Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 46, Number 64, Decatur, Adams County, 16 March 1948 — Page 1

j XLVI. No. 64.

OVER 100,000 MEAT PACKERS ON STRIKE

| Mine Owners Brealen To ®o To Court I IGive Lewis Three Days To Call Off I I Spreading Strike March 16 — (UP)— soft coal mine owners today .John L. Lewis days to off the walkout in the coal SRlds. otherwise, they said, they vjlH) take the dispute over pensions B the federal courts - ;| R n a letter to Lewis, Ezra Van the mine union that his ■ fie uands are in direct violation of ■ the Taft-Hartley act. I ■Van Horn asked Lewis to join the soft coal operators and B a- a federal district court to ap- | ®int an impartial umpire in the . I ffcht over pensions. | ■Van Horn told Lewis that if the and the miners 'don’t go court together on or before Frithe operators will feel free to I ition the court alone. issue between the mine work-M-s and the mine owners is Lewis’ for SIOO a month pensions I f< miners over the age of 60 with years service. I BThe pensions, agreed to in prinlast year, would be paid from I Hi, multi-million dollar health and fund. i| ■ The fund has three trustees who how the money shall be These trustees, including and Van Horn, have failed IK agree on who should be covered |Rhy Lewis’ proposed tension plan. I I Lewis last week accused the soft operators of defaulting on the |^B urrent contract - He did not call a but his miners stayed away work in large numbers yestday. . The third trustee or public mein--1 BRer of the welfare fund — Thomas ||k. Murray of New York — resigned January because Lewis and Horn were unable to reach aon the pension funds. Agreement since then has been IRield up. Van Horn told a news contoday that settlement of issue appears unlikely until a third member takes his seat a welfare fund trustee. Van Horn said he has asked repeatedly to agree on a new He said his efforts thus have failed. I Near Shutdown I I Pittsburgh, March 16 — (UP)— I I Turn To Paare 6. Column S) I o / I Ball State Alumni I In Annual Meeting I Elizabeth Habegger | Elected President I Fifty members and guests last ■■evening enjoyea the second an|Rnual banquet of the Adams counchapter of Ball State alumni ■Rat the Knights of Pythias home. -B Tile program included group singIging, a piano solo by Gladys‘Chrisjg mas, vocal solos by Freeman Burk IR halter, the election of officers and IB a timely and interesting address by IB Dr. Kenneth W. Howe, professor IB of elementary education at Ball || ate Teacher’s College. In Mrs. Elizabeth Habegger of I ■ Berne was elected president to ■ ■succeed Leo Nussbaum, who serviced since the organization of the | ■ chapter. Maynard Hetrick of De- | ■ catur was chosen vice-president, I I Kathleen Shuck of Geneva, secre--1B * ary ’ an d Edward Jaberg, of this I B treasurer. A constitution un- | ■ der which the organization will IB ol)eraf e was unanimously adopted. 5 E i Dr Howe gave an interesting adIB ress that captivated the audience, |B g ’ v * n l? his concept of leadership IB nee ded in schools, colleges, busiII t'n SS ai *d ® overnm ent, leadership || at will bring the best thought IB j effort from those they con|B ® ct ' He told about the growth of 11 a U State and plans for the future, II complimented the local chapter II t° r th e i r ac tivities and urged them R ° continue the good work. 6<l Nussbaum, in a short adR| d ress ’ concluding his term as presill I Bl ** aa *d teaching is a profession II w^c ti all should be proud to II part.. “Nothing can be more I (Turn To Page 5, Column 5)

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Legion Oratorical Contest Next Week

It was erroneously announced in Monday night’s kssue of the Daily Democrat that the state Legion oratorical contest will be held at Anderson Wednesday night of this week. The contest actually will be held one week from Wednesday, March 24. Miss Margene Bauer, of this city, is one of four contestants entered in the event. 0 House Shelves Bill To Repeal Taxes On Oleo House Committee Votes Against Any Action On Measure Washington, Mar. 16 —(UP) — Housewives who serve oleomargarine will have to go on coloring It themselves. The house agriculture committee today voted 16 to 10 against acting now on a measure to repeal or reduce federal margarine taxes. Those who wanted the repealer passed said the committee action was the “kiss of death.” The bill isn’t killed, but its chances of getting action in this session appear to be dead. Under the law that didn't get repealed, federal taxes on colored margarine are so stiff that dealers sell the spread in its original lardwhite color. With each package they supply a bubble of vegetable dye. The house debated a rent bill end the senate studied President Truman’s labor department reorganization plan. Developments Included: “Abdication” — It looked as though the house would pass its rent control extension bill despite Democratic opposition. The bill would give local boards the last word on hometown .controls. Democratic whip John W. McCormack, Mass., called this a “complete abdication by congress.” “Improper” — The house appropriations committee said the agriculture department’s soil co' 1 servation service was engaged in “improper if not irregular” spending to thwart congress It made the charge in recommending $543,421,543 for the department in fiscal 19495 This was $26,911,027 less than President Truman asked. “Best” —Sen. Olin D. Johnston, D., S. C„ a critic of 1 'esident Truman, said Gen. Dwigh. D. Eisenhower is the “best a l , tilable candidate” to restore unity t' the Democratic party. More Planes —Rep. Chester L. Merrow. R., N. H., introduced a bill to permit the navy to spend $729,000,000 more than budgeted to buy an extra 14,000 planes in (Turn To Pagr* s fi. Column 7) 0 Let Contracts For Truck, Snowplow Contracts Awarded By Commissioners Contracts for furnishing the county highway department with a truck and a snowplow were awarded yesterday by the Adams county board of commissioners. The Phil L. Macklin company was awarded the contract for the truck on a net bid of $3,390.12. The cash price of the new Reo truck was $3,890.12. A sum of SSOO was allowed for the old Federal truck, now owned by the county. Mollenkopf & Eiting submitted a net bid of $3,305.23. on a cash price of $3,775 for an International truck and an allowance of $450 for the old truck. The truck, equipped with a twospeed axle, includes a dump body and hoist. The contract for the snowplow was awarded Korte Bros., Fort Wayne, on a bid of $685. Another bid of $Bl2 was submitted by the McAllister Machinery Co., Fort Turn To Page 2. Column 65

Truman Speaks Wednesday On World Crisis To Address Joint Congress Session On Foreign Affairs Washington, March 16 —(UP) — This jittery capital feared today that President Truman needs new emergency powers or funds to check Communism’s creeping invasion of Europe. The White House alarm bell clanged yesterday with announcement, that Mr. Truman would address a joint session of congress tomorrow on the critical foreign situation. He will speak in the house chamber at 11:30 a.m. CST. Washington was startled by the unexpected White House announcement of a personal presidential appearance before congress. It loosed a sunburst of speculation. Secretary of state George C. Marshall immediately asked- postponement of his scheduled appearance this morning before the senate armed services committee. Marshall was to have renewed administration pleas for universal military training. But that is a long range project. The capital recalled that officials and official reports recently have stressed a shortage now of military manpower and of weapons, especially fighting airplanes. Reports that Mr. Truman might ask congress to revive the draft act were accompanied by rumors the Soviet Unions had demanded military alliance with Norway, Sweden and Denmark. None of these was confirmed although they circulated among responsible members of the house and senate. The state department said it had not heard of any Russian demands on Scandinavia. Marshall and others have prepared the way for Mr. Truman with grim statements that the European situation becomes graver by the day. The president told his news conference last week that his confidence in world peace prospects had been shaken by retjut events. This followed the Communist take-over in Czechoslovakia.

It is reasonably certain Mr. Truman tomorrow will urge faster congressional action . n the first installing at of the European recovery program. It has passed the senate and w a .’*'? house approval. He also is expect(Turn Tn Paen 5. Column 7) O Electric Service Disrupted Monday Mechanical Trouble At Plant Is Blamed Most of the city was thrown into darkness for a time last night because of mechanical trouble at the municipal light and power plant. The disruption occurred shortly after 6 p. m» and lasted for a varied time, dependent upon the time required to replace the numerious circuits. Lester C. Pettibone, city light department superintendent, said that the trouble was not a serious matter and that the disruption in service occurred when controls on an induced draft fan locked. Service to the hospital, county home and other emergency users of light and power, was restored almost immediately, he said. Most of the services were out for about a 20-minute period, residents reported. Once again temporary but not serious confusion resulted from the disruption, which stopped electrically operated clocks, including the one atop the courthouse. * Darkened downtown Decatur was reminiscent of trial “blackouts” during the war years until service was restored to stores, ornamental lamps, etc. — o WEATHER Clearing and colder tonight. Wednesday, fair and slightly colder.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, March 16, 1948

Family Adopts Six Children lr LA T air ?. r ' B A -Ma H / I DISTINCTION of having adopted more children from the Cradle, adoption center in Evanston, 111., than any other family in the United States goes to Dr. and Mrs. Robert Wheelihan of Elm Grove, Wis., whose six children range in age from 17 to 2%.

Citizens Telephone To Start Conversion Complete Automatic Service For 1950 ■Citizens Telephone Co. workmen will start Monday morning on the company’s conversion program and by March 1. 1950 the entire network of Citizens Telephone operations in Decatur, Pleasant Mills, Monroe, Berne, Linn Grove and Bryant will be completely automatic and by dial. Charles Ehinger, secretary and manager, announced today. Work of converting will start on the Pleasant Mills lines and the tentative date set for the automatic changeover is set for October 1 of this year, Mr. Ehinger said. The completion of the work, however, depends on the availability of new equipment but delivery dates by the manufacturing concerns which are furnishing the equipment have been met on time so far. All wires and present telephones will be replaced with new equipment in the changeover program. The Linn Grove exchange will be completed immediately after the Pleasant Mills project and the changeover there will be made November 1, 1948. Cl’.'er conversion; tre as follows: Monroe, March 1, 1949 Bryant, April 1, 1945; Decatur, November 1, 1949 and Berne, March 1, 1950. Mr. Ehinger said that from now on, all telephone equipment replaced because of trouble on any of the exchanges would be of the dial variety and all new subscribers any place in the network will receive the new dial phones. However, the operation will not be automatic until the conversion dates, but placing the new equipment now will eliminate another call at new patrons’ points of service. The dials on the new phones will be locked and they will be used exactly like the present type phones by removing the received and waiting for the operator to ask for the number. When the dial system is ready for use on each exchange, it will be

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Decatur Elks Lodge Will Hold Annual Egg Hunt Easter Sunday

Here’s good news for the kiddies. The Elks annual Easter egg hunt will be staged at the Elks home on North Second street, on Easter Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock. Weather permitting, the program will be held on the lawn; otherwise it will be staged inside the commodious home, throughout the first floor quarters. Hugh Holthouse, exalted ruler of Decatur lodge 993, BPOE, has named Joe Weber general chairman for the festive children’s program, which in past years has attracted hundreds of participants and spectators to the Elks home. Already, an order for 75 dozens of colored eggs has been placed with thd proverbial Easter bunny for distribution among the children. The egg hunt will be divided into age classes, so that the tiny

Amateur Photography Class Holds Meeting The firut meeting of the amateur photography class was held Monday night at the Decatur high school. At the next meeting officers will be elected and a camera club will be organized. Virgil Marquart, of Fort Wayne, will give a lecture about cameras and lenses. This meeting will be held Monday, March 22, at 7:30 in the-Decatur high school. All persons interested are invited to attend. 0 Plan Free Medical Exam For Children All Lincoln Pupils Will Undergo Exams A free medical examination of all Lincoln school children will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, March 23-24, it was announced today. This examination has been arranged by the Lincoln P. T. A. with the cooperation of Decatur physicians, and will be given at the Lincoln school building. In addition to the first to sixth grade pupils, all ore-kindergarten children, thos< who are entering school for the first time next September, will also be given a health check-up on .the same days. The children now attending ’ kindergarten were giveq. the examination during the P. T. A. summer round-up and a record of them has already been made. Next week’s examination will for the first time give school authorities a complete health record of the entire roster of grade children. They will be able to ascertain whether or not each pupil has been vaccinated or inoculated against contagious disease, and will know what physicial or health defect each child has, so that the parents may be informed. Each doctor will be assisted in the examination by a volunteer nurse and in addition there will be a large corps of mothers who will act as helpers. The check-up will /Turn Tn Pagre 2. Column 4)

tots have an equal chance with older children in filling their baskets. A feature of the hunt will be the giving away of 75 live baby rabbits. On that many eggs, the word rabbit will be stenciled and the lucky finder will be entitled to an Easter bunny, a gift which most parents find attracts more excitement in the home than Santa Claus’ chimney. The Easter egg hunt was established about 10 years before the war and was suspended for the duration. Last year the hunt was revived and the Elks invite the community to attend the program. The committee has a special note for the children . . . the baby rabbits including Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, are on display at the Cash Coal Feed and Supply office on West Monroe street.

Leaders Os CIO Workers Call Big Strike Despite President Truman Appeal

Seeking Cause For Delay In Shipment Late today attaches of the county clerk’s office were still seeking the cause for the delay’ in shipment of candidate 1 declaration blanks, presumably sent from Lafayette last week. Meanwhile, the filing of office-seekers in the May primary was temporarily stymied. Only new one to file was Ed P. Warren, Republican candidate for precinct committeeman, Decatur 3-B. o House Rejects Roll Back Os Rent Ceilings Rejects Proposal To Return Ceiling To Wartime Levels Washington, March 16. —(UP) — The house today rejected a proposal to roll back rent ceilings to the wartime levels. The proposal was made by Rep. Helen Gahagan Douglas, D., Calif. It was turned down by a standing vote of 117 to 29. Mrs. Douglas offered a complete substitute for the rent bill which the house is debating. Under the substitute tenants who already have signed “voluntary” leases providing for rent increase of up to 15 percent would no longer be obliged to pay the increase. After voting down the Douglas substitute, the house moved ahead toward almost certain approval of the Republican-sponsored bill to continue rent control for another year. Mrs. Douglas’ substitute called for rent control extension to June (Turn Tn Paep 2. Column 5) 0 Churches Plan For Good Friday Service Suspend Business During Three Hours The annual union Good Friday services, with all Protestant churches of the city participating, will be held at the First Methodist church March 26, from 12 noon untill 3 o’clock. Dr. Mvron L. Pontius, of Ashley, a retired Congregational minister, will deliver the meditations on each of the “Seven last words.” Pastors of the participating churches will assist during the three-hour period. The music section of the Decatur Woman’s club will provide special music during the services, assisted by the Rev. William C. Feller, pastor of the Zion Evangelical and Reformed church. Congregational hymns and prayers will be interspersed throughout the three-hour period. St. Mary's Church Christ’s crucifixion on the Cross of Calvary will be commemorated during the Three Hours, from 12 noon to 3 o’clock in the afternoon, at St. Mary’s Catholic church, with congregational Way of the Cross. The fourteen stations depict the successive stages on Christ’s journey to Calvary. Adoration of the Cross and private devotions will be held during the memorable Three hours, the schedule of which will be announced by the Very Rev. Msgr. J. J. Seimetz at the Sunday masses. The mite boxes will be gathered on Good Friday. In the evening, services will be held at 7:3(J o’clock, consisting of a sermon on the Crucifixion. The mass of the pre-sanctified will be celebrated on Good Friday morning. Zion Lutheran Speatal services will be held at the Zion Lutheran church on (Turn To Page 6. Column 7)

Asks Spain Be Admitted To Marshall Aid Portugal Proposal Made At Conference Os Europe Nations Paris, March 16 — (UP) — Portugal nominated Spain today for admission into the ranks of the 16 nations banded together to receive American aid under tlie Marshall plan. The Portuguese delegate asked he European recovery program delegates in conference here to study “at an opportune time” the admittance of Spain to the plans for the reconstruction of Europe. The delegate, foreign minister Jose Caeiro Da Mata, voiced hope that Spain one day* would be associated in the “Pacific task of European economic reconstruction.” Reporta that Portugal would propose the admittance of Spain into the ERP or Marshall plan setup came last week from Madrid. Da Mata put forth his proposal shortly after the opening of the second session of the conference at 3:13 p.m. (8:13 a.m. CST) with foreign secretary Ernest Bevin of Britain presiding. “I hope some day that Spain may join this group in the specific task of European econo’ ic reconstruction,” he said. “lad that the conference ought to je open to all countries. 1 invit-. the conference to study at. an opportune moment the admission of Spain to this conference." Li Mata said that Spain, a country TJth 28,000,000 inhabitants and considerable resources, could not be kept “indefinitely outside the common work of European reconstruction.” His government, he said, warmly associated itself with the AngloFrench proposal for participation in the conference work by the commanders in chief of the three western German zones. Foreign minister Sean Macßride of Erie raised a proposal for the economic unity of Ireland. Macßride told the conference: “One of the most essential and urgent steps we must undertake, as far as my country is concerned, (Turn To Page □. Column 6) 0 Anthony Murphy 1$ Commander Os VFW Annual Election Is Held Monday Night • Anthony Murphy, of this city, is the new commander-elect of Llmberlost post 6236, Veterans of Foreign Wars. Mr. Murphy was named to the position Monday night during the annual post election of officers. held as a part of the regular meeting. He succeeds Dr. Harold V. DeVor, who has served in that capacity for the past year — the second post commander since the post was formed following the end of World War 11. Other officers named during the election include: Odes Gould, senior vice-commander; Don Beery, junior vice-commander; Harold Warthman, quartermaster; John L. DeVoss, post advocate: Edward Noonan, chaplain; Dr. D. D. Jones, surgeon. Robert Eiting was named trustee of the post for a three year period. Commander - elect Murphy is expected to name his appointive officers and committee members in the next few days. The new officers will be Installed next month. District commander Ed Drew headed a delegation of VFW notables in attendance at the meeting last night.

Price Four Cents

Meat Production Is Reduced By Half As Strike Goes Into Effect Early Today Chicago, March 16.—(UP)—More than 100,000 CIO packing plant workers walked out today in a nationwide strike which cut meat production in half. Leaders of the CIO United Packinghouse Workers called the big strike at midnight despite an 11th hour appeal by President Truman. The president had asked that the strike be postponed while a factfinding board investigates the issues. Picket lines were set up this morning at packing plants and slaughter houses across the nation as one of the first big industrywide strikes of 1948 got underway. The union seeks a third-round wage increase of 29 cents an hour. Most of the picketing was peaceful. At Cambridge, Mass., however. a striker and a policeman were injured when 150 pickets tried to stop a loaded truck from leaving the John P. Squire Packing Plant under police escort. The strike disrupted the operations of about 130 meat plants, including 73 big plants and 60 smaller ones. It cut down the production'of the big four packers—Swift Armour. Cudahy and Wilson. It affected about 40 independent firms. Industry spokesmen said that within a week or two at the most the pinch of a meat shortage would be felt by consumers. More than 2.250 policemen were assigned to special strike duty at Chicago, the nation’s meat capital. The strike also hit such big packing centers as Omaha, Kansas City, Milwaukee, South St. Paul, Sioux City. la. ' The shipment of cattle, hogs and sheep to the big livestock centers was cut to a trickle. The pens of the world’s largest stockyards at Chicago were almost empty w’hen the strike began. About 800 uniformed police patrolled the Chicago yards and adjacent packing plants. Large crowds of strikers gathered at the gates, but there was no violence. No attempt was made to prevent maintenance crews and supervisory personnel from entering the plants, police said. Nor were members of the rival AFL Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen’s union prevented from entering plants not affected by the strike. Trucks loaded with the day’s shipment of livestock moved slowly through the stockyards gates. The animals were consigned to plants not affected by the walkout. About 1,000 pickets formed lines at the three main gates of the Wilson, Armour and Swift plants in Chicago. One convoy of 21 trucks loaded with meat left the struck plants shortly before the strike began 'Turn Tn Patre 6. Column 7) O Shortage Os Labor Reason For Factory Not Locating Here A shortage of labor in the Deca*' ur area is given as the reason why a Detroit manufacturing concern abandoned plans to locate a plant here, the monthly bulletin of the Chamber of Commerce reveals. Representatives of the firm were : n the city and shown prospective sites by Charles D. Ehinger, chairman of the industrial committee. Information on utilities, educational and recreational facilities were furnished the Detroit men. A survey on the number of available workers irf and around Decatur was the determining factor in the decision not to locate the plant in this city. . The bulletin also states that a local industry employing 30 persons is considering moving out of town unless it finds suitable quarters. The bulletin states that the industry needs 3200 square feet of floor space. Seventeen hundred persons are employed in seven of the city’s 10 industries, the bulletin states.