Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 45, Number 143, Decatur, Adams County, 18 June 1947 — Page 1

i ,j tv. No. 143.

House Votes Breeze Os Mrify Tax | Bident Truman I ®ct Friday On I Control Bill I June IS.—(VP) • .„t.-d unanimously to ||g* Jftr,,./, the social security for employe* nnd em a i one percent each E8 949 ' litfy ' M ''’‘i l *'' "•<> 1,1 j Tinman to sign the I nder present law the up to oe« gEIK, | and to three penent - -he house the to for |B|Vr<'/* 11 wou, ‘ l K " 10 iH^K lir and af " ,r ■M . nrretHlonal develop BB' T! " w,liN ‘ I, o't«e said ■Ht Tt iman will veto or sign E- B'l ■ • ’I- V' labor control bill Emb' l " ’" >n ‘ l a <o explaining his action, expected to be a veto. Ho'zhv snl ' l Mr Truman Us, fßvi’o' more communicationME, iwßot.-.r bill than on any other , he President majority" of 700.00(1 aHon« received thus far KjK Veto, the White House MChial di-mppointed over house override the tax they had the votes to EK a labor hill veto. Infor indicated they were ■IK , Otilrol The senate passsent to the White House K »■ authorizing expenditure o' for emergency flood work in the middle w?st ■ The Rev Edmund A SuH vice president of George r,iiy an ' l n president's committee Mb training, said he he already knows how K«B<- 'he atomic bomb and will K|£»dii< ing it in "three or four He urged quick congresapproval of the proposed training program. ■lt Safety Chairman Hugh of the senate public lands said he would urge KIM action on a bill to extend KKderal mine safety code for after its scheduled expira S*Kun>- 30 Pending enactment Mmanent legislation. B|MtW 'ation TWo New York Ksßofticials told a senate comthat New York's fair em practice law has worked for “preservation of the BH order." They aald enactBnh of a similar federal law deprive communists o* one KKtlr favorite "Helds of opera President Walter Reuther KK Auto Workers (CIO) approval of a federal anti law as a sign to that the United States K* * ,laf it preaches about T,ir *‘ < * senators told radio KBtry spokesman they were "in in dreams" if they thought ®B**« couldn't legislate con wha( * ,IM i»to radio pro MMr The industry position was I' legislation would violate ■Bltutlonal guarantees of free iH> ri 'S'li'i | l Truman vetoes the ■B Ml- chairman Fred A Hart BM Jr 1 ,h,> h °u»" ,ah " r r ° m " ai ’i he would "suffer a reMB*hnt' setback” when the house «■ on a motion to override. M I ' — Igcomorive Boiler A>l°des, Two Die gßw'-oe. la. June B —(UP)-WS'-ad officials sought today to the cause of a explosion ripped the boiler of a freight killing two trainmen ami B lll ' injuring a third. ■B* ,orce °f the explosion reraV* 1 the heavy Northwestern locoIB*’'* ""•t here yesterday and gP* ,h * bodies of the engineer. BB 1 *' 1 »nd brakeman 2(H) feet the locomotive. The dead Harry Elkins, 50. enginee*. W Warren Hmitts. fireman. Han 26. was hospitalized with ■B* 11 Injuries. All are from » city. la. Ml _ WEATHER Partly cloudy tonight and ■ fhurtday with scattered showMC* and thundershowers south r *'«n tonight and In exlaMuth portions Thursday

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Cily Commission On Planning Explained Meeting Held Here With City Council Another stop toward the forma Hon of a city planning commission In Decatur was taken last night at the regular meeting of the city council. Although no definite action was officially recorded by the city, groundwork and preliminary steps Were thoroughly explained t<> the city council, members of the Chamber of Commerce and a large grout, of Interested citizens, Including several local builders and con tractors. H. H Morgan, assistant director of the Indiana economic council, and Henry B Steeg, city planning commission engineer, from In dianapolls. spoke to the group and led a round table discussion con renting the commission and Its merits. Under state law. Decatur would have a seven-member commission by virtue of its population, they said. Three of these members would be named from the city administration probably the mayor as president of the hoard of public works and safety, the city engineer and one of the councilmen The other four would be citizens, appointed by the mayor The commission would act as an advisory board to the council, they said, in cooperation with the administration, local service clubs and the citizenry. Most important function of the commission would be the drafting of a zoning ordinance, which need be adopted by the council. This ordinance would restrict various sectors to one-family homes, two family homes, apartment houses, business districts, light and heavy industrial sections, respectively. Nonconforming units now located in any of the districts could not he forced out of the area, but conld not enlarge or remodel. In event they were replaced for as mtich as one day by conforming unit, they could not return to that location or to any in the restricted area. Under the ordinance, any new building would require a permit. An appeal could be made by the applicant if denied this permit. The appeal would be made to a board of zoning appeals, aho to be named under the zoning ordinance. Before the zoning ordinance could be adopted, a full survey of the entire city would have to be made to determine existent uses of land and from this information the various sectors could he designated. Citizen members of the board would be named in staggered fouryear terms, thus eliminating the possibility of its becoming affected by anv change in adminlstra(Turn To Pag-- J. Column 6) 0 — Nation Dealh Rale On Highways lower Truman Warns Toll Is Still Disaster Washington. June IS (UP) President Truman said today that the dead) rate on the nations highways is "definitely downward" but warned that the job of accident reduction “is by no means done." Opening his second annua! highway safety conference, the chief executive reported that the .15().()0o.(HH>.0<H» vehicle miles traveled in »«t an, w And despite the fact that this wm four percent above the 1941 total, he said, the death rate was lower. In 1941. iwr*®"* died in automobile accidents; in 1946 the number was 32.50(1. the president said. "Beginning in May. 1946, the highway fatality rate showed a sharp and gratifying decline. Mr Truman said. "l-a»t year, the rate was 9.* deaths per 100000 000 vehicle miles, compared with 12 in 1941. Ho far this year the trend has continued definite |y downward." "We have won a major victory iu the campaign against carelessnees.” he said. against the biack record of 194 . this means that at hast 4.5 W Ilves were saved last year. Mr. Truman ascribed the record to the concerted effort of motorists, pedestrians, governntent agencies and P»Mlcsplrtted Citizens. But he warned the accl(Tern Ta Paas *. Column t>

First Indies And Gentlemen At Princeton B Mv' * tMI ? Jwfc ■■ V 11 Bp* 1 X ■■ l \ . u K. GROUPED on the lawn at Princeton University during the Ici-centennial convocation are three 'first ladies" of the nation, a former chief executive an I the President. Mrs. Harry S Truman is at the left; .Mrs. Thomas Preston, the former Mrs. Grover Cleveland is at the President's right and Mrs. Woodrow Wilson is at the right, next to former President Herbert Hoover.

Father Slays Two Children In Miami Feared Children To Be Taken From Him Miami, Fla., June B (UP) An aging rather who (eared his two children would In* taken away from him killed them today and then slnd u couple he accused of interfering with his wife. Chris Russell, 59, confessed his deed with sobs to detectives within a few minutes after the mad fury of shooting in his home on the northern outskirts of Miami. The dead were Peggy Russell, 11. and John Russell, six. Wounded and in a hospital were Mr. and Mrs Walter F. Wolf. First reports said John and Peggy were battered to death with a baseball bat. but later word was that they had been shot. Police said the Wolfs were complaining witnesses against Russell in a juvenile .court case, and that they sought to have his children taken from him and sent to a home. It was believed that they had gone to the Russell home early this morning in a final effort to reach agreement with him. The case was scheduled for a hearing today. Two detectives, George Campbell and M II Wiggins, said they heard a radio call to another car at about 8:30 am. (EST) advising of a distrubance at the Russell home. They drove there immediately. and found Russell attempting to shoot himself, they reported. lint all six shots had been fired from his ,28-caliber pistol. "They are always bothering me and trying to take my children away," they quoted him as saying of the Wolfs. The grey haired, nervous father seemed almost unaware that he had also killed his children, officers said. 0 No Objections To Tax Assessments Today Initial Day To Hear Objectors today no objectors to assessments had appeared before the Adams county board of review on the first day for hearing objections. This morning had been set asidq by the board for hearing objectors from the six northern town ships of Adams county. No one ap peared. This afternoon the board was to hear objectors, if any. from the six southern townships. Thursday morning they will hear residents from the towns of Monroe. Herne and Geneva All day Friday will be devoted to hearing residents of the city of Decatur. Residents are asked to appear only at the time set aside for their respective taxing units. Meanwhile, members of the board were continuing their work of reviewing assessment records, etc., in bringing their annual sex sion to a close later thia mouth.

OHLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, June 18, 1947

Renovated LaSalle Hotel Still Unsafe I— — Chicago. June 18 —(UP)— The fire department said today that Hie renovated 1-aHulle hotel, where 61 persons died in a fire a year ago. still is unsafe. Fire commissioner Michael J. Corrigan said the hotel, which plans to reopen about July I, will not l>e peimitted to do so unless fire hazards have been removed. Cbrrigan said u recent inapecHon of Hie hotel disclosed 48 violations of safety regulations. 0 Ask Extension Os Mine Safely Code AFL Joins Krug In Congress Request Washington. June 18. (UP) The United Mine Workers (AFL) joined secretary of interior J. A. Krug today in asking congress to extend the federal mine safety code until June 30, 1948. Harrison Combs, CMW attorney, told the senate public lands committee the safety code should be continued to save "untold Ilves." Krug made a similar request yesterday in a letter to senate president Arthur IL Vandenberg. R. Mich. The present safety code was drafted under the government con tract negotiated with the UMW after the mines were seized last year. Unless congress acts. It will expire when the mines revert to private operation June 30, Normally, the federal government has no power to enforce the recommendations of its safety inspectors ' Combs recommended that congress adopt a joint resolution giving the safety code the force of law and authorizing the bureau of mines to enforce it. "We think thia would result in the saving of untold Ilves and prevention of thousands of Injuries during the interval of time that will exist before congress can enact permanent legislation dealing with mine safety.” he aald. Combs said the UMW did not think the federal code provided proper standards, but It should lie the minimum protection given coal miners until congress could (Turn To Pags * Column S) — — O' 1 " '*— “” —-*-■*— Two Accidents Are Reported By Police Two accident* were reported today by police chief Ed Miller. The one occurred about 8:15 o'clock last night when a pickup truck, driven by Kenneth Schnepp. 26. of Decatur, route six. backed Into a lamp post at Madison and Sixth streets. The truck wax not damaged The driver reported the accident to officers James Borders and Robert Hili. The other crash occur!ed earlier yesterday when a car driven by Claude Foreman. 18. 437 Line street, etruck an auto driven by J. Carl William*. 55. of route one Decatur, as Foieman was round ing the bend on North Second street, enroute to downtown Decatur. Damage was estimated at itu by chief Miller, who investigated. _ _ _ _.JU,

Chicago Infant 1$ Strangled In Crib Mother Tells Police Intruder Slew Baby Chicago. June 18.—(UP)—A 24yearold mother told police that tin intruder strangled her baity non in her home early today, and a few hours later police began giving her a lie detector test. Mrs Betty Barrows, a tall brunette, said that her baby wan ntrangled In his crib a* she slept a few feet away. Police said they found no motive for the slaying. The victim of the strange murder was Gerald Drazln. Mrs. Barrows' son by her first marriage Gerald would have been three yearn old next month Thin is the story Mrs. Barrows told police: She said she was asleep in her bedroom when she was awakened by a noise at 12: Iff a tn. CST. As she rose, a dark form loomed above her and a hand was crushed against her mouth The other tore at her pajamas, ripping two huttons from the jacket. Mrs Barrows said she struggled and the man ran from the room. He escaped by the hack door of the apartment, where she lives with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Roy Bla< k Dazed hy the attack. Mrs. Barrows stepped to Gerald’s crib. Red marks, apparently made by a strong hand grasp, were on the baby's throat. His head was l>ruised. When she failed to hear a heartbeat. Mrs. Barrows screamed Neighbor* summoned police and firemen who worked with an in(Turn Tn P*«<- 7. Column 5) 0 Invite Russia Join In Aid For Europe France And Britain Back Marshall Plan Paris, June 18 —(UP)— Foreign minister Georges Bidamt announced today that France and Great Britain would Invite Russia jointly to come in on a plan aimed at providing a working basis for secretary of state George Marshall s pro jxaial to aid Europe. Bldault told the French cabinet he had readied ,»n agreement with foreign secretary Ernest Bevln on the creation of a special European economic commission The French and Brlilsh foreign ministers weie sending a note to Russia today asking her to join In the commission’s work. Bldault told the cabinet. The Moscow radio yesterday attacked the Marshall plan for aid Ing Europe as an extension of the Truman doctrine The commission on which Bidault and Bevin agreed during the Briton's current visit here would have four technical committees working within Hie framework of the United Nations economic commission They would study slid coordinate the coal, steel, transport and farming needs throughout Europe-

lowa, Missouri Rivers On New Rampages; New Flood Warnings Given

Decatur Man Badly Hurt Last Evening Howard Shockey In Serious Condition Howard Shockey. 76. Decatur barber, remained in a serious condition at the Adams county me mortal hospital today, after he was struck by an auto at Hecond and, Monroe streets shortly after 7j o'clock last night. The attending physician said today that his condition showed a slight Improvement although it was critical throughout last night. He suffered a fractured left leg, a severe scalp laceration and shot k, the physician stated It is not believed that he suffered a skull fracture or brain concussion, although he is suffering greatly from shock, the dis tor stated Driver Arrested Officers Janies Borders and Adrian Coffee, who Investigated the crash and assisted in removing the Injured man to the hospital, arrested the driver of the car. Roberto Mendez. 23. of Decatur They charged him with falling to yield the right of way to a pedestrian He was to be arraign ed late this afternoon btrfore Mayor John B Stulls in city court to answer to the charge The victim was taken to the hospital In the Glllig A Doan ambulance. The Investigating officers said their probe disclosed the victim was crossing Monroe street on the west side of Second street, enroute south He was strut k by the Mendez auto, as the driver was attempting to make a left turn onto Monroe street after proceed ing north on Hecond to the inter section. The Injured man was "walking with the traffic light." the officers said The police officers administered first aid and kept the injured ma.i protected from the rain, as he lay on the pavement awaiting arrival of the ambulance. 0 Loading Zone Areas Approved For City Zones Approved By State Commission The state highway commission has approved the setting up of "loading zone" areas along the curbs In downtown Decatur, it was learned last night The city council, at it regular meeting in the city hall, received a resolution from the state commission approving the zones The commission is also to paint markings and erect signs, desig nating the zones They were first! established some months ago under the orders of Mayor John II I Stults and the city board of public works and safety and are designed to afford "short-time sho> pers” an opportunity to pari, briefly in the downtown area They are restricted to passenger cars and light delivery vehicles The street and sewer committee of the council, with engineer Ralph E Roop, last night recommended the opening of the alley from Twelfth to Tnlrteenth street, between Mellrers street and Dayton avenue, as had been petitioned for previously The same committee referred back to the signers a petition for a sidewalk on the west side of Twelfth street from Dayton street to Meibers The committee asked that the petition be revised to indud sidewalks for both sides of the street, declaring that such (Turn T<> Pas V, ColMfh t> Decatur Lions Club Hears Noah Steury Noah Steury. local industrialist, was the spaker Tuesday evening at the weekly meeting of the Decatur l.ions club. Mr Steury showed three movie films of his recent trip to Europe and described the various axeties Dr. H. V DeVor was in charge of the p:ogram.

labor Dept. Says Nation's Outlook Rosy Average Earnings At All-Time High, Department States Washington. June IS -—(UP) Average weekly earnings have reached an all time high, 'he la bor department reported today in an optimistic summary of the nation's ecoontnic out hack Housing construction has reached a postwar high. Ewan Clague. director of the bureau of labor statistics, said that there is "nothing In the current economic picture to Indi cate any general downtrend or recession." He added, however, that he doesn't know what will happen between now and December. Clague* reported that #9.000 new housing units were started In May. higher than anticipated and above any previous postwar mark Hr said that average weekly earnings in manufacturing touched an all time peak of Its #6 In May. on the basis of preliminary reports to his bureau He said that the building bcacm to meet America's housing needs and the full effects of the 15 cents-an hour wage Increases in industry "are still in the future Clague drsc-rilcrd the country - economic position as being on a high level a plateau with plenty of strength ' H* said that there- were* still some "soft spots In the- employment picture*, how He said the sustalne*l demand, for labor kept employment it record levels in May A* the same time* unemployment fell to less than ’.tMHi.ooo. equalling the low of lust fall He said that construction rm ployment was the biggest dlsap pointment — when compared with expectations Although building has flatten rd out much sooner than expect rd 1947 will still be one of the* lerst construction years In our (Turn Tn l*ar- 7 Column *» _____ O' Decatur Man's Uncle Dies In Winchester Dr F <*d Pntteiwon received a telephone message this morning telling him of the* death of an uncle. W I* t’hrnney. 7*. who died last evening at his home in Win Chester Mrs Chenney was a sister of Mrs J (’ Patterson — 9Little Acquitted By Court Martial Free Naval Officer Os Atrocity Charge Decatur. 111. June 1«—(UP» — Mrs Addie IJttlr said today that she "knew all along” that her son "wasn't guilty” of charges of mistreating American military per sonnel at a Japanese prison camp Mrs Little was listening to her radio last night when she heard a news bulletin announcing that a naval general court martial had acquitted her son. Lt Cmdr. Ed ward N. Little. "Thank God. it's all over." Mrs Little said Her son had sought to keep from her the knowledge that he had been court martlaled She knew he was In Washington, but learned of the trial only when the story leaked out to Washington newsmen several weeks after the hearing liegan The trial was held secretly at Little's own request Little. 39. was born in Docatur and was graduated from Decatur high school He was appointed to the U S Naval Academy In 192# after service as an enlisted man. Acquittal came on the 99th day Tara Ta Page >, Cvluuin 1)

Price Four Cent*

' I ’ lowa River Breaks j Two Levees, Town j Os 450 Evacuated; Damage Mounting '* By United Press The towa and Missouri rivers —- tributaries to the swollen I Mississippi went on new rampages today Th. 7ow.i. swollen la youd the normal size of (he Mississippi, broke its levees ill Iwo places near the tinv town of Oakville, la Wafer poured through one of the breaks Into fwrmlamls south ami west of Oaktglle The other break flooded 2.0 M acres of the Untisa county game re rerve Oakville Ita.-K was not flooded, but the river pounded a weaken e<| dike on the .-astern edge of town Only one highway still was open Into Oakville and this was being used to evacuate the town's 45« residents. The new food added to lowa's millions of dollars of crop damage .Most of the lioftomland in southern lowa already has been written off as T total loss. A new flood warning went out for the section of the Missouri river between Omaha and Its mouth The warning said last night's heavy rains caused "flash" rises in all tributaries In lowa, northern Missouri, southeast Nebraska and northeast Kansas The Des Moines river crest broke levees and flattened out over H.imhi acres of Missouri farmland Hut the breaks staved off for a' least 24 hours the threat of a major fhasl along the Mississippi south of its (onfluerne with the Dew Moinr The Des Moines river crest poured through a broken levee across the river from Keokuk, la. and flattened out over acreage already inundated l.y the last fltssl Revising their estim ales, army engineers said th» threat to the Mississippi river towns would not < otne until Friday or Saturday Eighteen Inches of waler pourid across the approaches to the Mississippi river bridge at Keokuk. and It was close I to motor ists seeking to cross over to the Illinois side The number of homeless which rea< he<| 2(1.000 In lowa. Missouri. Illinois and Nebraska last week I efore dropping off. was again building up tapldly as fheals ► wept lowa Some x."»0oo to 90.000 cubic feet of water per second rushed down the lowa river past Wapello. la and poured into the Mississippi The water represented 'he combined torrents of the Cedar river an-l lowa rivers whit h converge above Wapello On an average Hie Mississippi river Itself only carries 55 titai to #O,OOO cubic feet of water tier se< ond past Its confluence with the lowa river The crests of the lowa and Cedar rivers were expected to converge "in perfect synchrtinl* ration" tonight army engineer** aald Waverly, la (pop 5.000) was half covered with water by *i flash flood on the Cedar river. Water a* much as four feet d.*e|i crashed through the d.air of n store operated by Mrs Glenn Winchell A' > 'anion. Mo where there Is i-.o levee the rising waters of the Mississippi spil ed o.r the lianks Adding to flood waters of last week the new flood Inundated half th*- lowt City off! dais feared sandbag barricade* which prot«*cfed the power plant during the last flood might not ' hold this time when the Mis slssippl < rests at Canton latsr (Turn To Pn»* 7 Column 7) — O — Eyesight Tests For Motorists Urged Warsaw. June B —(UP)— Per- | iodic eyaeight tests for all motor vehicle driver* were U'ged today ' by the Indiana optometric aasocla- ' Hon as a precautionary measure. In a resolution passed at the aocirty's convention at latke Wawa*ee Current Indiana law requires a 1 visual teat only for beginning driver* and makes no provision for old er operators whose eyesight may have become poorer, the resolution stated. LiJKB