Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 45, Number 148, Decatur, Adams County, 24 June 1947 — Page 1

Kj(LV. No. 148.

MINERS WALK OUT IN LABOR BILL PROTEST " .

■argest Flood ■rest Moving Sown Missouri ■ hms All Hope Os ■ Crops This Year In I Inundated Areas ■■sajls .— — — By United Press fourth. ami mowt 'Hsas foinl < rest in a mont h rnovdown th* snaky ■'W , o f th<- Missouri river toTB, ruining all hope of a 1947 U, ju tb( , inundated areas. lE, new flood was expected to almost 300.000 fertile lit, This would give the na total loss to floods this of 3.XiHi.ooO acres with an monetary 'loss of al ]|iE. |»iSi.o<Hi.niio in crops, equip S|Kr and personal possessions JjgOfte estimate of losses does not into account the amount of ' E-. ripped away ruining the MIL forever. The floods have fl^L n L'u.tmo persons from their |E,,. in 'he past four weeks ftWV new swell of high water ripected to reach St. Joseph. gK. to lay shoving the U. S ||Hp.>‘>-r> surface markers to a Kfh! of 21 5 feet. Flood stage f. Ki It juggernauted downriver, i Kt flood ruined some of the finJfflE corn and wheat farmland in ■Mama« breadbasket. About KH| miles of bottomland was ex RM'tfd to be overrun in the secwhere Missouri. Kassas and ■Mtaika adjoin each other ? BTU weather was clear and !*nt« hoped it would hold |Mm enough to permit the rivetiMdiwharge the overload of üßpt it received from torrential Ma last week. I Bfcrn..i> predicted the river ■Baid go over the top of the, |M* protecting the St. Joseph airport. They said the IBfe probably would collapse IB*' the strain, permitting mil |Bu of gallons of water to over the field. at Parkville, Mo., ask jS the army to provide 1.0(H) ags to build up a levee pro gßr-ing truck garden patches iHit Boonville. Mo., engineers |Bi city officials were attempt |Bt to keep the municipal water gßrt» intake pit from collapsing ‘■t'lfineera said that if the walls collapsed the in would be buried, shutting off town's tyater supply. gBtW crest was moving through IK valley like a long low wave Up rlver wa * falling above and ■*>» the rise, ■*’ Nebraska City. Neb.. 70 above St. Joseph, the stir B® level fell two tenths of a M And at Kansas City. 45 (y 1 downstream, the river •Bwped slowly to 19.2 feet front K fr “" " f 19.4 fe«t hit by the i;U* ,l(| us flood which was still |y lllt ,!own river In advance of >ew rise. Alexander, regional riv !? WWfineer for the Kansas City H** 1 * 11 ' 1 ' bureau, said the new »ould "beat anything we've To Page «, Column 2) M . o Won Post Favors Change post 43. American Legion, Bf, * on <‘ on record In favoring a Fbion of the national member 9 u, l*tl«itlons to permit vetJr 11 * »ntering service after V-J ■’ •’ enroll. KJ “der present regulations of the s phonal Legion, a serviceman or i F* 8 must have begun active LJ £ ’ lth son,e branch of the armed fefcT* on °r before September 2. *° belong to the Legion The < |Kwt fevortt extending the ■*•? ,he eDd ot lh« draft. B‘*“ 1 " r « of the movement point i •hat many young men have ■ t fC** long periods In the armed gT* **°th at home and overseas L** Day. Delegates of the i Post have been instructed to i jjgT !or thia revision at district 1 H* ««e meetings. — 0 i WEATHER ■ ~C i* , r,* S fenlEht. Generally 1 I ’j.' r Wa dneaday. Little change I ’ ‘•mperature.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

To Attend Hearing On Removing Trains C. C. Secretary To Winchester Friday Decatur will be represented at the hearing June 27 at Winchester of the public service commission of Indiana on the petition of the Pennsylvania railroad to abandon its north and south dally local passenger trains between Richmond and Fort Wayne, it was learned today. R. W. Prudeii. secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, will attend the hearing and also several local shippers who use the two trains will protest the request to abandon the service. A ruling has been made that only users of the railroad will lie permitted to testify at the hearing, but many other Interested persons along the line are expected to attend the hearing as a remonstrance. Mr. Prttden stated that anyone interested in attending the Friday session should contact his office and he would arrange transportation to and from Winchester. A similar move is being made by the railroad to abandon Its local service from Fort Wayne to Grand Rapids. Mich, and many protests are arising all along the line from those people who use the trains for passenger, mall and express service. If the trains are abandoned, there will be no Pennsylvania passenger trains that will stop in Decatur. It was stated recently by an employe of the roalroad. who was here in an effort to convince local patrons that their service wonld not be harmed by abandonment of the trains, that the special summer vacation train to the Straits would he in service again this summer. These trains do not stop in Decatur. 0 July Corn Futures Set All-Time High Chicago. June 24 —(UP) — The price of corn for delivery in July soared above the 52 per bushel ! mark today to set an all-time high on the Chicago board of trade The new high was 12.01%. It wa«t the second time in two weeks that the record of 11.99'. set in 1919 had been broken. 0 Henry Hackman, Jr. Dies In lowa Home Word has been received here of the death .Monday of Henry Hack inann. Jr., at his home In New Hampton, la. He was ? brother of Clem Hackman. Decatur real dent who died lad month. Funeral services and burial will be held Thursday If? New Hampton. 0 Local Man Slightly Injured In Accident Auto Overturns Near Decatur Last Night A Decatur man escaped with minor injuries last night when his car went into the ditch and turned turtle on federal road 27. four miles north of this city. Richard Spencer. 28. of North Seventh street, was the driver of the car. He told sheriff Herman Bowman, who Investigated, that the crash occurred about 11-50 p.m. an he was driving north. When his car slipped off onto the berm he attempted to pull I t bac k onto the pavement and the vehicle rolled over after going in“> •*• ditch. He suffered only a minor head Injury and did not require >’■» of .Monmouth, after climbing from the wreckage, to call a *re< e and notify authorities Sheriff Bo _ man estimated damage to the auto of at least 5350. One la Arrested Police chief Ed Miller reported one arrest as the only “ night recorded on the city police b * William Shain. 47. of Toledo, G, . member of a railroad track ganr was arrested at First and Monroe streets by officer* R< “^ rt Adrian Coffee about 9.15 or lock Fags 7. Co,umn ”

GM President Hails Passage Os Labor Bill I 'lmportant Step' To Prosperity Is Wilson Viewpoint i Washington. June 24 — il’P)— Ono of the country's top Indus- ' trialists told congress today that I it put the nation an "important I step" on the road to prosperity I by enacting the Taft-Hartley labor bill. i C. K. Wilson, president of Gen- » oral .Motors Corp., told the Joint • congressional economic -commit ■ tee at its first hearing that to - achieve prosperity the country ; must be protected from "organic ed unemployment.” "monopolistic > strikes that paralyze whole vital ’ industries." > And the Taft-Hartley bill's en- - actment over President Truman's veto, Wilson said, was "an im - portant step in this direction." I Other congressional developI meats: i Appropriation—The house passi ed and sent to the White House i a 572.236.257 money bill to keep i several government agencies functioning for the remainder of , the fiscal year ending June 30. i The largest Items were 128.400. i oon for the veterans administrar tion and 512.000,000 for emerg- . ency flood control. Wool Sen. Joseph C. O'Ma . honey. D.. Wyo.. said that preal- . dentlal veto of the wool price, > support bill would mean aband- , onment of U. S. woo) growers tw > "the British state monopoly.” i O’Mahoney said the bill is need ed to enable American producers to compete with the British monopoly. Refugees — The house Republican steering committee agreed informally to permit house de- , tote on a bill to authorize U. S. ■ participation In the United NaI tlons' international refugee orgi anlzation. Radio—Rolf Kaltenltorn. son of t radio commentator H. V. Kalteni born, told a senate committee i that congress must assure fair division of broadcast time in the airing of political and publk* iTurn To Page 3. Column 3) o — 7,000 Hoosier Coal Miners On Walkout Join Protest Over Taft-Hartley Bill Terre Haute, Ind.. June 24.— An estimated 7.000 Hoosier miners were on ktrike in 17 Indiana coal mines today In protest to the passage of the Taft-Hartley labor bill. Lt. Ctndr. C. E. Poe of the government coal mines administration office said 11 shafts and six strip mines were idle In Indiana. The figures were based on a mine-by-mine check made by Poe's office. The Black Hawk. Victory. Snow Hill. Dresser, and Saxton shaft mines were idle In the Terre Haute area, the Glendora at Sullivan. Kings Station at Princeton, and Ingle mine at Elberfeld. Work stoppages In strip mines were reported at the Friar Tuck and Robin Hood mines near Linton. employing 275 men with an average daily production of 3.500 tons and at the Blackfoot and Airshire units near Bicknell. Two-hundred miners failed to report for work at the New Hope mine near Linton. 225 were Idle at the Regent mine at Dugger and 250 at the Little Betty, also at Dugger. Production at the three mines totals approximately 7.700 tons daily. Knox Consolidated mines Nos. 1 and 2 were reported at a standstill at Bicknell and Knox Consolidated No. 5 near Bruceville was idle. The three shafts employ more than 1.000 men. Only two strip mines were found idle In the preliminary survey. They were the Friar Tuck and Robin Hood mines near Linton, employing 275 men with an average daily production of 3,500 tona.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, June 24, 1947

See Labor Bill Signed Rep. Fred A. Hartley, Jr.. (R.. N. J.) and Sen. Robert A. Taft (R.. Ohi<A sponsors of the nation's first over-all lalmi control legislation. after hearing the senate override a presidential veto, watch senate secretary Carl A. Ixioffler, (seated) as he signed the new Taft-Hartley bill Into law. » - - - ■ ——-—-— SI. louis Trans# Strike Continues Ter enau.e lnd junn24 HP) — Forty • two taxi drivers of the Black and White Cab Co. were exMa CASSlnrriaMO In pected to return to their jobs today iNO jCirienieni in following settlement of their four View On Walkout day wage dispute yesterday. r said they signed a new contract St. Louis. June 24.—(UP)— with the firm guaranteeing them 50 Striking AFL transit workers held percent liack pay. retroactive to two mass meetings today but union Mgrch 1. The company also agreed 1 officials said they expected no to new commission ratings from new proposals aimed at ending 33's to ,40 percent, he said. I their 12-day walkout to come from 0— The meetings were called, union Uanrlard Oil Tft leaders said, to inform the mem- JlClllualU Uli lU ’ bership of the progress of negotia- # ‘ tions with the Public Service Co DnliAn liarA|||lA Mayor Aloys P. Kaufmann said the KOIIUII UaiUllllU r peace talks had gotten nowhere. A plan for resumption of sent- . nt C ' ice. offered by the mayor and KOllOning U‘ rUc! [ federal labor conciliators. was s ummer Months turned down last night by both sides. The union said it was only a rehash of previous proposals. Chicago. June 24 —(I’PI— The company said it objected to standard Oil of Indiana announced the plan because of Its provision hM | a> that it will ration gasoline for the Immediate payment of re to | tH customers during the three troactive wage Increases of 14« H summer months in amount* apcents an hour awarded by a rump proximately equal to what they used panel. last year. When last night's talks broke Standard said that gasoline sales up at midnight with the rejection recently have inc:eased In the by both sides, mayor Kaufmann neighborhood of 15 percent as said "I am discouraged, tired and against a year ago and agents and worn out.” dealer* "will in turn have to limit Conciliators A. E. Johnson and deliveries to their customers. "Hew the dealers will divide the (Turn T« Page 2. Column X) supply v)< gasoline available to them is a matter for the dealers to a | Ift I determine, inasmuch as they are r Some LOCa Dea CFS independent business men. said JVIIIV LVVUI vvuivia ann „ uncel|iellt The company .a * said It was acting "in the Interest > Take Gasoline Lut ° f fair • rw “ ment ° f an “■ cu,t ° mThe company said the plan was nJ J LI adopted because It "could not meet Quota Reduced Mere Uli demands even after using all Ca. Commar Mnnfhc available pipe line capacity and run r For Summer Monrns njnK lu r< . flneilell aI full .. a „ 8 . • city for many months." It said it » At leaat some of the city# gano- Ul qnl’ other available trans- • line dealers have been affected port „ to thp hmlt .. (o I)rlng in pro . ,by the growing gasoline shortage, ( | U( . ta froin o tp er areas. a continued checkup revealed to- Allocation will tie applied dur- • day. ing June, July, and August. t One Standard Oil dealer report- standard said that its anticipated • ed that his station had been ope- ga soline output for these three i rating under the 80 percent of last months W as alwut 13 percent above I year's average quota for the past jj| at 0 ( a y( . ar ag() and other pro- • few days. jects are under way. He said. also, that he had been q-he company announcement said. ► notified the reduced quota plan however, that production of large s would he in effect during the amounts of heatrtk oi| during the I months of June. July and August spring and winter cut Into gasoline i and that he expected to sell one- production: and this plus unext half of his three month quota yet pectedly heavy demand from farm « this month. trade and others had reduced the ) Thus, he said, he expected to be refinery and terminal Hocks to a without gasoline for sale during level 30 percent below a year ago ‘he latter part of the three month The alternative to allocation was to ' -j-u continue sales without restrictions - The same dealer said that all until tanks were dry. the company : xsT. * z . I thdir (iiiotaii reduced witnln a U . areas mounted at a more rapid . short time. ( h ( Impossible to 1 A casual survey yesterday had . failed to any d.ale who (o iake of ’• bad been notified of the reduction 7 l. in quotas (Turn To Pane 2, Column 4)

United Mine Workers Os Nation Walk Out; Study Enforcement Os New Bill - - I "

President Summons NLRB To Parley On Methods To Enforce Taft-Hartley Bill BULLETIN Washington, June 24. —(UP) —Rep. Howard Smith. D.. Vs., today introduced legislation designed to prevent a coal strike next Monday by continuing the government's expiring authority to operate the mines. Washington, June 24.—fUP) — President Truman today summoned the national labor relations board to a White House conference on how to enforce the Taft-Hartley labor act which he considers unworkable. » Organized labor from coast to coast reacted against the new law with wildcat strikes, talk of a general strike, and pledges to fight the act in the courts, In congress. and at the polls. Miners president John L. Lewis was silent but his men led the wave of wildcat strikes. By early afternoon, more than 135,090 millers were out In seven states. Mr. Truman had no comment on the senate's action In overriding his labor bill veto by a vote of 68 to 25. The house upset his veto lasi Friday 331 to 83. The President probably will hold i a press conference Thursday at which newsmen rnay evoke some remarks from him on the Taft- ' Hartley law. But White House press secretary Charles G. Roas said today that “the President spoke his views In his veto message There is nothing to add." One of the views spoken by Mr. Truman in his message was that the measure*ls administratively unworkable. Bui U« enactment nevertheless placed him under the necessity of undertaking Its ad ministration. Republican, congressional lead ers urged tly PreMdetrt tu make ap honest try at ad ministering die act despite the beliefs that led him to veto if. They promised to vote more money for the NLRB (Turn T<> Paee «. Column 7) O Grand Jury Studies Fort Wayne Murders Allen County Grand Jury Opens Session ' Fort Wayne. Ind.. June 24—(UP) —A grand jury convened today to , consider the case ot Ralph lx>- , baugh. 30-year-old tactory worker who confessed killing three women here in 1944 and 1945 and then repudiated his confession. The grand Jury was adjourned, last week to give police more time to strengthen their evidence against Ijobaugh in the face of his repudiation. It was expected to get al! the eoefesstosa, repudiations and re-confessions which Lobaugh has made In the two weeks since he walked into a Kokomo police station to admit the slayings Ixibaugh said he was “mixed up" when he admitted killing Anna Kuzeff. Billie Haaga and Dorothea Howard. Later, in Chicago, he was reported to have re-confessed while undergoing a lie-detector test from Dr. Leonardo Keeler. James Nicholas. one of Lohaugh's attorneys, said his client was not going to appear before the grand jury as previously planned. ®- Last Rites Held For Local Man's Mother Funeral services were held this afternoon at Sims for Mrs Mary Harris. 83. mother of Clyde Hairis of this city, who died Saturday evening at her home in Swayzee. Burial was in the Converse cemetery. Other survivors include a daughter. Ruth Harris, at home, and two grandchildren.

Protest Strike By Labor Is Predicted Early Legal Test Promised On Bill By United Press A union spokesman predicted today that 90 percent of organized labor would go on a protest strike within a week against the Taft-Hartley law and I with labor and management promis«el an early test of the constitutionality i of the measure. R. E. Farr. Birmingham, Ala. district president of the CIO United Steel Workers, predicted the protest strike and only an early test of the constitutionality of the bill will delay a genera! strike, he said. The San Francisco CIO council asked CIO president Philip Murray to call a 24-hour nationwide work stoppage in protest against the "slave law" Harry Bridges, militant leader of the CIO Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union on the west coast, warned that his union would "fight back by organizing, striking and picketing" if employers attempted to use the bill to deny workers their rights A similar threat was voiced by the I'lo National Maritime i n ion on the cast coast "As far the the NMU Is concerned. we will fight this (fill with everything we've got.” said Jack Lawrenson. NMU vice president. "If any attempt is made under the bill to depress union conditions which the seaman have won by sweat and blood over the last 15 years they can get ready to build a concentration camp to hold 100.000 of us." Lawrence said. "The NMU Is certain that in this step we will have the support of all the maritime unions. CIO AFL and indvpend ent.” At least one manufacturer promised to test the power ot the Taft Hartley law to settle a jurisdictional dispute. Officials (Turn T<> Page 2. Column O 0 Liberty Way Parking Lines Are Painted Diagonal parking lines on Liberty Way. south of the courthouse, were painted today by a city street department crew, under the direction of commissioner Phil Saver. 0 Charles Morgan To Head Legion Post Annual Election Is Held Monday Night Charles Morgan, local factory worker, was elected without opposition last night to the position of commander of Adams post 43. American legion in this city. Mr. Morgan will succeed T. C. Smith, incumbent commander, during installation proceedings to be held early In August at the post home. Russell Weldy. Lawrence Rash. Hugh Andrews and Robert Ashbaucher were elected first, second, third and fourth vice-presidents, respectively. Arthur Myers was elected trus tee for a three-year term and Tilman H. Gehrig was renamed to the position of post adjutant. The following were selected as delegates: Smith and Morgan. Frank Linlger. Miss Margaret Biting. Gehrig. Severin 11. Schurger. Rash. J. K. Staley. V. J. Bormann. Weldy. Floyd B Hunter, and Ashbaucher. The annual stag picnic of the organization will be held July 13 at the Pete Myers' woods near Decatur. ‘

Price Four Cents

Wildcat Walkouts In Coal Mines As Protest To Passage Taft-Hartley Bill Pittsburgh. June 24,—(UP)— John L. lewis' United Mine Workers poured out of the pits in steadily mounting numbers today In a wave of wildcat walkouts protesting final passage of the TaftHartley labor law. Reports showed more than 135,000 diggers In seven states already were idle. Soft coal production was cut by hundreds of thouI sands of tons. The walkouts were "unofficial.” UMW president John L. Lewis was silent and district union officials were even reluctant to admit their men had walked out. One district official said he "heard the boys are pretty sore about the new labor bill ” (The big question was whether the new law could or would lie Invoked against the coal strikers, f’oal mines administrator N. H Uoßlsson said at Washington It would be "futile” for the government to try to stop the present walkouts. He did not now what the government could do about It. but pointed out that the mines will start an official IMay vacation Friday, anyway. Rep Fred A. Hartley. R N J., co-author nt the new law. acknowledged that It would not be "complet/ly effective" in preventive ■ mlv* strike this summer.) The walkouts started leas than an hour after the senate nven-ods President Truman's veto of the labor legislation. At the Muse mine of U. S Steel Co. In Pennsylvania. the miners were In the "man trip" cars waiting to descend into the pit. when word of the senate action camo. They piled out and went home. One minor stopped to hang his "hard" safety hat on a fence post. "Let senator Taft try that on for size.” he said. The navy coal mines administration at Pittsburgh reported at 9 a m. that 36 of the largest pits In the rich western Pennsylvania field were closed with 30.000 min ers starting an "early vacation." The pits had been scheduled to close Friday for a 10-day rest period under terms of the I'MW's agreement with the government. The walkouts were the second round of "veto strikes" for many of the workers. Wildcat work stoppages hit the pits two weeks ago as the miners demanded presidential veto of the labor hill. The new strikes spread rapidly through Pennsylvania. West Virginia. Alabama. Ohio and Virginia. Coal production in Pennsylvania alone alreadv was cut more than 150,000 tons a day. In the Benld-Gillespie. 111., area. 1.800 members of the independent progressive miners of America, longtime bitter rival of the UMW, joined in the protest Five mines were reported closed. The wildcat walkouts caught the nation short. Some sources said coal supplies on hand were sufficient for only three weeks normal consumption. Hardest hit were steel mills. In the Pittsburgh district, only three "captive" mines were reported operaßng. The “captives” aro owned by steel companies and feed their entire output into the mills. Among the mines closed were pits of U. S. Steel. Republic Steel, Jones A laiughlln and Bethlehem Steel U. S. Steel already had closed one blast furnace to conserve coal supplies against the miners' vacation and the possible work stoppage that will follow it If an agreement with the operators is not reached after the government relinquishes Its operation of the pits. Reports from the fields said the miners were “extremely bitter.” A UMW official at Washington, pa., was quoted as saying: “If congresa thinks It can pass laws like that one. let them dig coal.” The atate-by-atate picture show(Turn Tu Paps 3, Celunui 4)