Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 46, Number 28, Decatur, Adams County, 3 February 1948 — Page 1

Vol. XLVL No. 28.

SENATORS KILL MEAT RATIONING PLANS

Lewis Raises New Threat Os Miners Strike Charges Soft Coal Industry Fails To Abide By Contract ■ V*>ington, Feb. 3.— (UP)— John |L Lewis today posed the threat of a sudden soft coal strike to a nation already in the grip of one of its worst fuel crisis in hisThe unpredictable boss of the United Mine Workers (IND.) chAiSed that the soft coal industry has failed to live up to its conby refusing to establish a pension fund for his 400,000 soft coal diggers. For that reason, Lewis said in a letter to the operators late yesterdayj the union now “reserves the right, at will, to take any independent action necessary to the of the contract." COal industry spokesmen admitted Khat Lewis’ “independent accould mean a sudden strike by his soft coal miners. However, oneHhdustry official said the owners |were inclined to believe Lewis was “Just putting on the pressure” for acceptance of his SIOO a month ■■ion plan for miners over 60. The mine chieftain, as usual, to comment. The present agreement between HBis and the operators runs until June 30. It provides that either HHv may terminate the contract Slier by giving at least 30 days’ jjtookesm.en for the operators said they did not consider the Lewis letter “definite notice” of ■Kays’ termination. Under the Taft-Hartley law. a uniftn must give 60 days’ notice that it intends to break off a contract Lewis consistently has ig.M*ed the new labor law. Whether failure to abide by it in this case would result in prosecution was not clear, since the contract termination clause has not yet been tested in court. ■Even if Lewis were to call a strike immediately, the coal sup®es already above ground would ■Kry the nation along for perhaps ■ days. ■General agreement on the pentt>n principle was written into last yjar's contract. ■The pension is to be paid out of ■e $50,000,000 health and welfare Kid. But the industry representaKe on the administration of the Kid has refused to agree to the Woposed SIOO pension, at least until the union gives a clear estimate of how much it will cost annually. Said Lewis to the mine wners ■ ■ “On this date, seven months inter the effective date of the 1947 agreement, your representatives ■ustee, Ezra Van Horn continues •s he has consistently continued) ■ thwart the fulfillment of that ■pntractual obligation. ■ “It now constitutes an outstand■g unresolved dispute, national in Scope and character.” I Van Horn refused to comment Kn Lewis' charge. o — Contract Awarded For Vets Hospital I Fort Wayne, Ind., Feb. 3 —(UP) F A $4,682,000 contract for construction of a 200 bed veterans adpuinist ration hospital here will be let to the Gust K. Newberg construction company of Chicago, Chamber of Commerce officials anpounced today. I Authorization to award the contract to the firm has been given by krmy engineers in Detroit, they paid. The Newberg firm was low •bidder on the major contract. I Bids for five personnel buildings, uiuwever, were rejected because [they were too high. The lowest bid was $436,980. Work on the five story main hospital will begin in March. WEATHER Snow changing to freezing rain and later to rain in extreme south portion tonight, central portion by Wednesday forenoon and probably changing to freezing rain in extreme north portion by Wednesday evening. Rising temPeratui'a. Further outlook much colder Thursday with a cold wave Thursday night.

' DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

One Person Dies In Train-Auto Collision Rushville, Ind., Feb. 3 —(UP) — 'One person was killed and two others injured in a train-automobile collision at Arlington near here last night. Killed was Iris Gardner, 47, Rushville, a passenger in the automobile, she driver, Sam Garner, also of Rushville, suffered a fractured thigh and Joan Gardner, 14, another passenger, received a fractured foot. Both the injured were brought to City hospital here. Jewish Agency Charges Arabs As Aggressors Asks UN Security Council Action On Arab League Lands Lake Success, N. Y„ Feb. 3 — (UP). — The Jewish agency for Palestine formally charged the seven nations of the Arab league today with aggression against Palestine and asked for security council measures to punish them. The agency, official spokesman for Palestine’s 1,200,000 Jews, submitted the charges to the United Nations Palestine commission with the plea that it relay the complaint to the council. The agency charged the Arab states with “an Arab plot to overthrow the United Nations Palestine (partition) decision by force.” It said Arabs already had conducted aggression in violation of the UN charter and were preparing “for further aggression.” The agency anted the council to impose economic and political sanctions on the Arabs and if necessary use force to put down their onposition to Palestine partition. The agency’# charges reached the five-member Palestine commission as it started work on a special report to the security council which is expected to ask for a UN army o back up the impending partition of Palestine. The commission’s study of the security question in Palestine was made more urgent by the disclosure that Britain already has begun evacuating its 80,000-man array. «'l urn Tn Pacrn 5 nnlumn fl) O Continue Probe Os School Robberies Authorities were continuing their investigation today into the robberies at Berne and Decatur juniorsenior high schools and an attempted robbery at Geneva high school Saturday night. Various clues left by the thieves are being checked by city, county and state police in an effort to establish their identities. _ o Big Truck Plunges Into River Monday Parked Truck Rolls Into St. Mary's A large semi-trailer truck, owned. by the Teeple Fort WaynePortland truck line took an icy plunge into the St. Mary’s river last evening when its brakes failed to hold. The truck had just been parked at the company grounds on. Fornax street and was left with its motor running near the west bank of the river, adjacent to the company warehouse, formerly the Mutschler packing company. Officials theorized that the motor on the truck stopped, thus causing- the air brakes to fail and the truck rolled forward down the bank into the river. Practically all but the rear wheels of the trailer crashed through the ice and into the water, which was deep enough to almost cover the engine hood. A Fort Wayne wrecking company was summoned and worked until about midnight extricating the vehiclefcAP«uliarly enough, the vehicle did not turn over or “jack-knife.” It was reported to have been loaded with some 20,000 pounds of cargo. The incident occurred shortly before 7 o’clock, it was reported.

New Accusation Made By Russia Against U. S. Protests American Planes Violating Freedom Os Seas Washington, Feb. J. —(UP) — Russia has accused American planes of 10 specific acts violating "freedom of commercial navigation” in the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan, the state department disclosed today. Text of the Soviet note of protest was received at the state department today and is being studied. The note was delivered to the American embassy at Moscow on Saturday and the substance of it was broadcast by Moscow radio yesterday. State department spokesman Michael J. McDermott said the note lists 10 instances from Aug. 30 to Oct. 2t last year in which American planes allegedly circled or flew low over Soviet vessels in the far east. The note described these incidents as “violations of freedom of commercial navigation” and added that the Soviet government “expects the government of the United States to give the necessary instructions to appropriate military! authorities regarding the inadmissability of such violations in the future.” Meanwhile, the department was delaying for unexplained reasons its answer to the first Russian protest in the recent series. That one objected to reopening of a wartime American air base in North Africa. 0 No Bids Received For Levee Bonds No bids were received yesterday by county treasurer Norval D. Fuhrman in offering for sale the $12,000 bonds for the Weidler levee. If not sold the county will retain the bonds and will be paid back as assessments are paid in by the affected land owners along the levee. o Continue Fight On Issuance Os Bonds County Continues Dredge Opposition The Adams county board of commissioners will continue their legal battle against issuing some $275,000 worth of bonds for the proposed dredging of the Wabash river. The commissioners, meeting In regular session Monday, authorized newly-appointed county attorney Ed A. Bosse to carry on the litigation of his predecessor Ferd L. Litterer. This authorization means the continuance of preparing for an appeal from an Adams circuit court decision, mandating the commissioners to issue the bonds. Judge Earl B. Adams, who hai for several years been serving as special judge in the mandamus proceedings —a sideline to the original Wabash dredge case—ruled early last month against the commissioners and in favor pf the dredge petitioners. A motion for a new trial, filed at the time by former county attorney Litterer, was overruled, and the county attorney immediately asked for .an appeal to the state supreme court, which was granted. Sixty days were granted for filing all bills of exception and 90 days for completion of a transcript oif all proceedings. This work is being completed under the guidance of Mr. Bosse after being started by Mr. Litterer. Mr. Bosse, in meeting with the commissioners yesterday, explained the present status of the action and asked for an indication of their wishes in the matter. Then they instructed him to carry on with the appeal to the higher tribunal. A former mandamus proceedings was conducted under William P. Endicott of Auburn as judge, (Turn To Page 3, Column 6)

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana Tuesday, February, 3, 1948

Kidnaped Baby Is Returned

MJ’ JO” < ■■' > Mil fit fc y 111 a ! / / W CSfeJ/ //

SIX-MONTH-OLD Leon Anders rests in arms of his mother. Mrs. Mari Ellen Anders, of San Diego, Cal., as his alleged kidnaper, Mrs. John B. Parker, 17. kisses his head. The teen-age girl reportedly abducted the baby from the Anders’ car while his parents danced in a-country dance hall, and told authorities 24 hours later she took the child to her Romona, Cal., home to take the place of her baby who died a year ago. Confined in county jail, she will be booked on charge of suspicion of kidnaping.

Police Radio Bids Under Advisement Two Bids Received For Radio System City and county officials today had under advisement two bids for the proposed new short-wave police radio for Decatur and Adams county law enforcement agencies. Two bids, submitted to the county commissioners and city board of public works and safety yesterday, were: Link Radio Corp., New York, N. Y., $3,603 and Motcicla Mfg. Co.. $4,498.55. Despite the variance in the bids the matter is being investigated further for several reasons. It was pointed out that there was an error in the lower bid and that the corrected price would be some S4OO or more higher. Police officials also designated their preference of Motorola equipment, declaring that it was all standard in rtiake and would be more easily maintained; and that 90 percent of the police radio equipment in the state of Indiana has been sold by the company. With appropriations of $2,925 by the county and $2,100 by the ?ity, totalling $5,025, it was pointed out that sufficient funds would be available for purchase, installation and maintenance. The county’s share is larger, it was shown, because two mobile units — one in the sheriff’s and deputy sheriff’s car—will be needed there, in comparison to one for the city police car. The cost of the fixed station, to be shared by the two taxing units, will be about $1,374.25 each. Bids indicated that the equipment could be installed and in operation in about fc days after the contract in awarded. City r.<Qice chief James Borders, sheriff Herman Bowman and other officials plan to inspect equipment of the two companies in surrounding communities. o Coldest January In Eight Years At Berne Berne, Feb. 3 — The month of January was the coldest January here since 1940 and one of the coldest on record, according to H. M. Reusser, local weather observer. The average mean temperature for the month was 20.8 degrees compared to the 35-year normal of 27.2 The lowest reading of the month was six below zero. Snowfall for the month totaled 8.4 inches, above normal, and one thunderstorm occurred, on the first day of the year. No rain fell here since then. The month set a record for clear days for January, 17.

Scout Leaders Wil! Meet This Evening The spring scouting program will be the topic of the round-table discussion to be held at 7:30 tonight by county Scouters, supervisors of the scouting program in ‘he county, at the Decatur juniorsenior high school auditorium. Clarence Ziner, chairman of the organization will preside and the discussion will be conducted by the commissioner's staff. Refreshments will follow the meeting. o Cold Wave Warning Issued To Midwest Sharp .emperature Drop On Wednesday By United Press Government weather forecasters issued a special cold wave warning for the midwest today. Cold weather already covered most of the northeastern portion of the nation. In a special bulletin, the weather bureau at Chicago said widespread snow would fall throughout the north central states to-' night, followed by a sharp drop in temperatures tomorrow night. Rising temperatures today will make the temperature drop seem even more severe, they said. Temperatures tomorrow morning; they said, will range from 20 to 25 below in northern Minnesota and from 10 to 20 below in the southern portion of the state, and in northwestern Wisconsin. In southern portions of Wisconsin and lowa tomorrow the temperature will drop to zero, the weather bureau said, with still colder weather Thursday night. Low temperatures Friday morning will range from zero to 10 below in northern Illinois and near zero in southern Illinois. The coldest town in the nation today was Bemidji, Minn., with a recording of 37 degrees below zero. In California, light rains failed to break the record winter drought which has endangered crops in the lush central valleys, but forecasters said changes in the Pacific coast weather front promise more rain in two or three days. The fuel shortage remained acute throughout much of the nation today with more than 300,000 workers still forced out of work because there was not enough fuel to keep the plants open. In the Detroit area, where CIO president Walter Reuther has called for a congresisonal investigation of the shortage. 200,000 workers remained in forced idleness. At least 30,600 were out of work in the industrial area of Ohio and another 20,000 in the steel producing? regiots arouryl Pittsburgh.

Senate Committee Votes f Against Bill Proposing Ration Machinery Setup

Adopt Proposal To Redistrict Decatur Three Precincts To Be Added Here The Adams county board of commissioners on Monday adopted a proposal redistricting the city of Decatur election precincts, which includes tile addition of three precinct.":. The change tscomes effective immediately and will be used in the approaching primary and general elections. Voters, however, if properly qualified otherwise, will not be required to transfer their registrations, if affected by the change. Such transferring will be done by registration clerks under the guidance of county clerk Edward Jaherg. It was pointed out that whereas the approximately 3,500 registered voters have been divided into six precincts, averaging some GOO each, the new setup will bring the average down to about 400 each. Public officials and political leaders agreed upon the proposed plan recently, when the fear was expressed that some of the precincts were growing too large to be efficiently handled, especially in view of the rapid growth of the city’s population and that the approaching election is a “presidential election," which attracts a larger number of citizens to the polls. A photographic reproduction of a map of Decatur, showing -the new boundary lines, precinct numbers and voting places will be printed in the Daily Democrat in the near future and will be used from time to time prior to the election for the convenience of the voters. Petitions for road improvements were accepted by the commissioners during the meeting. One asked for black-topping a read in French township from state roads 118 to 124. another for three miles in Jefferson town(Turn To Paep 5. Column 7) — O United States And Italy Sign Treaty Treaty Hailed As Peace Instrument Rome, Feb. 3.—(UP)—ltaly and the United States joined hands today in the first major postwar treaty of friendship, commerce and navigation signed by either nation. The treaty is a modern version of the Italo-American pact of 1871 which was allowed to lapse in 1937 because of unacceptable Fascist commercial practices. An important part of the treaty is a clause specifically permitting either nation to agree to international control of atomic energy, if and when such an agreement is reached. The condition is contained in article 24, clause 1, section C. “Nothing in this treaty shall be construed to prevent adoption or enforcement by either high contracting party of measures relating to fissionable material, material, to maerials which tare he source of fissionable materials, or to radioactive materials which are the byproducts of fissionauJe materials,” the treaty said. Ivan Matteo Lombardo, foreign office official who carried on most of the negotiations for Italy, said the reference to fissionable material did not necessarily mean that Italy has any. * “I don’t think we do,” he said. “But Italy has studies going on in atomic energy. We thought to put the clause in for future developments." The treaty covers 25 pages, with 27 articles and two protocols. It is the first full-fledged treaty to (Turn To Page 5, Column 7)

300 Arrested For Link With Gandhi Murder Chief Organizer Os Hindu Extremists Is Under Arrest New Delhi, Feb. 3 — (UP) — Dlspaches from Nagpur said today that police had seized the chief organizer of a Hindu extremist group linked with the killing of Mohandas K. Gandhi after beating off a frenzied mob which tried to burn its offices there. The govetr.tr.ent announced that it had rounded up more than 300 Hindu extremists in its drive to break up groups believed involved in the assassination of Gandhi. The prize catch on the fourth straight day of the campaign against the Hindu Hahasabha and its striking arm, Rashtriya Sevak Sangh, was reported from Nagpur, capital of India’s central provinces. Dispatches from Nagpur said the top organizer of the RSS, a semimilitary extremist youth group, was taken there. The government yesterday banned all private political armies. Police raided the RSS headquarters at beat off a mob which struggled resolutely to burn the place, and captured the organizer named Golwalkar. In Dehi, police dispersed a procession heading for the assembly building for a demonstration in support of demand# for stern government action against extremists. Jai Prakash Narain, leader of Indian socialists, blamed the government for failing to take sufficient measures to protect Gandhi from fanatics. The police dragnet sweeping across the central and united provinces caught up leaders and organizers of India’s two main extremist organizers, the Hindu Maha»sabha and the Rahstriya Sangh. Both organizations were outlawed yesterday by premier Jawaharlal Nehru on the heels of police reports that Gandhi was but the first target in an extremist plot to wipe out Indian leaders who followed the Gandhi code of non-violence. Most of the arrests were made In the central and united province towns of Nagpur, Cawnpore, Lucknow and Gorakhpur. Police announced the president of the united provinces Mahasabha organization was arrested in a temple at Gorakhpur and brought to New DeltTurn To Paare 5. Column 7) O Seek To Partition Property In Estate Action Filed Today In Circuit Court Action to partition property left various churches in the city by the late Kathryn Jackson was begun today in the Adams circuit court. The partition action was filed by attorney Ferd L. Litterer, representing the Zion Evangelical and Reformed church, and names other churches as defendants. These include: First Methodist. Bethany and Trinity Evangelical United Brethren, First Christian, First Baptist, Church of God, Nuttman Avenue U. 8., St. Mary’s Catholic, Nazarene, Missionary and Zion Lutheran churches. Real estate near Curryville and in Decatur is affected, since the will bequeathed it to the churches. Curtis Zimmerman, a tenant on the first described property, is named as co-defendant for any interest he may have in the real estate. The complaint for partition declares that it would be to the best interest of all parties if the land were sold and partitioned.

Price Four Cents

Senate Republicans See Probable Slash In Tax Cutting Bill As Passed By House Washington, Feb. 3— (UP) — Three senators today practically killed all possibility of meat rationing any time soon. By 3 to 2 a senate banking subcommittee voted against a hilt which proposed to set up meat rationing machinery — without price control —for use in case a : serious shortage develops. The vote followed a plea by assistant secretary of agriculture t Charles F. Brannan for approval of the bill. The administration . also wanted stand-by price control legislation. But Brannan said 1 the rationing measure would be j better than nothing. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Ralph E. Flanders, R., Vt. j Both houses met today, the 3 senate on the St. Lawrence sea- ] way project, the house on routine business. Congressional news ini eluded: Taxes —Some senate Republics ans thought the $6,500,000,000 t tax cut passed by the house would have to be trimmed to about $4,000,000,000 to win effective □ Democratic support when the - time comes to try to override the i, anticipated presidential veto, t Sen. Robert A. Taft, R., 0., I- doubted the bill could survive a veto the way it stands. "Minimum Essential” — Secret tary of state George C. Marshall i pleaded again for his plan. He r told the senate foreign relations committee in a memorandum that - any cut in the proposed $6,800,r 000.000 down payment for Euro- • pean recovery would “jeopardize • the success of the program.” Some senate Republicans, want to ! cut the figure by $2,300.1)00,000. Control — Housing expediter ’ Tighe E. Woods asked congress ' to extend rent control to March 31. 1950, and give the government power- to punish unscrupulous landlords, particularly in the case of illegal evictions. Senate Republicans generally look with favor on the bill's increase in personal exemptions and extension of the community property principle of incomesplitting. But many feel the 10 to 30 percent cut in tax rates it too steep. The house passed the bill by a vote of 297 to 120 —19 votes more , than the margin necessary to override an expected presidential veto. A total of 63 Democrats voted with 234 Republicans in favor of the tax cut. In addition to taxes, these other topics were in the news on Capitol Hill: Marshall Plan—The CIO endorsed President Truman’s request for the full $6,800,000,000 to start the European recovery program rolling in April. CIO president Philip Murray said that any reductions such as proposed by some Republican leaders would be “well-nigh criminal.” Rents — Members of a senate banking subcommittee were studying a proposal to extend rent control but leave a loophole for I (Turn Tn Pure s. Column 6) l -o Teen-Agers Dance At Elks Home Here On Sunday Afternoon i * A teen-agers dance, co-sponsored • by the Decatur B. P. O. Elks and I “The Den,” will be held at the Elks . home on North Second street Sun- ■ day afternoon from 2:30 to 5:30 > o’clock. I The orchestra and dance hall will be furnished by the Elks, with the I dance under supervision of “The i Den.” Refreshments will be avail- . able to those in attendance, who i are asked to use the main entrance i on Second.street. • This is the fourth dance of the [ school year held through the aid of fraternal organizations, Two have ■ been held at the Legion home and : one at the Moose home. All teen--1 agers of Decatur and vicinity are invited to attend.