Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 54, Number 19, Decatur, Adams County, 24 January 1956 — Page 1

Vol, LIV. No. 19.

ON LABOR DISTRESS

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APPEARING BEFORE a Senate subcommittee on labor, Sen. Pat McNamara (D), of Michigan (left), and Michigan’s Gov. G. Mennen Williams discuss the problem of unemployment in iron mining, automobile parts and radio in their area. ThJ subcommittee is going into the problem of economically distressed and depressed sections of the country.

Senate Group Begins Draft Os Farm Bill Measure Aimed At Raising Low Crop Prices To Farmers WASHINGTON (INS) —Republican congressional leaders promised President Eisenhower today to push for early enactment of h<s farm program. Agriculture secretary Ezra Taft Benson sat in on the 75-minute legislative conference at the White House, which turned into a roundtable discussion when the farm program was taken up. * S Among those participating in the discussion were Sen. George I). Aiken, bt Vermont, aad HSF Clifford Hope, of Kansas, ranking GOP members of the senate and house agriculture committees. After the meeting, senate GOP policy chairman Styles Bridges told newsmen: “The general thought was that the farm legislation be pushed as rapidly as poseibl*.** Meanwhile, the senate agriculture committee began work on drawing up an election-year farm bill aimed at raising politically explosive low crop prices. Chairman Allen J. Ellender (D La.), told newsmen there “are enough votes in committee to bring out” a measure restoring rigid, high price supports of 90 per cent of parity. Reminded that last fall he predicted such a bill would be vetoed by President Eisenhower, Ellender replied that “now we have other things to put into the bill." He referred to the committee’s plan to bring out an omnibus measure which will include the soil bank Mr. Eisenhower proposed as a means of curbing production and eliminating price-depressing farm surpluses. - » The administration opposes high rigid supports ahd wants to retain flexible price props. Presumably, the President would have more difficulty in vetoing a 90 per cent price support bill if it includes the soil bank he wants. Ellender said he still prefers a compromise which would give high price props to the top quality of basic crops and a downward sliding scale for inferior grades. But he said no one has been able to find a yardstick for measuring top quality of the various grains that would be affected. Agriculture department experts sit in with the committee today. Ellender said he hopes the specialists will be able to recommend a formula for fixing soil bank payments to farmers. The administration bill leaves wide discretion to agriculture secretary Ezra Taft Benson in the bank's operation. But Ellender said: “If I have my way, we are not going to leave it all up to the department.”

Rotary Club Meets Earlier Thursday The Decatur Rotary club will meet at 6:15 p. m Thursday, 15 minutes earlier than the usual starting time, because of the annual polio dance, which will be held at the Youth and Community Center Thursday night. — The Rotary sone diacussfon contest will be held at the Rotary meeting, with W. Guy Brown as program chairman-

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2,610 Here Sign Hospital Petition High Prcentage Os Freeholders Approve Signatures on sustaining petitions for the proposal of the trustees of Adams county memorial hospital for a $450,000 bond issue to make improvements at the hospital reached a total of 2,610 in Decatur, it was announced today by Mrs. Roy Kai ver, Decatur chairman of the volunteer drive being completed this week. The results of the campaign in the 12 Adams county townships will be announced later this week, O. W. P. Macklin, rural chairman, announced. The results in Decatur reveal that less than two percent of the freeholders have failred to sign. County final figures will be far over the 75 percent mark, it was said today. Mrs. Kalver said that the petitions would be presented to the hospital board next Monday. There are still three Decatur petitions incomplete and various block volunteers reported about 50 people they had been unable to contact. Five uptown locations have been designated to receive signatures the balance of this week and any freeholder who has not yet .signed a petition and desires to do so can by visiting any of the following business houses: Holthouse Drug store, Louis Jacobs. Gerber Meat Market, Carl Gerber. Loland Smith Insurance Agency, Ted Hill. Beavers Oil Station. Al Beavers. .. First State Bank, William Lose, Jr. If anyone desiring to sign is unable to visit one of the five uptown centers. Mrs. Kalver stated That a call to her home, 3-3326. -would bring a volunteer to the person’s residence. When the drive started, leaders of the volunteer campaign estimated that about 2.000 Decatur freeholders would sign. Response has been far greater than anticipated. ■ - — An unofficial check of every Decatur precinct revealed Mondaynight that in the entire city theVe were only 35 refusals. Workers believe that' of the less than 50 who have been absent when solicitors have called, more than 85 percent will sign petitions this week. The city was divided into blocks, with precinct captains assigning a volunteer to each block. Mrs. Kalver supervised the en tire operation and also assumed the added duties of canvassing a block. Those close to the campaign say it was the best organized effort ever attempted and with the most successful results. People who have not yet signed and desire to, are urged to call at one of the five uptown centers immediately so a final total can be officially announced next Monday.

Lone Union Survivor Home From Hospital DULUTH. Minn. (INS) —Albert Woolson. IOS-year-old lone survivor of the Union Army in the Civil War, has returned home following a 12-day stay at St Luke's hospital in Duluth. - _ • His family welcomed him home Monday and told newsmen that the veteran is n» longer as alert as be was several months ago-

Dulles Urges Democrats Aid ♦ Foreign Affairs Asserts Bipartisan Approach Is Vital To Nation's Safety WASHINGTON (INS) — Secretary of state John Foster Dulles warned today that a collapse of the U. S. bipartisan approach to foreign affairs could greatly increase the danger of a world war. Dulles told his news conference that the Eisenhower administration is intensively pursuing talks with Democratic leaders fin congress seeking to bolster bipartisanship in foreign policy. He expressed hope that the principles of bipartisanship will be continued, but frankly admitted that he expects some discussion of foreign policy to enter into this year’s political campaign. Dulles said that he feels it is entirely proper for the candidates and others to discuss foreign policy during a campaign. At the same time, Dulles expressed confidence that the administration and congress will get together dn an agreement for some kind of long range foreign aid formula. He said that no exact formula has been arrived at as yet in the talks he and President Eisenhower have had with senate foreign relations chairman Walter F. George (D-Ga.) The secretary emphasized to newsmen what he termed arrival at a danger point in the discussion of foreign policy in a political year. . . ; He said the danger point? would be reached in a full dress U.S. debate on foreign policy, when it shook confidence abroad in continuance of basic American policies Dulles declared it would be a sad day and would increase the possibility of war in the world if confidence was shattered abroad in basic U. S. policies. On a wide range of other sub-, jects, Dulles said: • t* \ 1. Proposals for limiting international tests of hydrogen and atomic bombs have been under discussion with British prime minister Sir Anthony Eden, and may come up again in Eden’s talks (Continued on Page Five) Freeman Burkhalter G. E. Choir Leader Berne Man Named As Choir Director Freeman Burkhalter, prominent Berne musician, has been named to succeed David C. Embier as director of the Decatur G.E. Aeolian choir, effective immediately. Embier. who has served as director of the choir since its inception 13 years ago, has resigned because of increased demands on his time it the General Electric company as well as at home. Burkhalter is one of the top choral directors of the area. He holds a doctorate degree in the field of music which he earned last year while on leave of ab sence from the Berne public school system. He has been supervisor of music instruction at the Berne schools for about 15 years. He is also minister of music at the First Mennonite church in Berne, serving as director of the men’s chorus, the chancel choir and the Mennonite choral society of that church. X In addition, to his music activities, he is a member of the Berne Chamber of Commerce and Rotary club. His wife, the former Mary K. Meyer of Van Wert, 0., is also an accomplished musician. The Aeolian choir which he will direct Is sponsored by the General Electric company here and has gained the reputation as one of the finest industrial choirs. Since -its organization in 1943 it has grown from a group of 11 to 60 or more and,, has traveled over 4,000 miles to perform 124 concerts before a total of mbfe than 35,000 people. The choir has. to date, appeared in churches, civic clubs and auditoriums in 36 different cities and towns tn this state. In a recent election Mrs. Emma Goldner was named president of the choir succeeding Dan Forman. Other officers of the group this year are James Harkless, vicepresident: Martha Myers, social chairman, -and R. F. Leitz. treasurer. The officers have announced that plans are underway for several concerts in the near future.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, January 24, 1956.

President Eisenhower Says Business Trend In Nation Is Upward

Engineer Says Blacked Out Before Crash Thorough Probe Is Planned Os Tragic Los Angeles Crash LOS ANGELES (INS) — set-"i eran engineer Frank B. Parrish, 61, who was at the throttle of the Sante Fe train that tipped over at high speed and took 29 lives, told today of "a hazy feeling ofc seeing an orange grove" just before the tragedy. But there are no orange groves at the East Los Angeles train yard where the wreck took place Sunday. Parrish told investigators he blacked out just before the train tipped over while going at high speed around a curve and he took “full responsibility” for the disaster. The fireman on the train, Homer Smith, 42, of San Bernardino. Calif, presented investigators with an apparent discrepancy when he told his story of the crash. Chief deputy district attorney Adolph Alexander quoted Smith as telling him Parrish “appeared very normal” during the run from the station to the wreck scene.. He said that at the 15-mße-in-hour warning he called to and as the train picked up speed as it approached the fatal curve he told Parrish to throw the “emergency” brake. He said Parrish did throw the braking device but “nothing happened” and the train tipped over. (Railway spokesmen said Par rish was thoroughly famßiar with the route but it was noted that it was only the third time that be had driven the self-contained diesel units which made up the twocar train. Officials began probing the cause of the tragedy only a few hours after it occurred. They fixed the San Diego-bound streamliner’s speed at 67 miles an hour after studying recording devices lifted from its battered hulk. Authorities speculated that the engineer’s apparent blackout caused him to jam the so-called “deadman’s brake”—a device which halts a train when the engineer's foot Is raised from it. Chief of police W. H. Parker (Continued on Page Five) Soil Conservation Banquet Held Here Indianapolis News Columnist Speaks “Preserve Our Top Soil” was the topic of Wayne Guthrie, Indianapolis News columnist. who spoke at the second annual soil conservation banquet at the Decatur Youth and Community Center Monday evening. Guthrie referred to the boys and girls of the nation as America’s top soil. He maintained that this “top soil” could be saved by honesty, frugality, self-reliance, brotherly love, unselfish service, appreciation of the things we love and spiritual dedication. A highlight of the meeting was the re-election of Ben Mazelin of Monroe township, as soil conservation district supervisor. He will sen® another three-year term. Entertainment for the dinner was presented by a sextet from Decatur high school including Mara Dee Striker, Stanley Kirkpatrick, Ralph Thomas, Mary Rentz, Jackie James and Janet Lane They were accompanied hy Miss Helen Haubold. Sylvia Mazelin presented dinner music. Roy Price served as master of ceremonies. Among those who attended the dinner were Johnston Craig of Kendallville, area conservationfst for ‘ northeastern Indiana: R. O. Cole, extension soil conservationist from Purdue university. and Bob Amick, associate state 4-H director from Purdue.

Congressmen Query Defense Secretary t House Committee To Query Wilson | WASHINGTON (INS)—Defense Charles E. Wilson will Ac asked by congressmen today Sv here the U.S. stands in the race with Russia to perfect the deadly TnterContinefttal ballistic missile. ' Wilson wil Itestify today and ■ Wednesday in a closed-door session of the house military appropriations subcommittee, headed by Rep. George Mahon (D Tex.) Mahon warned in a statement Monday that "it may well be" that the Soviets are outstripping the U.S. in the development of the IBM. He said his group will inquire this as it starts a threemonth review of the entire 35 billion dollar military budget. Mahon called the IBM “the most dangerops weapon on the horizon today.” He said military experts believe a perfected missile will be able to carry atomic explosives “at such fantastic speeds there- would be little or no defense against it." The congressman said a major purpose of the hearings will be to speed up missile production, warning that the U. S. cannot afford "to play second fiddle" in this field. Mahon added that the subcommittee will take a “newjook” at the defense dej>artnwsnfs “new the right track.” look” to make sure "we are on The chairman expressed concern over the defense department’s request for 800 fewer aircraft for the air force next year than congress granted last year..— W. E. Reports Some Progress On Strike Sends Hope Soaring For Ending Strike PITTSBURGH (INS) — A disclosure by the Westinghouse Electric Corp, that some progress has been made in what the company calls true collective bargaining sent hopes soaring today for settlement of the long strike by 44,000 employes at 30 plants. Gwilym Price, president of Westinghouse, stated in a letter that current talks in Pittsburgh, offer the best hope for early settlement of the dispute with the JnterMtional Union of Electrical Workers which struck last Oct. 17. He wrote Monday to John M. Carmody of Washington, a former member of the National Labor relations board and a member of a citizens committee interested in ending the long walkout. Price emphasized that the com-1 pany wants no intervention from a third party and intends to deal only with~lhe federal mediation service which arranged the fullscale bargaining. Talks got underway last week. Branches of the AFL and CIO in New York City started a campaign Monday to raise one million dollars for some 11,000 Westing-house-strikes in that area. The IUE is seeking a 15-cents hourly pay increase for the remainder of its two-year contract which expires in October. The company is pressing ..for acceptance a five-year contract. Albert Lehrman Rites Wednesday Afternoon Funeral services for Albert Lehrman. who died Monday morning, will be held at 1:30 p. m Wednesday at the Zwick funeraPbome and at 2 p. m. as the'Zion Lutheran church. The Rev Edgar P Schmid* will officiate and burial will be in the Decatur cemetery. Friends may Safi at the funeral home until time of the services.

State Auditor Testifies To Grand Jurors Rardin Refuses To Give Comment After Testimony To Jurors INM-' ! W*X« is HNS) — A grand jury probe of Indiana auditor Curtis Rardin’s attempt to bribe a state toll road official appeared about ended with a marathon two-hour and 43-minute appearance by the accused. Rardin emerged from the Marion county grand jury chambers with a “no comment" after the long session with the jurors, a record for this investigation. Even Governor George N. Craig, who earlier gave his account of tiie April 18 incident, stayed only an hour, Rardin finally admitted to newsmen who cornered him in the cloakroom as he tried to get his hat and coat that hia one visit to the hotel room of Indiana toll road commission director Albert Wedeking was his last. ' The auditor had told newsmen after the story broke in December that he went to Wedeking’s room April 18 and in an effort to test Hie |g(hi<-s <>f ttad operation, solicited a ‘ b'ribe '’but did not intend to accept It Marion county prosecutor John Tinder told newsmen after Rardin’s appearance that he has revoked a subpoena for William Sayer, of Sebrjhg, Fla., a former Oaig—administrative aide. Tinder said that so far as he knows, the grand jury does not plan to question anyone else. He said “I still hope" that the grand jury report will be available by next week. Tinder said that the story told by Rardin in his long testimony before the grand jury “was substantially the same” as what he had told the prosecutor in an earlier conference. Tinder said he considered the state auditor to have been “a forthright" witness. Rardin himself told newsmen: "They (the grand jury) have the complete story. .1 have no comment at all." Asked if newspaper accounts of Wedeking’s accusation against him were correct, he replied: "I would not accuse the newspapers of anything." Wedeking said Rardin asked for money for his deciding vote on (Continued er. Fare Eight) Annual Report Made By County Coroner Coroner's Verdict 1n 24 Deaths Here There were 24 deaths in Adams county necessitating a coroner’s verdict, according to the annual report submitted today by Harmon F. Gillig. Adams county coroner. The statute provides that in caseof a sudden death or a death by accident or of unknown cause, the coroner trihst be called before the body is disposed of. Following is a break-down of the individual 24 reports filed by coroner Gillig during 1955: Sudden death, seven; auto accidents. nine; suiejdes,. five; electricshock, one; railroad accident, one; undetermined, one. The annual report Is filed with the county clerk and also with officials of the state board of health. In case of murder and death* of unknown cause, reports are filed with the prosecuting attorney, in addition to the others? No suspected murders were committed in Adams county during the year, the report shows. INDIANA WEATHER Partly' cloudy with little change in temperature tonight and Wednesday. • Low tonight 6-15. High Wednesday 23-31.

Candidate

John Kintz

Kintz Is Candidate For Commissioner Asks Renomination On Democrat Ticket John Kintz, prominent Adams county farmer and County commissioner representing the second district, today became the first candidate for office, subject to the decision of Democrat voters in the May primary Kintz announced he would seek reelection to the post at eounty commissioner. He is completing his first three-year term in that office this ydar. The Washington township man said that he would start soon, to make a thorough campaign of voters and if successful he would do everything possible “io continue the operation of the business of Adams county in an efficient and orderly fashion.” The candidate has been active for a long time in Democratic political circles hut until” he was elected commissioner, he never had held a public office. He had served for several terms as a Democratic precinct committeeman. Kintz is a member of St. Mary’s Catholic church, Decatur, and the Knights of Columbus. He has been active in farm organizations and many township and county civic enterprises" for many years. During his first term as commissioner, Kintz has never missed a meeting of the hoard and has taken an interest in all of the of ficial affairs of the county. He said that If successful in his effort for a customary second term, he "would continue to do his best in the administration of the affairs of the county.” While the statute requires that the candidate reside in the second district, election is by voters of the entire county. * New Trial Refused For Leslie Irvin . Convicted Killer Still Being Sought PRINCETON, Ind. (INS) —Escaped murderer Leslie Irvin was refused a new trial after his attorney introduced a letter in which the killer promised to surrender if he could have another hearing Irvin, 31-year-old pipefitter of Evansville, Ind-> and confessed murderer of six persons, has been the object of an intense search by midwest police following his escape from the Gibson county jail in Princeton last Wednesday. Circuit sidge A. Dale Eby rejected the appeal Monday which was submitted by attorney Theodore Lockyear. The letter had been mailed to Lockyear by Irvin from Moun? Carmel. 111., a few. hours after Irvin made his break In the letter Irvin said: "I Just can’t go up to Michigan City and wait. If thsy> ever do give me a new trial. ■ I’ll come back and face it "' (Continued on Page Five)

Five Cents

Asks Revival Os Control On Credit Terms Ike Reiterates . His Opposition To Any Tax Reduction WASHINGTON (INS) — President Eisenhower said today the U. 8. has "reached the threshold of a S4OO billion economy," and declared the business trend “still appears to be upward” despite declines in auto production and home building. The Chief Executive, in his annual economic report to congress, asked revival of a stand-by basis of executive authority to. control installment credit terms. This power was withdrawn by congress in 1052. | Mr. rasennower also called for j more liberal authority to insure I home repair and modernization | loans as part of a plan to achieve I greater flexibility in assuring cohj tinned high prosperity. | He asked authority to insure j such loans for as long as five years-, instead of three years as at present, and said the government should have power to vary the maximum “in the light of econornjc conditions.” ‘■‘ The President pointed out that business in the U. S. reached record peaks last year. He said that though the upward trend is not as fast as it was in 1955, the economy has started the new year from a strong financial and industrial -- position. i The Chief Execeutive emphatically reiterated his previously announced opposition to immediate tax cuts. He warned that under present conditions such slashes might entourage inflation. He declared attention should be centered on reducing the huge public ' debt. The President wrapped together, in the 35,000-word report, 53 legislative recommendations aimed at broadening the scope of prosperity, building for the future, and preserving the federal government’s role as a guiding partner of state and local governments and private enterprises. Among these proposals, most of which had been previously recommended, were his farm program, the school aid plan, strengthened hnti-trust requirements to stimulate competition in business, measures to encourage foreign trade and free world cooperation, expanded social security, a broader minimum wage, greater unemployment compensation and more liberal housing legislation. Mr. Eisenhowerls basic theme was that lasting prosperity “depends far more on what individuajs do for mthemselves” than on what the government can do. But he declared that the government “has the capacity to moderate economic fluctuations without becoming a dominant factor in our economy.” Ab an example, he cited the tighter curbs on credit imposed throughout the last year. This policy, he declared, has “contributed in no small degree to the achievements and maintenance of prosperity without price inflation." t — The President Stressed the need fpr extending prosperity to areas and groups that have not shared H. He proposed creation in the commerce department of a new administration to help areas of ohronic unemployment. He suggested federal loans of up to 25 percent of the cost of projects, with states or local interests putting up not less than 15 percent. Reviewing the business situation, the" Chief Executive said the nation is now producing goods and services at an annua] rate of $397 billion—s2B billion above the previous record reached tn 1953 « ~ He commented: broken through to new and higher ground, and have reached the (ContinuM on rage Eight) f