Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 45, Number 213, Decatur, Adams County, 10 September 1947 — Page 1

I XLV. No. 213.

FOOD PRICES REACH NEW ALL-TIME HIGHS

| Marshall Hints | Special Meet i May Be Needed ’ BDeclares Europe In ■ Urgent Need Os Early ■ Stop-Gap Relief ■('asliington. Sept. 10 (LP)cJretary of state George C. Mar- ' sUll said today that Europe uriJtly needs stop-gap aid before I tha end of this year and plainly i hinted congress will have to be into special session this fall to [provide such relief. Marshall did not openly commit on the question bf a specsession. But he left no doubt he considers one necessary. EKing: ■ An interim aid program would inquire congressional action. The aid will be needed before |Be end of the year. congress normally is not to reconvene until Jan. 2, it was plain from Marshall’s press [ inference statement that he feels ■ special session is necessary. promised that suffiBKnt data will be available by the fitter part of October to present j 1 congressional committees on the M . ds of the stop-gap aid program. ■h« said the interim program is ■cessary before the “Marshall pl: i" for European recovery takes Kt must be given “our urgent consid ration," he said, “to meet the ■mediate threat of intolerable Singer and cold.” ■Republican congressional leaders ■ve tossed in President Truman’s ■p the decision whether to call a Mp'-cial session and have said they Hd not think a special session is BKcessary. ■ Congress recessed July 27 subSet to recall by either the president or the Republican leadership. ■ Mr. Truman is en route from ijrazil and is not due back at the «jhite house until Sept. 20. ■ On the basis of Marshall’s press ■ ■ (Turn IV> Pace 6. Column 5) Fort Wayne Girl Is Injured In Accident ■ Dorothy Baumgartner, 19, Fart Kayne, suffered possible rib fractares last night when a car driven ■y Arthur Fosnaugh, 21, of that ■ty, and another driven by-Samuel ■ost ,16, Decatur, collided at Berry Kd Clinton streets there. ■ o 8671,694 Is Official ■fate Fair Attendance ■ Indianapolis, Sept. 10 —■ (UP)— ■diana state fair officials put ayy their adding machines today yd announced — officially — that ■”1,694 persons attended the 91st ■dition of the Hooisier exposition. ■ The fair board said 560,869 ■ons paid their way in, the others ■ere admitted free on special days, ■he total attendance was 48,265 ■ess than the record attendance jigure set last year. ■ Financial statements on the fair, ■econd largest in history, will be published Jan. 1. i — O ply Registration PI Voters Is Urged October 6 Deadline For Voters To Act County clerk Clyde O. Troutner oaaj called attenton of Decatur esidents to the October 6 deadune for registering to vote in the c “y fall election. Under the election law no person y register or transfer his regisp,lo" after that date to qualify, cierk Troutner said that many mes were removed from the lists spring [ hey Were " purged ” las t P r*g, in accordance with law. arsons who have failed to vote '. e ast Ix7o elec tions, those bePrecinet°t f moving from one he u ° an °ther or moving into and women who have .their name by marriage fer n T r6d t 0 register or transer t helr registration. about* tn ßrk Urged persons in doubt his oft. eir registration to call at check ( n eß th at a " early date t 0 K on the matter,

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Nurses Are Sought In Polio Epidemic Indianapolis, Sept. 10 — (UP) — The Red Cross today sought graduate nurses for emergency duty during a polio epidemic at Cincinnati, O. Virgil Shepard, Red Cross director, said four or more nurses were needed to care for infantile paralysis victims. o Island Queen Death Toll Is Placed At 21 Seven Bodies Found, 14 Reported Missing In Blast On Steamer Pittsburgh. Sept. 10—(UP) — Twenty-one crew members, including two women, were listed as missing or dead today in the explosion and fire which destroyed the excursion steamer Island Queen. Seven bodies were accounted for. The body of a negro was recovered from the river 75 feet astern of the sunken wreckage today. The 23-year-old sidewheeler blew up at her berth in the Monongahela river in midtown Pittsburgh yesterday afternoon while her crew was preparing her for a moonlight excursion down the Ohio. About 36 of the 90-man crew were believed aboard at the time. Five bodies, all burned beyond recognition, were recovered from the charred hulk of the luxury steamer whcih sank in 20 feet of water. One woman was pronounced dead at Mercy hospital. Death was caused by drowning. Fifteen others were missing and presumed dead. Firemen, working in the glare of searchlights, probed the gutted interior of the vessel throughout the night, seeking the bodies of the missing crewmembers. Fifteen crewmen suffered burns and shock. Two were treated at Mercy hospital and released. Thirteen were still in the hospital today, suffering from first second and third degree burns and shock. A spark from a welder’s torch (Turn To Paero 5. Column fi) o - To Honor Adult 4-H Leaders At Banquet Honored Guests At Banquet Sept. 15 Adult leaders of* Adams county 4-H clubs will lie honored guests at a banquet Monday evening, given by the Adams county home economics association. The banquet, to be held at the Decatur junior-senior high school at 6:45 p. nt. Monday, will be prepared and served by the home economics council, comprised of the presidents of the 17 home economics clubs. The program will include the presentation of state certificates to all adult leaders, according to their years of service to the 4-H clubs. The 4-H program, one of the finest community activities in the county, would be impossible without the volunteer service of these adult leaders. These 4-H leaders, with their years of service, who will be honored at Monday’s banquet, are as follows: Mrs. Garland Hardy. 11 years: Mrs. Glennys Schindler nine years; Mrs. Holman Egly. seven years', Mrs. Paul Rich, Mrs. Ben McCullough. Mrs. Lloyd Daniels and Fred Ahr, all five years: Mrs. Ralph Rice and Joe Koojg, both four years: Mary Ann Etret. Martin Steiner and Stanley Arnold. all three years. Mrs. Clara Girod. Rowena Miller, Rudy Meyer. Ed Selking. Charles Burdg. J. J- Yost. Mrs. Stanley Arnold. Mrs. Sam Beeler. Mrs. Jay Rauch, Raymond Eichenauer, Benj. Gerke. Jay Rauch, Chris Inniger, Holman Egly. Chris Stahly, Lester Sipe, and (Turn To P»r» 2. Column 5)

21 Are Missing In Pittsburgh Boat Explosion ■Hr W” •' .5 - , .-iF -»■' JF ■ - a—*** JT FLAMES ENGULF wreckage of the Ohio river excursion boat, the Island Queen, at its Pittsburgh dock following an explosion believed to have originated in the ship’s engine room oil drums. At least six persons are known dead and 21 others are missing in the blast which shook the docks and shattered windows throughout a 10-block area.

Democratic Women To Select Officers To Meet Sept. 26 To Name Officers Election of officers of the Woman's Democratic club will take place at a meeting of members to be held Friday evening, Sept. 26. at 7:45 o’clock, at the K. of P. home, officers announced today. A nominating committee, with Mrs. Max Schafer of the Homesteads addition, as chairman, has been named. The other members are. Mrs. George Squires and Miss Bertha Voglewede of this city. Mrs. C. H. Muselman. Berne and Mrs. Mary Briggs, Geneva. The present officers are: Mrs. (Elmer Beer, Berne, president; Mrs. John H. Duff, Hartford township, vice president, Mrs. Helen Reusser, Berne, secretary, and Mrs. Ruth Hollingsworth, Decatur, treasurer. Mrs. R. D. Myers of this city will be the speaker. A musical program, including songs by Mrs. (Turn To Paere fi. Column 5) 0 I i Fruchte Estate Is Opened In Court The estate of the late Judge J. Fruchte was opened in Adams circuit court today before Judge Earl B. Adams. Judge Adams granted an application for the appointment of James Cowan, a son-in-law, as administrator. In the application for letters, the personal propert was valued at $15,000 and the real estate at $14,000. The widow, Lulu, and a daughter, Mrs. Harriet Cowan, are listed as heirs. Ferd L. Litterer is attorney in the estate. o— Adjustment Board Members Appointed Judge Adams Names Members Os Board Judge Earl B. Adams in circuit court this morning appointed four members to the Adams county tax adjustment board completing the membership roster of the board. John B. Stoneburner of Decatur and Floyd Myers of Blue Creek township were named to serve as Democratic members. The Republican appointees are Charles Burdg, Union township, and Brayton Pyle of Jefferson township. Otto Hoffman, representing the county council; Charles Fuhrman, representing the township trustees, and auditor Thurman I. Drew, who serves as clerk of the board, are members. Mr. Drew said today that the board will likely open its session at 10 o’clock Friday morning in the commissioners’ room at the county courthouse. The meeting, originally scheduF ed for last Monday, was due to the death of the late Judge J. Fred Fruchte before he made the appointments.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COMITY

Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, September 10, 1947

Four Men Killed In British Mine Blast Dewsbury, Eng., Sept. 10 — (UP) — An explosion ripped through the Thornhill mine near this Yorkshire hamlet 10 miles south of Leeds today, killing at least four men and trapping an unknown number believed to be abcut 10. One miner was injured by the explosion, and four others made their way to safety. —o Fire Prevention Week Oct 5-11 Decatur Will Also Mark Cleanup Week The city of Decatur, the volunteer fire department and the Adams county insurance agents association will join in observance of fire prevention week in Decatur. October 5 to 11, incdlusive, it was announced today. All residents of the city will be urged by the mayor and others in proclamations to clean up their homes and yards, and city trucks will haul all rubbish from the alleys, as part of the observance. Those planning the program for Decatur state that fire prevention in homes and clean-up week go hand in hand and every effort will be made to make every citizen fire prevention conscious during the period. The double-deader observance will be national in scope and proclamations by the president and state governors will be forthcoming, it was announced. Locally, firemen will inspect residential areas and it is probable that several homes in each part of Decatur will be visited by inspectors. All residents are urged to clean their basements and attics and other places where paper, rags, boxes and other articles accumulate. All debris placed in alleys will be hauled away. Several joint committees will be named to assist in carrying out the most extensive clean-up program ever attempted here, it was said. Committee members will be announced soon following a meeting of representatives of the three sponsoring groups. , During the week, residents also (Turn Tr> Page 2. Column 4) Perry James Vine Dies This Morning Perry James Vine, 76, native of Adams county, and a resident of Pleasant Mills, died at 8:30 a.m. today at the Adams county memorial hospital after a three weeks illness of opoplexy. His wife preceded him in death. Only near survivors are a brother, Marion Vine of Pleasant Mills, and a sister, Mrs. Clara Douglas of Paulding, O. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at the Pleasant Mills the Rev. Seth Painter officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemetery. Friends may call at the Black funeral home after 2 p.m. Thursday.

City Bus Line Will Start September 20 Disagreement Os Officials Cleared Operation of the city bus line, scheduled to begin today. has been delayed about 10 days and will begin approximately September 20, it was learned here today. Officials of the Browning Bus Line company at New Castle, which will operate the local line, informed local city and civic leaders of the new starting date. A disagreement between city and bus company officials has been cleared up. it was stated, and the city will "not demand a contract from the bus company, it was stated. Bus company officials said that they had filed a petition with the public service commission for operating the bus line here. Notice of the official starting date and the routes the busses will cover will be announced a few days in advance of the starting date, it was stated. The company originally announced that it would operate two busses, one in the north section of the city and the other in the south section. o Taft-Hartley Law Backer 1$ Elected Overwhelming Vote In Pennsylvania Allentown, Pa., Sept. 10. —(UP)' —Supporters of the Taft-Hartley law today claimed their first vic-* tory at the polls in a special congressional election won decisively by a Republican candidate over a Democratic opponent of the labor measure. Voters in Pennsylvania’s eighth district yesterday gave an overwhelming majority to Franklin H. Lichtenwalter, 37, house speaker of the Republican-dominated state assembly, over Democrat Philip H. Storch, 36, CIO newspaperman who had the support of top union leaders. The hotly-contested'election held the national political spotlight because organized labor chose the district to test public sentiment on the controversial labor law. Political observers also considered it a preview of thel94B presidential and congressional elections. Returns from 198 of the district’s 214 precincts gave: Lichtenwalter 44,065; Storch 27,884. Organized labor had waged an all-out campaign in an attempt to put Storch in congress as the successor to the late Rep. Charles L. Gerlach, Republican, who died last May while serving his fifth term. 0 WEATHER Considerable cloudiness tonight and Occassional showeWeast portion tonight. Continued warm.

Americans’ Food Costs At New Peak; People’s Income At New Record

AFL Hints Demand For Wage Increase Cities Need Os Boost In Minimum Wages Chicago, Sept. 10 —(UP) —The executive council of the American Federation of Labor said today that the way to stop inflation is to increase minimum wages. It also hinted that the union would ask for pay increases unless the cost of living is reduced and stabilized immediately. In a statement prepared during its regular quarterly meeting here, the 15-man council which sets the policy for the entire AFL membership called for a drive against rising prices. The best way to fight inflation, it said, is to increase production and the best way to increase production is to increase minimum wages "to a point commensurate with decent American living standards.” President William Green said the AFL had taken an official stand for a national minimum wage of 75 cents an hour. He said the present minimum provided a pay rate of only sl6 weekly. He added that the AFL could not prevg.il upon congress to increase the minimum wage, because congress was “too intent upon giving the people a good dose of the Taft-Hartley law.” The council said the burden of inflation falls heaviest tpon the nation’s workers, “because wages cannot keep pace with rising prices.” "Unless the cost of living is promptly reduced and stabilized, pressure for higher wages is cer(Turn To Patm fi. Column 5) — Rural Schools Show Drop In Enrollment Slight Decrease From Last Year With all but tour teacners Paving made reports to his offices, county school superintendent Lyman L. Hann today announced that enrollment in the rural schools of the county totals 2,076. The total enrollment for last year was 2.553, his report discloses. The four schools unreported had an enrollment of 458 last year. Most of the schools show a slight decrease In enrollment this year, althoueh a few registered an increase Following Is a list of the various school enrollments, showing this year and last year totals: 1947 1946 Blue Creek 114 119 French 94 89 Hartford H. S. 60 63 Hartford grades 141 152 Jefferson H. S. 50 47 Jefferson grades 125 125 Kirkland H. S. 70 80 Kirkland grades (incomplete) 115 Monroe H. S. 99 98 Monroe grades 256 261 Preble 34 35 Root H, S. 119 105 Root grades 133 150 St. Mary’s H. S. 99 101 St. Mary’s grades (incomplete) 138 Union 77 80 Wabash H. S. 104 115 Wabash grades 370 339 Washington 88 85 Parochial Schools Preble (incomplete) 152 Root 43 47 Union (incomplete) 53 — 0I— Two Men Injured ’As Plane Crashes Huntington. Ind.. Sept. 10 — (UP) — Fred Friar. 32, was in a critical condition today and Frank Burkett. 29. seriously injured, after a small plane Burkett was piloting crashed yesterday on a farm.

Gandhi Spreads Plea For Peace In New Delhi Spiritual Leader Os Hindus Pleads For End To Riots New Delhi, Sept. 10.—(UP)— Mohandas K. Gandhi walked today among hate-inflamed refugees, Moslem and non-Moslem alike, spreading his plea for peace in this riot-torn capital of Hindu India. The emaciated Hindu spiritual leader, weakened by his recent fast in Calcutta, visited refugee camps in both old and New Delhi. Tto the refugees, whose presence in this overcrowded city has led to some of India’s most ghastly religious killings, Gandhi pleaded for calm. He begged them to give the new government of India a chance. Lord Mountbatten, the governorgeneral, today signed an ordinance providing 16(-year imprisonment for soldiers who fail to do their utmost in fighting off attacks on refugee trains. The spiritual leader of millions of Hindus put off indefinitely his tour of the troubled Punjab so that he might devote his entire time to the New Delhi disturbances. “I must apply the old formula of do or die to the capital of India, and do my little bit to calm the heated atmosphere,” Gandhi said in a message to the people. He exhorted his Hindu followers to work actively for peace, or to die, as life was not worth while except when it was devoted to the cause of peace. Gandhi planned to make a personal tour of both old and New Delhi yesterday. He was discouraged from doing so by his doctors because of his weakened condition as a result of his recent threeday Calcutta fast. Most of the day was spent in meditation and conferences with leaders of both the Hindus and the (Turn To Page 3. Column G) o Frederick Bohnke Dies Tuesday Night Funeral Services Friday Afternoon Frederick William H. Bohnke. 80, a native of Adams eounty, died at 10:40 o’clock Tuesday night at this home, four miles west and one mile south of Monroeville in Madison township, Allen county. Death was attributed to complications following an 18 months illness. He was born in Root township Feb. 28, 1867, a son of William and Engel Kukelhan-Bohnke, and had lived in Madison township for the past 51 years. He was married January 12, 1896. to Wilhelmina Franke, and Mr. and Mrs. Bohnke celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last j ear. He was a member of the St. John’s Lutheran church at Flat Rock. Surviving in addition to his wfie are four sons, Charles of Madison township, Henry at home. Lawrence of Madison township and Albert of Fort Wayne; two daughters, Mrs. Paul Witte of Ossian and Mrs. Elvin Harmann of New Haven: one brother. August Bohnke, of Root township; one sister, Mrs. Henrietta Gerke of Root town ship, and 18 grandchildren. One son. three brothers and two sisters preceded him iAfftfceath. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p. m. lie home (Turn To Page 8, Columns) •

Price Four Cents

Milling And Bakery Spokesmen Forecast Increase In Price In Loaf Os Bread BULLETIN Washington, Sept. 10.— (UP) —The agriculture department today estimated the critical and drought-hit 1947 corn crop at 2,403,000,000 bushels. This was a drop of about 34,000,000 bushels from the Aug. 15 estimate. Chicago, Sept. 10 — (UP) — Food prices went to new all-time highs today, and the government announced that people are making more money than ever before. Dun and Bradstreet, Inc., reported at New York that the index of wholesale food prices rose 31 cents in the past week to $7.02, a new all-time high. Tweni ty of the 31 basic foods used in compiling the figure showed ■ sharp increases. The only price dips were in peas, raisins and i rice. On the Chicago board of trade September wheat, corn and oats topped previous price records, and December, May and July ■ wheat shot up the full 10-cenl i limit permitted in any day’s trad- ■ ing. September lard futures and soybeans also hit the limit. i December wheat sold for $2.84 i a bushel. September wheat i reached $2.80%. September corn ■ $2.63% and September oats $1.23%. Milling and bakery spokesmen forecast an increase in the price of a loaf of bread if wheat continues its climb. At the Chicago stockyards, strictly choice steers brought $35.25 a hundredweight, topping the 1947 peak of $35 reached in January and equaled last week. The commerce department announced that personal income reached an unprecedenjted annual rate of $197,000,000,000 during July. This- was almost $2,000,000,000 higher than the June rate which was the previous peak. The department said the income rise was brought about by ‘ higher farm income, increased wage and salary receipts and a larger number of World War II veteran’s receiving state bonuses. ’’ The annual personal income rate for July compared with actual personal income payments ol $177,217,000,000 in 1946. Pertonal income means money paid out in wages and salaries, dividends and interest, the net income of proprietorships and partnerships, the rent receipts of landlords and similar types of income. Meanwhile there were these ether price developments: 1. Sen. Scott Lucas, D.. 111., warned that a return to some sort of price control might be necessary to halt skyrocketing prices. 2. The American federation of labor executive board, meeting in its regular quarterly session here, hinted that the union would ask for pay increases unless the cost of living was reduced and stabilized. 3. An official of the CIO United Farm Equipment Workers Union said it was “high time the country had an all-out investigation as to who pockets the difference between what the farmer gets for his produce and the fabulous price the city workers have to pay for it.” 4. House Democratic whip John W. McCormack asked a congressional committee to conduct an investigation to determine whether recent price increases in oil and gasoline w-ere Aistified or the result of monopolistic practices. Meanwhile, the nation awaited port which may itWicate if further price incloses are in store this year. A<®Jpoor corn cron could throw the entire farm To Page 6, Column W • •