since the hos-1 pital was opened. i Mis.s Pitir.nn, who will relieve' Miss Christ is a graduate of the I Methodist hospital in Indianapolis. . She took post graduate work in the Sloan hospital for women in New {York. She was the supervisor of | obstetrics at Indianapolis. She lias ! also had some experience tn the 'Red Cross nursing service. Miss Pitman was supervisor of nurses at the Deaconess hospital in Indianapolis for two and one half I years. Site held the same position •in the Methodist hospital in Fort, i Wayne from 1926 to 1931. Miss Pitman resigned her position in the Fort Wayne hospital in 1931 to care for iter parents in | Richmond, who were both ill. Only one other written applica ition was filed with the Itoard. This I was made by Miss Elizabeth Pierce. I former superintendent of the < hi!'dreii's hospital of Cincinnati, Ohio. Miss Pitman plans to come here 'on January 1 Miss Christ will I leave as soon as Miss Pitman becomes acquainted with her duties. o -Japan Formally Abrogates Treaty —*— Washington, Dec. '29— (UP) da* pan I'or.tally *:br gated the Washington and London naval treaties, effective December 31. 1936 Notice'th t Japan is freeing her-1 self from the limitation's imposed by the naval treaties was delivered tothe state department by Hirosi Soito, Japanese ambassador upon cabled Instructions from his government. Japan c lied for a now “eqtiHable agreement” that would impose the sa:uc limitation of armaments of { all nations indstead of Japan Slav-1 { ing the short end of the present 5-5-3 ratio with the United States 'and Great Britain.

%

WAR SECRETARY ORDERS PROBE OF CONTRACTS {George Dern Orders Investigation Os War-Time Army Contracts [HIGH OFFICERS FACE CHARGES Wtisliington, Dec. ‘29 <U.P> A war department scandal affecting the national defense shook official Washington today. Secretary of War (ieorge 11. Dern and a federal grand jury indicated they would press for full exposure J anti stringent action. The final report of the house military affairs committee as submitted to congress after an eight months painstaking investigation ' into department procurement { methods, fairly bristled with broad charges against lobbying activities of contract negotiations. Tlie committee, which last Juno [demanded the removal of Maj. Gen. i Benjamin D. Fmtlois, chief of the army air corps, after completing the first stage of un Investigation 'of War Department purchasing methods, said Foulois's case had been turned over to the army inspector general. This, the committee said in its final report, "is the usual step preliminary to placing such a matter before a military tribunal.” Foulois was not one of “at least two” of the ranking army officers mentioned in tlie report as being under suspicion of accepting bribes ior gifts from lobbyists interested in War Department contracts. The suspected officers were not mentioned by name. But through {the lengthy report there ran a de{tailed description of lobbying activities which the committee held tended to bring the "complete government procurement system into disrepute.’’ Government business, the report asserted, has too often been carried lon “in hotel rooms, lobbies and private homes of government officers and lobbyists.” Sweeping recommendations for legislation to prevent favoritism in War Department contract methods were recommended in the interest of national defense. A charge was made that one high ranking officer deliberately (CONTINUED ON PAGE SIX) Annual New Year Dance For Elks The annual Elk's New- Year’s eve dance will be held at the Elks homo | Monday night. Decei her 31. iPlatu have been completed to make the i dance one of the largest social funi t’or.s pvpf held at thF ’ onic*. Dancing will st rt at 9:30 o’clock ! with music furnished by the Royal Ami* ssa lots. The dance Is for Elks ! membetM only and t 8 kets may be | obtained frem any mei her of the j committee or at the h me. SCHEDULE FOR POLICE LISTED Citv Police Force And Board Os Safety Hold Meeting Friday Members of the city police force met with the incoming board of public works end safety at the city hall last evening and organized. Hours and schedule of beats for the policemen were arranged and a fine spirit of cooperation shown. Chief of Police Seph Melchi will he on duty all day and senior policeman Ed Miller will begin duties at 5 o'clock in the morning. Grover Cottrell and Floyd Hunter will be the night policemen. Mr. Hunter is tlie new member of the ) force. The Itoard of public works and safety is composed of A. R. Holthouse. Herman Myers and Andrew A'tpelman. who will assume their respective offices as mayor, city attorney and councilman next Tuesday. The policemen volunteered to put In an extra hour on their beats In ordsr to give the city double man duty throughout tho day.