Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 44, Number 301, Decatur, Adams County, 23 December 1946 — Page 1

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XLIV. No. 301.

Million & Homeless Ser Storms lon flj $ Army Reports —JKituotio n Io Hand; ea th Figures Vary >( Homeless f th- Japanese earth„.<,i .xtimateii tinC|^v. h , 500.000. were v warm*-'. sunny weather ■ they burled their dead and l the ruins. ,-ny -pokcsmeii *“l'l ,h ‘* ill *.-!! under control ” '■K'. -<N.tt- <>:n Okyama pre.her- British units are . ,‘iuwed conditions ‘well ; , r pr-sellt V. itll 110 outneeded.” difficulties as they ,1 t« rei.it the center of ar-a Refugees «lut HH| •> Mads Disrupted com relayed casualty re calls for help Honshu inlands show on The latest ,25. p-x tabulation, compiled o'iaiioiation with Amerinid Japanese agencies. K» persons known dead, injured and 83 missing. Japanese news agency, tie number of killed was "exto top the 2.000 mark.” flr'-e doubles Kyodo's own i was issued 8 few hours and which previously was of all tabulation* * d u tt. d that accurate " n ,hl ‘ ‘'eath toll was bur said "all indicapoint ms that the number will , oar above ttpreme headquarters an sn.-n' pined the death toll prefectures at 681. with 675 ■ injured and 266 missing. ! Press tabulation kited 1 treat not Included In the announcement. headquarters report Bated homes destroyed ami 26.460 ■Hared in the sections ravaged Jipan s second major quake of the century. gßtpiti.*. hottie office officials re--5.547 buildings demolished ■MW repair and 14,000 more less SMlto’y damaged. This source of the destroyed buildheen washed away by the Tit- waters swept away reports agreed that there J PP»r*ntly no casualties Vio-rt. , upation for. • • Press correspondent Peter covering the devastated area of southern Honreported that .Maj. Gen. Mullins and all American ■V division personnel were beJ D Vanderpoul, Wetumka. r * f|t ‘ a force landing at ■B* 11 when his reconnaissance SE* ran 01,1 °* gan ‘ h ** re f M,r, ‘' <i * had found four army conn- ' | H<en< e men safe ,our men were believed to efcvlougly reported maMF** a “d unheard from in the P*t>inaula city. »lr corps men who were from the air at Kushimoto, “* southern tip of Wakayama K* “h* 1 w# r» not found when a Isiat arrived to evacuate ■C [hey were believed to have ■T ’ h * ,r way to safety. reported that funeral lined the roads in the area Bereaved Jap n m °urnlng kimonos carried in coffins on crude. '‘"Wejb,Column L> EJM

Navy Ship Ordered Out Os Dairen Port Ultimatum Given By Russ Officials By WILLIAM H. NEWTON Bcripps Howard Staff Writer Tor The Combined World Press <Di tributed by I'nited Preset Dairden. Dec. 20Delayed I —A I'nited States navy ship pulled out of the port of Dairen this as ; ternoon after receiving a verbal ultimatum from llussian officials i to the effect that "unless you leave within 20 minutes we will not he responsible for the consequences." Previously, the itusslan military commander In charge of the city had refused to permit an American businessman with full clearance from U. S. authorities to debark from the ship. Also denied permission to land were two American newspapermen, representing the combined world press. The vessel, LC-3 109 V. was on a second routine courier mission to Dairen carrying diplomatic mail and supplies to the I’. S. consulate there. In view of the fact that the details of the first trip had been revealed to the press, two correspondents were permitted to take passage on this trip by Admiral Charles M. Cooke. Jr., commander of the seventh fleet, in order to be present in event their going ashore would meet with the approval of local authorities. Admiral Cooke had ruled that no photographs could be made without the consent of the local officials. The ship arrived at Dairen Dec. 18, and requested permission to remain in port for 48 hours. This was accepted without comment by the Soviet authorities who met the ship at anchorage. The ship remained in the harbor two add! ttonal hours while I’. S. consul genera! H. .Merrill Benninghoff attempted a last minute appeal to the Soviet military authorities to permit an American businessman. Jesse L. Poole. Atlanta, (la., representing the Standard Vacuum Oil Co., to go ashore. It was at this point that the Soviet ultimatum was delivered. The Soviets ordered the ship to leave despite the fact that neither the diplomatic courier nor the commanding officer of the ship were altoard. They were at the American consulate awaiting results of consul general Benning hoff's final appeal to the Soviet commander. They arrived on Iward only at the very moment of the ship's departure. The Russian military commander of the city. -Maj. Gen. V. U. Korzhanoff. refused to see the American consul general, however, and the ultimatum was delivered to the ship by one of his military aides. When the consul called at the (Turn To Pag* 2- Column 41 ... —o —— Four Vehicles Are Involved In Crash Trucks And Autos Damaged At Preble Several persons escaped serious injury late Saturday when two trucks and two autos were Involved in a traffic crash in the village of Preble. Deputy sheriff Sam Bentz, who investigated, said the occurred when a large truck, operated by Donald k . I HI. of White. Md.. collided with an auto driven by Ora Newhard of OriMltb. , „ , . The truck, carrying a full load of parachutes enroute to New York, was enroute east on federal road 224. deputy Bentz stated. When the driver saw the Newhard vehicle p„)| onto the highway from the intersecting road, he applied •'rakes and the big vehicle slid sideways down the road. It struck the Newhard car and then caromed off It Into a parked car owned by Harry Bucher of Preble and finally Into an Ice cream truck, also parked> ‘here. No one ww» ve^*c ’ e * involved in the accident were damaged, h* »»ld.

GE President Urges Holiday On Wage Hikes Urges Moratorium For One Year To Combat Inflation New York. Dec. 23—1 PPI— Charles E. Wilson, president of j the General Electric Company, asserting that '"it is about time the consumer got a break on prices." suggested today an In- < dustry wide moratorium on wage' increases for at least a year to combat inflation. General Electric, he said, "could j not possibly meet further wage' demands without a corresponding' increase in prices." "We would have to Increase our prices three quarters of one percent for every one percent of increase." Wilson said. For example. he said a 10 percent increase in wages would result In a 7.5 percent price Increase. "This is figuring both our own increased labor costs and the higher prices we would have to pay for increased labor costs and . the higher prices we would have to pay for components." Wilson. said. "I think it is about timei the consumer got a break on' prices. So far, because of chaotic | conditions he hasn't. He hasn't even been given the advantage of the great technological Improvements In production developed during the war." He said he believed that industry would forego further price in«' creases if labor would forego further increases in wages. C. of C. Campaign Washington, Dec. 23 — Il'Pi— 1 The I’. S. chamber of spurred by mounting claims against industry for millions of dollars of portal-to porta! pay today opened a campaign to revise the wages hour act and forestall! future suits by organized labor. Patiently admitting that little could lie done to avoid Industry's (Turn T<> Page 3. Column t> Partial Closing Os 6. E. Plant Forced Power Cable Blowup Cause Os Shutdown A partial closing down of plant one. Decatur Works of the General Electric, was caused today by a "blow-up" of an electric light and power cable from the municipal plant. E. W. Lankenait. plant manager, said today that temporary arrange merits made in plant one. serviced by the line from the city plant, would eliminate the necessity of completely closing down that build Ing. lister C. Pettibone, city light superintendent, said that the "blow-up" occurred in one of the large cables running from the city plant to the General Electric at Park and Closs streets in the George Myers yard. He said that repair parts had been ordered and that service on the line would probably be restored within a day or two. The General Electric company had previously announced plans of halting work at 7 p m. Tuesday to jwrffiit "swing shifty workers to spend Christmas Eve with their families and remain closed Christmas Day to accomodate day shift workers. —o New Sugar Stamp To Be Valid Joniicry 1 Washington, Dec. .23— (UP)— Stamp No. 53 in your ration book will be good for five pounds of sugar on Jan 1. The office of temporary controls announced today that the No. 53 stamp will be good from Jan. 1 to April 30. Another stamp is expected to become valid for purchasing five pounds of sugar before No. 53 expires. OTC said.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Monday, December 23,1946.

Workers Find Boss Is Ideal Santa ' ; A ilk jßi x I OB SW ' v- ’ / ■ • OWNER OF THE Scio. 0.. Pottery Co., D. P. Reese (center) proved to tm the ideal Santa Claus when he distributed some 3705.0(8) In cash to his employes an Christmas presents. Walter Hiller in shown receiving the first check, as his wife waits her turn. Employes working ten years for the company received 33,500 each. An added surprise was the announcement of a twenty percent increase in wages. Fourteen years ago, Reese and sevn others, all on relief, same to Scio penniless. In the depression years, Scio citizens backed the pottery plant in every way.

U. 5. Communists Oppose Training Campaign Against Military Training Washington. Dec. 23 — (UP) American communists have launchad a campaign against the administration's universal training pro- i gram based on the charge that United States military prepara tions since V-J day have scared the rest of the world half to death, j The communist story is that American army and navy brass is hell bent for battle right away, or anyway soon. The army and navy story Is that our national defense forces were pretty nearly wrecked by the hurry-up demobilization which began when the Japanese quit. Events and reports of civilians who have Inspected our military situation at home and abroad sup port the latter viewpoint, except for the very basic fact that the United States possesses the atomic bomb. There will be national discussion of President Truman's universal training program. In that discussion the communists will be unique on two counts. First theirs Is the only political party In the country which Is unanimous on the subject. Communists are unanimously against universal training. And, second, they are a gainst it because the communist I>arty line Includes the significant point that party liners should do their utmost to make the United States as weak as possible. As weak as before Pearl Harbor, for instance. Opposition to such training is. actually, a comparatively obscure part of the communist party line. The line Itself was set out point by point over the weekend In the Communist Sunday Worker, a newspaper published in New York City where the party has achieved its strongest political position and Is able to elect candidates to both municipal and national office. The Sunday Worker reported a party line of "immediate" action as laid down by Eugene Dennis, (Turn To Page 3. Column <) Additional Christmas Ads Will Appear In Tuesday's Democrat Christmas greetings from manufacturer, business firm and individual are extended to you In thia Issue of the Decatur Dally Democrat. You'll enjoy reading the cherry and sincere wishes for a Merry Christmas Additional greetings will be carried in Tuesday's paper, today’s tone being limited to two sections. To all ... A Merry, Merry Christmas.

NO PAPER WEDNESDAY In accordance with annual custom, the Decatur Daily Democrat will not publish an edition Wednesday. Christmas Day. 0 Direct Primary Is Opposed By 6.0. P. 'lmpartial' Survey By State Committee Indianapolis. Dec. 23 -- (UP) The Republican legislative policy committee or the 1947 general assembly today was to get its Hrst look at statistical data claiming Indiana's convention system was more desirable than a direct statewide primary. The policy committee resumed a series ot pre legislature meetings that began shortly alter the Nov. 5 elections. The data was In the form o! an “impartial” survey l>y the department of research of the Republican state committee. It was to be offered the policy makers along with a 12-polnt program for improving the present convention system "beyond crltl-. clam," The 2.000-word study was written by L. 8. Bowman, research statistician on the state committee's staff and newly appointed interim secretary. Bowman will serve during the 61 days secretary George Edick. Plainfield publisher, serves as Hendricks county rep resentalive In the bouse. Written to give the appearance it discussed both sides of the problem, the survey hit hard at the direct primary as a "failure and disappointment.” H. Clark Springer. Republican state chairman, in revealing the existence of the study, said the direct primary failed because "the people never were interested i'i j It." "It's not like the old days when | people took their politics seriously. Under the primary we can't get ' qualified candidates and we can't i even get voters out to the polls. As a result, he said, it was the obligation of the professional politician to "continue the operations (Turn To Page 3. Column 6) g Courthouse Offices Close Tuesday Noon As has been customary in recent years, ail offices in the county courthouse will close at noon Tuesday and remain closed until Thursday morning. In observance of the Christmas holiday. The commissioners met in special session this morning Io allow bills and conduct the balance of the year'a business. This af»eruoon_ they were to allow grocery and tobacco contracts for the county infirmary.

Labor Unions Seek More Than Half Billion From Industry In Portal Pay

Decafur To Observe Christmas Holiday Majority Os Stores Close For Two Days Decatur and community looked forward today to the annual com inemoratititi of Christmas just two days away blending a note of reverence In marking the birth of the Christ-child with anticipation of Individual Christ mas Eve and Christmas Day celebratlona to be highlighted by the giving and receiving of gifts Churches and church groups lend the religious theme to the holiday with a series of special Christmas services, sermons and parties «ome of which have already been held and others scheduled for Tuesday night and Wednesday. The usual flurry of last minute shopping was evident today, as merchants recalled the 5:3» pm. closing hour Tuesday evening. Store workers tills year will enjoy a two-day holiday, since most of the stores will remain closed all day Thursday Youngsters, already gripped In a fever pitch of excitement over the impending celebration, expect the (Umax either Christmas Eve or Christmas morning when Santa Claus makes his yearly visit to distribute toy*, candles, gifts, etc. Prospects of a "Wh'te Christmas" desired by many seemed dim today as rising temperatures threatened to erase the last ves tfges of a snowf.il! which blanketed the city last Week Tiie series of Christmas parties continued over the weekend, as-1 fording residents with that undefinable "Christmas spirit.” The an-! (Turn To Psire !. Column 4) - - - 1 Ch'” 1 " ~ ~ 1 " Taft Seeks To Head Committee On Labor ■i Top Priority For Labor Legislation Washington. Dec. 23 — (UP) — Sen. Robert A. Taft. R . 0.. announced today he will seek chairmanship «» the important senate lalmr committee when the Republican conference meets Dec. 30 to j determine commute assignments. Taft's announcement appeared to remove a stumbling block In I organizing the Republican-domin-ated senate committee structure

By seniority. Tafi was entitled either <o the chairmanship of the labor committee or the finance, committee in the Republican con trolled 8()th congress which con venes Jan. 3, Taft said he planned to con j tinue as a member of the finance committee and also as chairman of the Republican steering com mittee, which plots Republican strategy In the senate. The Oilloan has said lalmr leg (station will get top priority in the deliberations of the new con , gross and that it will proceed without waiting for a supreme , court declslofi on the govern-1 ment's contempt case against John L. Lewis and the United .Mine Workers (AFLI. Taft's decision to seek the labor committee chairmanship ap parently side-tracked hopes of some Republican members who wanted to see the jolt go to Sen. George I). Aiken, R., Vt. In the past, Aiken often has voted with Ilemocratic members against mea sures designed to restrict lalior union activity. Aiken. In effect bowing to the seniority policy In determining committee chairmanships, recent-' ly wrote Taft that he would not j oppose the Ohioan's bid for the [labor committee post. He promised Taft his support.

Supreme Court Agrees To Rule On Injunction Lewis, Mine Union Request Ruling On Goldsborough Order Washington. Dee. 23.—(1 Pl — The supreme court today agr<H»d to decide whether federal district judge T. Alan Goldslmrough had a legal right to Issue a preliminary Injunction againnt John L Lewis and the united mine workers I AIT.) during the recent coal strike. This Issue was added to th(«e the high court will consider in Its review of the contempt of court against l.ewis and the union. The tribunal will heir arguments in case Jan 14 Lewis and the t'MW Mked the court to include the Injunction In the issues for review in a petition filed earlier today. In other actions today the court: . Agreed to hear two rases in1 vollvng the collective bargaining rights of industrial plant guards under the Wagner act. The guards affected aie employes of the Otis Works division of the Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp., a' Cleveland and two plants of E C. Atkin* * Co. Indianapolis. Lower federal courts have refused to enforce a national lalwir relations Itoard order directing the companies to bargain with unions ..-presenting the guards 2. R. fused to review a suit . < hallenging validity of the Ten neMi-e poll tax. Repeal of the tax iby the Tennessee legislature has been held unconstitutional by the Tennessee supreme cour*. 3 Unanimously ordered new trials for two members of the Jei hovah's Witnesses sect who deI lilterataly violated orders of the idiaft latards in order to test valid Tty of their contention that they were entitled to deferment as min isters. laiwer courts had held the men could not lawfully raise the classification issue ao a defense in their trials for violating the selective service act. 4. Denied a hearing to three i crepe paper companies who appealed from a federal trade commission 1 order directing them to abandon as (Turii T<> Page i. Column 5) , | o

Says Bilbo Must Be Presumed Innocent Further Testimony Check Is Planned Washington,A Dec. 23. (UP)— Sen John L. McClellan, D, Ark . said today that Sen. Theodore G. Bilbo. I).. Miss, should Im* "presumed innocent" l»y the senate in event his right to a scat is challenged in the new congress. Asserting that Bilbo’s case merits 1 "impartial and judicial consideration.” McClellan «ald the Mississippi senator had a right to he considered Innocent until the charges .against him have been sustained I "by evidence conclusive of his ■ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt." McClellan wax an attentive spectator at hearings held by a senate war investigating eubcommittee Into charges that Bilbo accepted < ash and other gifts from .Mississippi war contractors whom he helped get government construction jobs. Meanwhile. Sen. Homer Ferguison. R . Mich , insisted on checking further Into testimony at the hearings that a grateful Mississippi dope addict gave bis life savings (Turn T> Page 2 Column 2)

Price Four Cents

Momentous Ruling By Supreme Court Potent Economic Weapon To Unions By I’nited Press Ijibor unions across the nation, armed with a indent economic weapon In the form of a momentous supreme court decision, sought almost 1534.0041.009 from employers today in suits* filed to collect portal-to-porlai pay. Union attorneys estimated that the amount sought eventually would read) 38.000,000,04 NV. Nome of the nation's biggest corporations already had been named defendants In suits filed In federal courts. The total was swollen today by suits totalling 82'».660.(MW filed by the CIO United Automobile Workers ani the CIO I'nited Steel Workers at Detroit. The automobile workers sought 3I8.OO0.O0& from Briggs Manufacturing Co., and 32.904r.000 from General Motors' Chevrolet division plant at Flint. Mich In addition, union spokesman said they would file suit this week for 3270,04)0,000 on behalf of Ford Motor Co. workers seeking retroactive portal pay. Similar suits were being prepared against Chrysler and General Motors. As New York, an independent, union of Western Electric employes announced it would file suit this week for 315.000,(8)0 in portal pay for the firm's 18,835 workers. Two more portal pay suits were filed today at Cleveland, bringing io 3222.500.0(8) the amount sought by workers from Cleveland area employers. One of the suits was filed by the CIO Oil Workers union, which asked 322.500.000 from Standard Oil Co. of Ohio The other was filed by the CIO Automobile Workers. asking 32.000.000 from Cleveland Graphite Bronze Co. Portal pay compensates workers for time spent gathering their tools, changing to work clothes, punching time clocks and getting to and from their place of work Inside the plant gates In a test i ase last Juno involving the Mount Clemons (.Mich.) Pottery Co., the supreme court ruled that such time i* pa/t of the normal work week. The court held that workers who win lawsuits for portal pay are entitled to "triple time" and compensation for legal fees

The decision ha* remitted In a recent wav* of portal pay suits against some of the nation's big-ge-o industrial corporation*. Suita filed rime Nov. 20 totaled lifts.p< 0.000 i M t In the Cleveland area alone. Federal Judge Frank A. Picard, who made the original decision In favor of the pottery worker*. »ald last night that the original suit did not involve portal-topoital pay at all. He aahl the union sought back overtime pay for worker who were ordered to *tart work 14 minute* <Turn T<> Page 3, Column it WEATHER Cloudy and w.ndy this afternoon, clearing tonignt. Tuesday fair and somewhat colder. Buys Health Bond The Women of Moose have voted purchase of a 15.00 Health C-l. bon,t ot vnrttraMK >eois the Christmas ■ aeal campaign in Adam* county announced today. All proceed* from the annual Christmas weal sales are used in the fight o n tuberculosis [ ... Tear FistscNM and t 0 PiwM* Igsiatt Trttrtrfuii fT * * ellhlcs and oihewise carry on the fight against ths "white plague.” The sale la conducted hy >he Adams county tuberculosis association.