Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 45, Number 216, Decatur, Adams County, 13 September 1947 — Page 1

XLV. No, 216.

Klit On High I ices Grows I I ross 3 *’ on I Bo yernment Serves I Biotice On Packers I go Appear At Probe | B By United Press I Hterniined housewives applied I X pressure to force food prices I S todav and it appeared that I 9 organized slow-downs on -purS hdk s might be meeting temporary I Mie housewives showed no signs I fitting up their crusade. | 9K p federal government stepped trv to help. It served 18 | sabp , enas on major meat packers, |l Saii'i.ng their appearance next IHK before a special grand jury I at Chicago which will investigate I higl meat prices. | |K the fight against high prices g (ieXoped across the country, signs I of alarm crept into the markets 1 andretail circles. I lw>rii and wheat prices took a at least temporarily. Ilaiojs sold as much as $2 a hundred- | weight below Thursdayss all-time highs I Hutter and egg prices dropped H the maximum amount possible in II one day’s market trading. ! jHarket experts said the drop It was due to buyer resistance, talk of of government .price j! Strols and the increased margin Juirements on the Chicago board of trade. I jjgThe drop, if continued, was exhjacw m show at the retail level HKeveral weeks. ‘ At St. Louis. William C. Richardson, president of the Individual I Retail Grocers and Meat Dealers ' K-Hso. iation, warned that “if prices to rise, many St. Louis i rttail grocers will be forced to go out of business.” L S?‘ Many Patrons apparently bell- lieve the retailer is responsible for Bi tuat * on '” he saM. . drive on prices made for ■ Mrange allies. I WP n ** le west coast, where he is bonding out his presidential posit Abilities, Sen. Robert A. Taft, R., || 0., advocated buyers’ resistance. | jjjpaft's advice was: “Eat less food HMd less extravagant food.” I was joined in his views by i| Oil) labor leaders. At Buffalo, II N. Y„ Walter Reuther, president of i| tie CIO United Auto Workers, call.i ed for a' coordinated nationwide I layers’ strike. ' gAt Cleveland, 0., CIO union i| co ncils director John Brophy and :)■ Ch) political action director Jack it Broil joined Reuther in calling for | ftimediate restoration of price I ifcntrols. Taft did not ask for that. ■■At Chicago, the fight against prices took a new turn. Two ■indred and fifty south side retailers threatened to boycott manufactures and wholesalers who inHpt on unjust price increases they 9med a committee to meet with Martin Kennely to plan a ■ SUass meeting of all Chicago merMeanwhile. at the Chicago federal a grand jury prepared to an investigation into high next week. Meat prices were first order of business. The ■fry is expected to extend its ingB n ’ ry to other food prices later, subpoenas issued yesterday •eluded the “Big Four” of the H? ck ' ng industry—Armour, Swift Hr lls »n and Cudahy. Kjhe American meat institute, ofB?* a ‘ s P°hesmen for the packers, v' the industry had nothing to ■ e ’ " saiti “any allegation” that ' 5, e liiea t has been, or can »e, controlled by the industry gfould be sheer nonsense.” 'les Damage Suit i Farm Accident |SLil 6 “ la ™ Bertsch - b y her next ■ G ’ William Bertsch, has filed BL amage BUit in Adams circuit 1 Sn v aS o reSUlt ° f a farm aecident g" May 23, 1947 . She chargeg K. ® mployed by Ezra Kaehr, < n „ aS defenda nt, and was ridTi L° n tomatO planter w hen her f ‘ nger was cau S ht and IF rfi d in the machine’s gears. Spar. L C H. arges negligence on the gears j aehr in not cover ing the land , warning her of them iof d |lSR kS T f ° r damages in the sum court lat n. dge Earl B ’ Adaras in the th ‘ S m ° rning Was t 0 hear | agai d ° rc ® case of Bonnie Lou g gainst John J. Frants. r Weather I cooler rally fair and sorne v*hat warm* Benera " y fair ’" d

• ® DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Geneva's Tax Levy Highest In County Berne's 1948 Rate Is Second Highest In event no changes are made as result of an to the state tax board, residents of Geneva next year will pay the highest tax rate on each SIOO valuation of any people in Adams county. A legal notice iesued today, to be published next week, from the officers of county auditor Thurman I. Drew, shows that the Geneva levy, approved along with those in other units by the tax adjustment board, will be $5.14 — plus a poll tax of $2.50. Berne’s 1948 levy of $4.34, plus a poll tax levy of 82.75, is the second highest of any unit in the county. The Berne poll tax levy is the highest in the county. The Decatur-Root levy remains unchanged from last year at $3.19, while the Decatur-Washington levy of $3.19 is five cents higher than last year’s rate. Besides Berne’s poll tax levy of $2.75, that rate in Monroe-Monroe, Geneva, Decatur-Washington, De-catur-Root and Monroe is $2.50 on each SIOO taxables. All others have a poll tax levy of $1.50. Following is a complete list of the total levy in each of the 18 taxing units in the county in the fjrst figure, and the poll tax levy in the second: Blue Creek $2.38 $1.50 French 2.58 1.50 Hartford 2.37 1.50 Jefferson 2.88 1.50 Kirkland 3.03 1.50 Monroe 3.03 2.50 Preble 1.80 1.50 Root 2.22 1.50 St. Mary’s 3.04 1.50 Union 2.82 1.50 Wabaish 3.16 1.50 Washington 1.81 1.50 Berne 4.34 2.75 (Turn To Page fi. Column 8) - o — Berne Rotary Club To Hear Labor Head Berne, Ind., Sept. 13 — Charles Kern, of Indianapolis, state labor I commissioner, will address the Berne Rotary club Monday evening, .October 6, in a dinner meeting in the Marine room of the Kenson Grill. Kern is expected to discuss some of the labor problems facing the American people today. 0 Loses Two Fingers At Berne Factory Berne, Ind., Sept. 13 — t Clyde Moser, 5, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tilman Moser of Berne, had two fingers on his right hand severed just below the nails yesterday! The lad was playing in a cement block factory near his home when he stuck them into a blower leading to the furnace and had them caught in a V-belt. The lad lost a large amount of blood. o — Seven Acres Os Corn Ready For Harvest Berne. Ind., Sept. 13 — While much of the corn in this community needs two or three weeks of good weather before it is ripe. Sylvan Sprunger, Monroe township farmer north of Berne, has a eeven -acre field which is ripe and ready to cut. Sprunger planted the corn May 10 during a temporary lull in the wet weather. He says the corn is of excellent quality with average yield. * — 0 Truck, Auto Collide Early This Morning No One Injured In Crash This Morning Several persons escaped serious injury about 4:30 o'clock this morning in a truck-auto collision five miles north of Decatur on federal road 27. Sheriff Herman Bowman, who investigated, said that a car driven by Robert Highlin. 18, Fort Wayne, sideswiped the rear of a large semitrailer truck, enroute in the opposite direction and driven by William Sack, 23, Canton. O. The driver of the passenger car, traveling at a high rate of speed, is believed io have dozed at the wheel of his car and let h vetSb to the wrong side of the road. The truck driver, in turning sharply in attempting to avoid the collision caused a huge load of steel in the trailer to shift. The load broke through the sides of the truck. Damage v.’as estimated at about $275 by the sheriff.

AFL Refuses To Sign Any Affidavits Council Refuses To Initial Documents As Non-Communists I Chicago, Sept. 13.—(UP)— The American Federation of Labor’s 7,500,000 members faced possible loss of the National Labor Relations Board’s services today because members of the AFL executive council refused to sign affidavits that they are not Communists. The board voted yesterday not to sign the affidavits. It also recommended that all officers of AFL unions refuse to sign the statements. Robert Denham, general counsel of the NLRB, ruled recently that the Taft-Hartley labor law required all union officers to sign the affidavits or their unions would lose their NLRB privileges. Denham’s ruling was not final, however. It still must be approved by the board. On the other hand, the AFL executive council’s action also is not absolutely final. Strong pressure from the floor of the general AFL convention in San Francisco next month probably could force all union officers to sign the affidavits. The executive council’s decision was reached late yesterday after a day of wrangling. AFL president. William Green looked wor» as he announced the decision. Just last Monday he had predicted the council would back his suggestion that it recommend signing of the petitions. Green declined comment on reports of a split in the council over the question. However, reporters waiting outside the conference room heard council members debating loudly throughout much of the afternoon.

It was reported that John L. Lewis, president of the United Mine Workers, had led the fight to refuse to sign the affidavits. Lewis was said to be against signing ' the afidavits because he felt the “UMW had been known for its anti-Communist attitude” and felt the loyalty pledge was unnecessary. 0 Fears Juveniles' Crime On Upswing Upward Trend Noted During Three Months Washington, Sept. 13. —(UP) — FBI director J. Edgar Hoover today expressed fear that juvenile delinquency, which dropped off aftbr the war, may again be on the upswing. Although a study for the first six months of this year showed that fewer boys and girls were arrested than in a similar 1946 period, an upward trend was noted during April, May and June. “If this trend continues throughout the year," Hoover said, “1947 will show a noticeable increase in the arrest of juvenile offenders.” Hoover said the same study, based on 371,228 fingerprint records. revealed that the number of arrests —both juveniles and adults —during the first half of the year was 2ff percent higher than in the corresponding 1946 period. He said arests of males was up 20.5 percent, and of females, 15.7 percent. Those in their early 20's got into trouble most frequently, according to the survey. Hoover said more than 41 percent of the records examined, or 155j,20f1|, represented major laiwi violations. And 202,678 of the 371,228 arrested had previous police records. 0 Veteran Mason Is Honored Last Night More than 125 members of the Decatur Masonic lodge attended a dinner at tne Masonic home Friday night honoring James A. Hendricks, Monroe, # who has been a member of the local lodge for 50 years. Rev. Matthew Worthman, Bluffton, was the principle speaker and about 20 guests from Fort Wayne and Blufftpn, several of them former Monroe residents, were present, including Clyde A. Hendricks, ths honored guest.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, September 13, 1947

U. S. Troops Prepare For Evacuation Os Italy EH "'r \ 11 h SiSB JI 'Mlww »i WH ••• m I ‘ F ■ * M S** l - •> - ■* X 'az.vy.w \ ■'SC’Sk.. • &;«:.<• : : ••xikv.’vjfc ■ tWilliii i • .. .....H WITH THE ITALIAN treaty becoming effective Sept. 15, Lt. Gen. C. H. Lee (inset), commander of the Mediterranean theater, is preparing for evacuation of American occupation troops from Italy. Last of the Allied forces, such as these Gls boarding a transport at Leghorn, Italy, will be withdrawn by Dec. 15, deadline on the 90-day post-ratification period. Gee, who is currently target of an Array investigation on troop demoralization charge, will return to San Francisco for reassignment.

European Nations To Report On Need Redrafting Report To U. S. On Needs Paris, Sept. 18 —(UP) —Sixteen European countries began redrafting a report of their needs, resources and intentions today with the aist of convincing the U. S. congress that it should invest $22,499,000,000 in their future. the blueprint of the European cooperation committee was due next Monday. It was about ready when Will Clayton, U. S. undersecretary of state, demanded that it be done over. An authoritative American source said the report to Washington “must, above all, be convincing to congress.” Clayton called for a greater demonstration of European determination to help itself and for an easing of trade barriers which cramp continental economy, according to Sir Oliver Franks, president of' the committee. Foreign ministers ready to leave for Paris or already on their way here for the windup ceremonies of the conference and ratification of the report Monday called off their plans. The committee went back to work in hope of devising a more acceptable document within a week. The first advance on the new tack was the launching of a plan to form a 13-nation study group to examine the possibilities of setting up a western European customs union. U. S. quarters said Clayton insisted that the customs union was the sort of dramatic move likely to impress congress. A spoeskman said the idea of a customs union “packs more punch than a lot of figures, no matter what they mean.” The study group will consist of Belgium. Luxembourg nad Holland as inviting powers, plus Austria, Great Britain, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Portugal and Turkey. o— — Local Lady's Father Is Taken By Death Mrs. Dale Death's Father Dies Today ’ Webster Franklin, 58, father of Mrs. Dale Death of this city, died this morning at the home dt another daughter, Mrs. Ben Wallace, Jr., at Bloomington, after an illness of five months. He was a native of Owen county. His wife, Emilie, died in 1943. He was a member of the Church of Christ at Spencer. Surviving in addition to Mrs. Death and Mrs. Wallace are another daughter, Mrs. John Weisenauer of Indianapolis: three »sons, Warren Franklin of Martinsville, Wilbur of Spencer and Charles of Bloomington; one brother, four sisters and four grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p. m. Monday at the Church of Christ in Spencer, with burial tn Riverside cemetery. The body will remain at the Allen funeral home in Bloomington until time of the services.

Geneva Town Board Member Quits Post Berne, Ind., Sept. 13 — Claude Riggin, member of the town board, yesterday resigned his position. Riggin said he would have completed his term but because Geneva will not have a town election this fall and he would remain in office along with tile present members, he decided to resign now. Both political parties in Geneva failed to file their tickets in time and aa a result Geneva will not hold a town election in November. o : Chicago's Drive On Underworld Slowed Bumps Into Civil Liberties' Rights Chicago, Sept. 13 —(UP) — The Chicago police department's drive against the underworld bumped into the federal constitution today' and slowed to almost a dead stop, at least temporarily. No new arrests were reported. The Chicago civil liberties committee held the nation's basic law before authorities and pointed at the bill of provisions against unwarranted searches and seizures. Jack Guzik, reported heir to Al Capone’s throne as king of the underworld, hired a committee lawyer who entered a SIO,OOO damage suit against police commissioner John Prendergast and chief of Detectives Walter Storms. Guzik, an ex-convict who also goes by various first names of John, Jake or Joe, charged the officers violated his civil rights by ordering him picked up “on general principles” without legal evidence. The constitution also aided two other hoodlums to gain freedom yesterday after police picked them up on Prendergast’s general orders to arrest known characters on sight. Another man was held a while longer, however, while authorities checked for possible connections with recent burglaries. In his suit, Guzik also sought an injunction to restrain police from arresting him “unless such arrest i is made in a legal manner on le- ( gal grounds.” Ira Lattimer, executive director of the civil liberties committee, appended an affidavit to Guzik’s suit. Lattimer said he didn’t know Guzik but that the committee felt dutybound to defend anyone arrested without due process of law.

The committee has taken similar action before, notably on behalf of Martin (the Ox) Ochs and his crony, Paul Labrlola, a couple of small time toughies with big ideas who are arrested by almost every patrolman they bump into on the street. The two police characters freed yesterday were Frank “chew Tobacco” Ryan, whom detectives consider a member of the mob Guzik is reported to head, and Isadore Weinberg, reputed loop bookmaker. Chief criminal court justice Cornelius J. Harrington freed them on writs of habeas corpus demanded by attorney George Bieber, who also has represented Guzik Fit some of his frequent legal brushes. Harrington permitted police to hold Lawrence Braverman. whom authorities have investigated as a labor slugger. In issuing the writs, Harrington warned police against excessive zeal in their current anti-gangster drive. He said there was considerable “hysteria" about crime condi(Turn To Pace 5, Column 7)

Urge President To Make Western Tour Trip Is Urged As Campaign Strategy Washington, Sept. 13—(UP) — President Truman on his return here next week will be urged by some of his congressional lieutenants to keep his bags packed and join the westward trek of 1948 presidential hopefuls, it was learned today. His aides maintain that this fall will be Mr. Truman’s last opportunity to make a tour of key midwest and far west states, free from the political overtones of a campaign year. On the proopsed sojourn, the president would criss yrdrs the political tracks of some Republican leaders, from among whom his 1948 presidential opponent may be chosen —Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of New York, Sen. Robert A. Taft of Ohio, Harold E. Stassen, and house speaker , Joseph W. Martin, Jr., of Massachusetts. Those suggesting the trip admit that politics cannot be wholly divorced from the journey. Put they would like the president to center his attention on two issues: 1. Flood control. irrigation and reclamation projects — traditionally a source of “inspection” trips—with particular emphasis on Republican party budget cutting in this field. 2. The politically potent issue of high prices. Democratic aides feel Mr. Truman can put across to the public their belief that failure of congress to continue effective price controls was a major factor in current high price levels. Those urging the trip are certain that a possible special ses* sion of congress would not interfere with uch a journey. They point to the recent press conference statement by secretary of state George C. Marshall that it will be late October before data (Turn To Page 6, Column 8) Auto-Bike Accident Reported By Police Decatur Boy Unhurt In Accident Friday An auto-bike accident and a bicycle theft were reported this morning by officer Adrian Coffee from last night's police blotter of activities. Jimmy Ulman, of the Homesteads, escaped injury when his bicycle was struck by an auto on Winchester street near the Nickle Plate railroad about 3:45 p.m. Friday. The auto driven by Elmer Baller, 36, of this city. He told policeman Robert Hill that the lad started around his car on the right side as the e auto was turning off Winchester street and that he was unable to avoid hitting the boy. A bicycle, belonging to John LL Johnson, of Twelfth street, wasQH* ported stolen from an alley west of the 100 block on North Second street. The bicycle was described as a Goodyear make, red and white vehicle. @ Police also investigated reports of a prowler in the west section of the city.

Sen. Tall Delends Tass-Hartley Law Issues Challenge To Union Leaders Santa Cruz, Calif., Sept. 13 — (UP)—Sen. Robert A. Taft, R., 0., challenged union leaders today to make the Taft-Hartley labor reform law the issue of the 1948 political campaign. At the same time, he made it clear that he thought the issue would be an ineffective one. On a three-week tour of the far west to sound out his chances for the Republican presidential nomination. Taft defended the law, of which he was the co-author, in a debate last night before the state bar association convention. He will defend it again in a speech Sept. 24 at Seattle, a stronghold of organized labor. Taft had to skirt a picket line of some 2(N) AFL and CIO members from Santa Cruz and nearby towns to enter the municipal auditorium for the debate. As he entered, laughing, through the side door, the pickets booed and shouted “Wallace in ’48.” Accusing labor leaders of relying on propaganda and name-call-ing in their campaign against the law, Taft departed from his prepared text last night to say: "If labor union leaders seek to make the Taft-Hartley law the sole issue of the next campaign. Republicans should be delighted to bring that about.” He told the convention that the futility of the union leaders’ campaign was shown this week in the Pennsylvania congressional election in which Frank Lichtenwalter defeated Phil Storch. “The Democratic candidate was supported by the labor unions who made the Taft-Hartley act the sole issue of the campaign,” Taft said. “The Republican was elected by more than 17,C00 and 61 percent of the vote, the largest percentage any Republican candidate has received for years. "The district was largely industrial and the heavy vote shows that the people do not propose to let the labor union leaders run the government of the United States.” 0 Law Offices Close Saturday Afternoons Law offices in Decatur will continue the Saturday afternoon closing program throughout the year, it was announced today. The offices had been closed on Saturday during summer months only. —: Legion And Auxiliary To Knightstown Home A delegation of Legionnaires and auxiliary members of Adams Post 43, American Legion, aie expected to go to Knightstown Sunday to attend the annual American Legion day celebration at the Indiana soldiers and sailors home. Studebaker's Pay Plan Is Rejected Incentive Plan Is Rejected By Union South Bend, Ind., Sept. 13 — (UP) — Plans of the Studebaker corporation to put an incentive pay plan into operation for 14,000 employes ended today after CIO United Workers rejected the proposal at a maes meeting last night. Union spokesmen said the plan would result eventually in the discharge of workers. There were only a handful of dissenting votes as the union members voted down the Studebaker offer to raiise wages 20 percent if production of autos and trucks was increased. Some 6.000 union members attended the meeting. Union leaders previously had described the plan as “unacceptable" but submitted it to the membership “with out recommendation.”

Union leadens said the pay plan would increase production but it might result in some workers losing their jobs and would mean that “the company would not be spending any more money for wages than it does now.” Studebaker offered the incentive pay plan last week and said it would net employes 20 percent above their basic rate if passenger car production was boosted 12 percent and truck lines Jkoduced 17 percent more vehicles. - UAW officials said the plan would not represent any “actual cash outlay” by Studebaker.

Price Four Cents

Government's Market Tactics Are Assailed H — . 1 Blame Tactics For Recent Advances Os Food Prices I New York. Sept. 13 — (UP) — Two different sources today charged that the United States government’s market tactics have been a major factor in the recent sharp advance in food prices. A. W. Zelomek, president of the international statistical bureau, and the magazine Business Week, in its carrent issue, indicated that the government has been aiding and abetting the speculators by bidding up grain prices and talking up other prices through predictions of government bureaus. ’ Business Week, in its current issue, holds that “prices would quickly reverse themselves if the government stopped buying grain.” Zelomek. taking a similar stand, believes after a twomonth trip aboard to study conditions that Europe is not in immediate need of our grain and that purchases could be stopped until the markets declined. “The speculator in some markets has made tremendous profits by betting that the Marshall plan will cause a further round of exaggerated price inflation,” Zelomek said in an interview. Zelomek pointed out that the "Marshall plan" is not even yet a plan and that congress will do nothing about it for some months yet. It has no connection with the last advance in food prices, he said. That rise, Zelomek. who spent May and June in Europe studying conditions, said has been caused chiefly by two factors: “1. A reduction of the corn crop, which is basic to a great many foods, by poor weather ! This lias been an act of God. ’ about which nothing can he done. “2. The lack of intelligence in the way the government has handled exports of food, particularly grains, to Europe. This is an act of man. about which something could be done. “The first fact, that Europe is hungry and its crops this year poor, is well known. “What has never been pointed cut is that these crops, small though they are, will at least meet food requirements for the next four to eight months after the harvest, depending on the country and the size of the crop. It is no exaggeration to say that Europe would not starve if not a single bushel of grain were shipped from the United States in the last four months of this year. "Europe’s worst need for »ur grains will come at the tail end of the season, after that continent’s own supplies are exhausted; but we are making our biggest shipments at the beginning of the season, when European supplies are greatest.” Zelomek believes that the combination of events that has been pushing food prices up. “and for which the government bears a heavy responsibility is leading quickly toward a business recession of disturbing magnitude.” Business Week said, “speculators have learned these last two years, that the grain market is a one-way street. Washington buying makes that so. From now on. the U. S. should buy on weakness, not on strength.” County Ministers Will Meet Monday The Adams county ministerial assiciation will hold its first fall meeting at 9 a.m. Monday at the Trinity Evangelical United Brethren church in Berne. The Rev. Alva H. Sholty’, pastor of the Evangelical United Brethren church in Huntington, will be the speaker. Rev. Sholty was a captain in the army chaplain corps, serving as an interpreter in Japan. —* o Nearly Two Inches Os Rain At Berne Berne, Ind., Sept. 13 — The heaviest rainfall in many hit Berne and community Thursday evening. The precipitation here amounted to 1.97 inches, according to H. M. Reusser, local weather ® observer. Streets and strums were flooded. No wind or Jigßßiing damage was reported.