Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 47, Number 52, Decatur, Adams County, 3 March 1949 — Page 1

r o |. XLVII. No. 52.

FIRES AND PLANE CRASHES TAKE 32 LIVES

Senate Balks Bolding On Slate Tax Bill To Withhold Gross Income Tax > Barely Defeated Indianapolis, Mar. 3 — (.VPI — 4 Democratic administration bill t o withhold gross income taxes tom salaries like the federal intonte tax withholding system op erl( es failed to pass in the Indiana senate today. passed previously by the Demouatic house, the bill barely missHl making the grade in the senate Jten 25 voted for it' and 24 ggainst. Passage required 2G totes. The rules provide that the bill may be called down again for another showdown. Supporters woaid need to swing only one vote while keeping the others in line in order to pass it. A few Republicans joined the minority Democrats to support the bill, which the administration believed would snare $8.000.u00 to (10,030,000 a year now evaded in taxes. Meanwhile, a four-member conference committee prepared to meet to begin ironing out the controversial financing method for the soldier bonus bill. The commifee consists of Reps. Joseph Klein. D.. Gary, and Byron T. Somers. R.. Fort Wayne, and Sens. Herman C. Evans, D„ Bloomington. and William C. Bates. R. New Albany. Late yesterday. Governor Schricker said he believed that if another referendum were held today on the soldier bonus issue tne people would vote against it. Ijast November, they overwhelmingly their opinion about a bonus. “The people wouldn't want it now,'' Schricker said yesterday as* 100 businessmen and manufacturers crowded into his statehouse office in protect to the Democratic proposal to levy a gross income wrtax to finance the bonus pay men's. But Schricker held to an opinion that the legislature was under obligations to carry out the Nov. 1 mandate that a bonus law be enacted. He made the statements after L 0. Williams, Kokomo, spokesman for the group, suggested that the veterans might have changed their opinion about a bnus. “I think you're right.” the gov‘emor said. “If we took the vote todav. the people wouldn't want it But we took the vote last November." I The visitors also protested the Democratic "privilege" tax plan to levy a one-fourth of one percent •ax on goods made in Indiana and •o’d outside the state. Schricker defended the proposHe said the state’s finances *ere in bad shape. “I wish we could avoid a privileft tax.” he said. “But we're either going to pay it now or later." A few hours later, in a night ’ession. the Republican senate in directly solved the alternative by killing a Democratic effort to get ’he “privilege" tax out of commit •ft- The action indicated the tax '• imposed as Schricker said it must be. would be impos d "later" 'Tara To Poire Seven) Checks Stolen From Bluffton Recovered Bluffton, Ind., March 3 - (VP>®tet* highway police todav recover j M nearly $15,000 in checks stoler mat night from a safe in a Bluffton Bocery store, but the safecrackers *PMrently had made a clean get with S4OO in cash, authorities Wd. Authorities said they believed i' r “ a professional job," done by a ftne about four or five men. The checks were found thid morn •ug scattered over about two miles ‘■_°ug state highway 116 near'the "abash river, west of here Auth titles had found no other trace of ’•ke thieves. WEATHER Tair in extreme south and ’’’owtly cloudy north and cen*r»l portidne tonight. Friday Jwerally fair and warmer.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Police Warn Against Old License Plates Blue may be your favorite color, but if it’s the shade of your license plates police will see red. Car owners sporting 1948 plates will be prosecuted, city police warned today. The deadline for replacing the blue tags was midnight Monday. From here on in, being in the red will be the only legal course. Hgui e Group For Extending Rent Controls Banking Committee Favors 15-Months Control Extension ' Washington, March 3—(UP)— The house hanking committee today voted a 15-month extension of rent controls. The administration had asked a two-year continuation beyond the March 31 expiration date. The committee vote was 23 to 2 on the extension period. Work on the entire rent control bill has not been completed. Committee chairman Brent ?pence, I).. Ky„ said, however, that members decided not to subject violators to criminal penalties except where veterans' priorities are involved. While the house group was voting, rent director Tighe E. Woods was urging a senate banking subcommittee to make it a crime to charge "black market" rents. He also asked power to control evictions and prosecute violators for triple damages. Other congressional developments: • Trip—President Truman’s legistive lieutenants voiced hope that he will put off any whistle stop tour until confess passes part of his program. Too much Rep. James T. Patterson, R., N. J., said veterans are being overcharged for GI insurance. He said premiums could be lowered by revamping the tables used to compute them. Statehood—The house subcommittee on territories unanimouslyurged approval of a Hawaiian statehood bill. It plans to consider an Alaskan statehood bill tomorrow. Wallgren — The senate armed services committee put off til next Tuesday a vote on the nomination of former Gov. Mon C. Wallgren of Washington to be chairman of the (Turn To Vila*

Jersey Parish Show Here During Fair Annual Cattle Show Here Next Summer The annual northeastern Indiam jersev parish cattle show will bi held In Decatur this year in con nectlon with the Decatur re< street fair and agricultural exhibit it was announced today by Jersej breeders of this county. The shou wi! l be held July 25 to 30. Inclusive and it will be the association s first visit to Decatur in 10 years. The big event was scheduled o> Decatur after Roy Price of Deeatui and Everett Rice of Monroe both jersev breeders, attended the as (Delation's district meeting and ex *-as held at Goshen last year. Se eral cities and towns extended simi lar invitations, but foilowing e vote . Decatur was selected as th< m e said that a local span ,oring organization would be set M p immediately and that compleU “lan< for the Decatur show wouk be announced soon. Another boost was gnen to th* 10C al fair in i« the war to bring a number «rock shows to Decatur when Peter B Lehman received a Xr from E T. Wallace, secre the Indiana Guernsey Breeders' association, stating that S r was still being considered She show pl.ee for that organi ration's northeastern Indiana show ■r ih» Guernsey breeders select nlatuHbe show also .'ill be held SXX <i'h the street fair rvear's Guernsey show was S.t s<»y««- Mr - Ls hraan vund a district meeting in lhe future at which time a deeHon will be made as to where ,bat show will be held.

’Round-The-World Bomber Ends Historic Flight —S ■ . i I ' A. ■ «« aS II ' a n TIM Jr W/•. € THE CREW of the Army’s huge B-50 bomber “Lucky Lady II” assemble before their history-making air-' craft at Carswell Air Base, Fort Worth, Tex., to receive the congratulations of Air Secretary Symington, shortly after their landing at the end of the first ’round-the-world, non-stop flight. The plane girdled the globe in 94 hours at an average speed of 239 miles an hour, and was refuelled in flight

Tighten Blockade Os Eight Russians Street Sealed Off Against All Traffic Frankfurt, March 3.—(UP)— American troops tightened their blockade of eight Russians in the Soviet reparation mission’s headquarters today, sealing off the street against all bystanders and traffic. The blockade was tightened after one of the Russians appeared at the gate this morning, asked for a newspaper and was obliged by a lieutenant of military police ot, guard to prevent anything from reaching the Russians. The American lieutenant who broke his own blockade continued on duty under orders not to repeat the incident, but the officer in charge, provost marshal Col. S. A, Wood, was extremely provoked. "I don't want any airlift starting there," Wood snapped after his troops ordered photographers to move away from the front of the blockaded building and stand across the street. “I want to be sure no one comes here and throws things over the fence to them. From now on they get nothing—nothing.” The newspaper handed the Rus sian was a copy of the U. S. army publication Stars and Stripes which bannered yesterday's nonstop globe-girdling flight by an American B-50 bomber. The second day of the blockade of the Soviet repatriation commis- ' sion started when an english-speak-ing Soviet lieutenant appeared at 'he door of the blockaded house and shouted to an American guard: “Give us newspapers. We are cut off from the world here. Can't (Torn To I’nae Fl»»>

Cardinal Spellman Aids Grave Diggers Declares Union Is Dominated By Reds New York. March 3—(UP)— Francis Cardinal Spellman, Roman Catholic archbiship of New York, laid aside his vestments to dav to help dig graves at Calvary cenieterv where a seven weeks-oM strike has held up the burial of 1,020 bodies. The Cardinal, undaunted bytaunts of “strike breaker" from officers of the United Cemeteryworkers (CIO), said he would lead 100 seminary students through picket lines to assist him with the •ask. , . "This is the most important work Ive had in my 10 years in New York.” he said. “We'll do the best we can.” . - , Spellman declared that the Food. Tobacco and Agricultural worker? of America, with which the VCW is affiliated, is a “well known Com munist dominated union" and that he believed the strikers were misled. The strike, he said, was a • moral issue." Some 250 members of the union gravediggers, gardners. mechanics and chauffeurs went on strike at the Calvary cemetery, Maspeth N Y.. on Jan. IS. They demanded that their six-day work week be reduced to five days for the same (Tara Ta Paa* Twa)

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana Thursday, March 3, 1949

Lowell Smith Named To Library Board Lowell Smith, Decatur high; scltbol instructor, today was nam-' 1 ed a member of the Decatur library | board for a two-year term and Mrs., F. H. Willard was reappointed fori a similar term by Judge Myles F. I Parrish. Mr. Smith replaces HarryDailey, who has served for several years on the board and was not a candidate for another term. Mr. Smith has long been interested in the activities of the local library. He has been an instructor in the Decatur schools for a number of years. Mrs. Willard is the wife ot the Rev. F. H. Willard, pastor of Bethany Evangelical United Brethren church in Decatur.; Youthful Robbery Gang Is Smashed Eight Members Os Gang Under Arrest Indianapolis, March 3—(UP)— Eight members of a young and bold gang accused of 34 burglaries in seven central Indiana counHes over a five-month period have been arrested, state police announced today. Six of the gang were teen agers and two were in their twenties. Police said the arrests cleared up burglaries, most of them in school buildings, in Hendricks, Hamilton, Clay, Owen. Monroe, Hancock and Marion counties. In Hendricks county jail at Danville were Robert Odom, 20, and Henry W. Clevenger. 23, both of Indianapolis, and a 16-year-old boy. In Marion county jail here were four 16-year-olds. ( Odom and Clevenger were charged with second-degree burglary and Odom was charged also with automobile banditry. The eighth member of the gang and first arrested was a 17 year old Indianapolis youth now serving a term in the Indiana boys school in connection with a Noblesville school burglary in January. Police said the gang worked in pairs and the last three months had been “busy" almost every night. When several pairs worked , the same night, they would meet later and divide their loot. The arrests were announced byHendricks county sheriff Leon Bay(Torn Tn Pane Five)

(Dr. Gerald H. Jones, First Methodist Church) "Keep Thy heart wi'h all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23) This passage is found among the parental exhortations to a son. The writer has said that there are many bisecting courses full of points which bewilder inexperienced travelers. In this verse the earnestness of the counsellor reaches its h°ight. He sees that in the heart rests the true seat of character. Izi'er the apost e in the Epistle to the Ephesians is to exhort the Christians to take oa the whole armour of God. Life is to be protected and guarded because no man is stronger than his weakest point, and we may he actually weakest where we suppose ourselves to be strongest. It is possible to be careful about the mouth, and yet allow lhe eye to have a wide and perilous liberty. For we can practice wickednss in silence. The eye can be enjoying a very harvest ot evil and not one sign be given by speech that the soul is rioting at the tab.e of evil. Cobwebs will not keep burglars out. But In the inner man. In that inner ci'adel of faith, the eye can be directed, thought can be controlled. imnginaMon can be disciplined, habitual patterns of right thought can be -ormed. It is of Infinite consequence that we should direct our extonions at this point “My son. my son." says the gracious counsellor, ' keep pure and holy within.’ For it is here that the true spring of character is found."

Pledges Fight For Stale Institutions f Increased Fund To Hospitals Urged Indianapolis, March 3—(UP)— Sen. Dorothy Gardner, R,, Fort Wayne, promised today to carry on a one-woman fight, if necessary, to see that Indiana state mental institutions get enough money for “bare medical necessities.” "There's notntng wrong with our institutions that money won’t cure," said Mrs. Gardner. "And I’m going to use every means 1 have to see that they get it.” Mrs. Gardner made her statement as the senate finance committee prepared to report out the massive state biennial budget bills, appropriating mora than $207,000,000. without any amendments to increase the allocations to the state's mental institutions. Sen. John W. Van Ness, R„ Valparaiso, senate majority leader, last night sounded the death knell to any Democratic hopes cf Increasing the state's revenues by levying any new taxes. “There will be no new taxes," Van Ness said, "unless we Republicans are convinced that the state needs them." Under questioning. Van Ness admitted that it would take a "lot of convincing” during the 86th general assembly’s last four legislative days to show the 28-man GOP bloc in the senate that the state needs more money. Mrs. Gardner said she wasn’t go ing to ask the senate to add un limited amounts to the funds the bi partisan budget committee har allocated for the state's insane hospitals. “All I propose to do is restore the allocation to each institution, which it requested,” said Mrs. Gardner. "I think the budget request) made by the heads of these menta, institutions are as low as we can co in appropriating money for them We all know that there Is a lot wrong with them now that money will cure." she said. "And I have been reliably in formed that these requests are th* absolute minimum that these in stitutions need for the bare medi cal necessities," said Mrs. Gardner The state budget committee received requests from the five stat* mental hospitals asking for a total of $9,505,674 to operate during the (Tnra To Poor Four)

11 Persons Burn To Death In Lake Resort House In Michigan This Morning

Installment Buying Controls Are Eased To Give Purchasers More Payment Time Washington, Mar. 3 — (UP) — Government controls over installment buying will be eased Monday, giving purchasers more time to pay for automobiles and other durable goods. The relaxation was ordered \v the federal reserve board. The action marked the first softening of consumer credit controls since they were reimposed last Sept. 20, at the height of the price rise. Here is the way installment buying will be affected: Automobiles — Under present regulations, consumers must make a down payment of one-tjiird pf the purchase price ami pay off the balance within 18 months. Under the new order, consumers still will have to make a one third down payment, but they will be given 21 months to pay the balance. Other durable items such as furniture and appliances—at present, a down payment of 20 percent is required and the balance must be made up within 15 months. Under the new rules, the down payment will be cut to 15 percent and the time for making up the balance is extended to 21 months. Besides automobiles, other goods affected by the federal reserve board order are stoves, ironers, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, radio and television sets, phonographs and radio-pho-nographs, sewing machines, vacuum cleaners, combina'ions of any of these items, and household fur niture, including bedsprings, mattresses, lamps and soft surface floor coverings. Manufacturers and retailers have protested that the present buying curl's been cutting deeply into their sale volume. The reserve board reported yesterday that time purchases had dropped $145,000,000 between December and January. Sen. Joseph C. O’Mahoney. D.. Wyo., chairman of the joint congressional economic committee (Turn To Pnite Seven)

Monroe Men AdmitAttack At Portland Fort Wayne Man Severely Beaten Two Monroe men today confessed to the heating Tuesday night of a 38-year-old salesman at South Meridian and Water streets in downtown Por'land. Their victim, Robert C. Rade haugh, of Fort Wayne, was "improving but still in critical condi tion” this morning, attaches of the Jay county hospital said. Marvin Dooty. 26, Monroe pain’ salesman, and Albert Hall. 26. manager of a hulk oil plant at Monroe, are charged with assault and battery with Intent to commit a felony. Radebaugh. who suffered a head -oncus-ion and cuts and bruises, told Por'land police he was carry ing $2,000 in cash when the attack occurred, but none of the money was taken. Warrants for the arrest of the Monroe men were issued Wednesday afternoon. State police offl cer Earl Warnock. Adams county sheriff Herman Bowman and two Portland police officers arrested Dooty late in the afternoon and Hall at 7 p. m. The men were remanded to the Jay county jail. Arrangements for their re'ease on $3,500 bond each were being made late today, it was learned. They will not be arraigned before Monday, when the March term of the Jay circuit court he gins. Radebaugh is a salesman for rhe Rluwida-Morean Co., a paint firm, in Fort Wayne.

American Reds Back Russia In War With U.S. Communist Party Leaders' Pledge Brings Demands Washington. March 3 — (UP) — The pledge of U. S. Communist leaders to support Russia in any war against the United States brought renewed demands in con gress today for Communist-control legislation. Reps. Francis Case, R.. S. D., and Richard iM. Nixon, R„ Cal., both members of the house unAmerican activities committee, said the statement of party leaders 'Eugene Dennis and William Z. Foster points up the need for strong curbs on Communist operations in this country. “If we don’t have laws strong enough to take care of people like that," Case said, "I think we ought to strengthen them." But other ifluential congressmen, including some administration leaders, said they were not a bit surprised at the Dennis-Foster stand. It is typical of Communists throughout the world, they said, and it is nothing to get excited about. Dennis is general secretary and Foster national chairman of the U. S. Communisty party. They issued their statement at Communist headquarters in New York yesterday. They said that in the event of war between the United States and Russia, the Communist party here would work to ‘defeat the predatory war aims of American imperialism." They emphasized that they do not believe war Is inevitable. But If "Wall Street" starts one, they said, the Communists would oppose it as unjustly aggressive and "destructive of the deepest Interests of ttie American people and all humanity." “Even as Lincoln while a congressman the unjust annexationist Mexican war and demanded ' its termination," they said, “so would we Communists cooperate with al! Democratic forces to defeat the predatory war aims of American imperialism and bring such a war to a speedy conclusion on the basis of a Democratic peace." Similar promises of support to Russia in the event of a U. S.-Rus (Turn To I'hko Nla) Wabash Dredge Case Is Continued Month Brief Hearing Held On Terminating Case The Wabash dredge case, which has been shunted through the courts for many years, had new life pumped into it today when special judge Henry Kister. of Princeton, continued the case until April 12. A hearing was held this morning in the Adams circuit court, designed to determine whether or not the generation old petition should be “dismissed and terminated." Half a dozen affected landowner; appeared, as did two commissioners' from Mercer county. 0., who ex pressed their desire to see the longfought dredging accomplished. They said Ohio was well on the way toward widening the Wabash river, adding that they would cooperate in any way toward coordination of the project in the two states. A verified petition of Cleve T Watt, contractor, was filed, ask ing that he be relieved of his con tract and from liability on his bond The petition was taken under ad vlsement. It was believed a group of affected Indiana farmers would file a new petition, outlining the volumi ndus background of the case, to I force the issue

Price Four Cents

Disastrous Fires Claim 23 Lives; Nine Found Dead In Wrecked Plane By United Press Disastrous fires and plane crashes took 32 lives today, and eight men aboard a U. S. bpmbet* were missing. Fire in a lake resort house at Lakewood. Mich., killed 11 persons, and two others were burned so badly they weje not expected to live. Nine persons aboard a Cali/or-nia-based C-47 were found dead in the plane’s wreckage on a Mexican mountainside 100 miles southwest of Del Kio. Tex. Seven persons, including a mother and her three children, perished in a rooming house firflat Halifax. N. S. Five of the dead were trapped in an upstairs bedroom. Thirteen persons escaped. Four persons were burned to death at Stillwater. N. Y„ in a fire which destroyed a small farm home. The victims were a blindman. his two grandchildren and a hired hand. Two other children escaped. Another fire victim was 104-year old Mrs. Margaret Powell of Washing’on, D. C., who died of burns ’ after her dress caught fire frim ! an electric cooker. The Lakewood fire started after i an explosion in a coal stove and spread rapidly, trapping the victims in little groups. Davis-Monthan air force base officials disclosed that One of the four B-29's used in refueling the round-the-world non-stop flight of the B-50 Lucky Lady II was missing in the Manila area with eight men aboard. Other planes were seeking it. A Capital Airlines plane made a forced “belly landing" near Imperial. Pa., after striking an electric power cable, but none of the 16 persons aboard was hurt and the plane was damaged only slightly. At Vernon, Cal., five workers in an acetylene and oxygen plant escaped unhurt from a series of tank explosions which rocked the surrounding area. Fire Follows Blast Lakewood. Muskegon County. Mich.. Mar. 3—(UP)—Fire killed 11 persons and burned two others critically today when flames were touched off by an explosion in a lake resort house. The victims were listed by state police as August Task!, an elderly man. Mrs. Maude Clover, 46, and her eight children. Artie. 3. Nah- • cy. 5. Sandra, 6. James, 7. David. 9. Harold, 10, Joanne. 15, and Roger, 8. Howard Clover. 17. and his elder brother. Ward, Jr.. 21, were burned ami taken to Muskegon hospitals. Attendants said they were not expected to survive. Police were unable to locate Mrs. Clover’s estranged husband, but he was reported to be in Chicago. Officers said a coal store apparently exploded in the frame building and caused the rapidly spreading fire. The victims were trapped and their bodies were found (Turn To P«c» Sl«> Brazil Man Killed When Hit By Train Brazil. Ind.. March 3 — (VP) — i Maurice K. Pinkerton. 33. Brazil factory worker, was killed late yesterday when struck by a Pennsylvania passenger train. Authorities said Pinkerton apparently walked into the path of the train. Liquor Store Clerk Wounded In Holdup Franklin Ind . March 3 — (VP)— Lloyd L Ahbett. 49. a liquor store clerk, was in critical condition today from gun wounds which police said were Inflicted during a holdup att«.Tpt last night. i Police chief Hanler McMillen Mid I detail* of the shouting were un--11 known because Abbett was hurt so ' badly he couldn't explain.