Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 56, Number 65, Decatur, Adams County, 18 March 1958 — Page 1

Vol. LVI. No. 65.

W k. yyyj ■ Maal 7 * '. "f' I J®*' TJf I. Mhßk\?2rl ww k FSL.<j.i .W 9S * dr' /* '"' *<Nv . lUR flfc: / TRACK VANGUARD ’ROUND WORLD— Surrounded by their instru- i ments, Dr. Henry L. Richter Jr., supervisor, and two members of his staff at the California Institute of Technology’s jet propulsion laboratory, listen for the five minutes of radio signals from America's newest space traveller. The Vanguard satellite, America’s second, was put into space from Cape Canaveral, Fla., early Monday morning.

Sitdown Idles G.E. Factory In This City

Decatur’s General Electric Co. . plant was idled again today by the “sitdown strike” in the rotor die casting and stock department, which started Monday morning at 10 o’clock. The entire plant was closed down at 1 o’clock Monday after--noon when the department ■ continued on the sitdown. The second shift at the plant worked for only one hour Monday as the same department in this trick also refused to work. The same condition prevailed again this morning, with the plant operating' for only about one hour A company spokesman, terming the strike "unauthorized”, stated that under the contract with the UE. bargaining agent for the local plant employes, the company would not resume any negotiations until the employes in the two shifts of the department return to work. The sitdown, it is reported, resuited from disagreement over piece rates for the casters and stackers. _ — - Union Position Union spokesmen had the following statement today concerning the G.E. situation: "We, the Union Local 924 of Decatur, will say that the company should and could negotiate in good faith. But in this case the company has had three years to negotiate it. We fail to see that during this long length of'time-'the company has moved in the direction to make any settlement with the die cast section. “The union says that if a man works eight hours he should be paid for such. If a man works at an incentive rate he should, be paid for it in that respect. “The union asks for 74 cents per hundred for the casters and 66 cents for the stackers, with the legitimate down-time necessary to make an inventive on the job. This is the company’s offer: wk. 12— 74 cents for casters, 66 for stackers; wk. 14—70 for casters, 57 for stackers; wk. 16—66 for casters, 48 for stackers; wk 18—62 for casters, 39.5 for stackers. This is a downgrade in price, not incentive, but the reverse. “These jobs are set on motion time study. In these studies they only check the machine, not the operator. Many things enter into this picture, which we are unable on this short notice to bring to the public. "The company refuses to meet with the union to try to terminate this stoppage. We, as the union, are willing to meet with the company at any time and any place, when they are willing to settle this,” INDIANA WEATHER Mostly cloudy north, partly cloudy south and not much - change In temperature tonight and Wednesday. Low tonight 25 to 32. High Wednesday 36 to 45. Sunset today 6:55 p. m. Sunrise Wed- | nesday 6:51 a. m. Outlook for Thursday: Partly cloudy and continued rather cold. Low Wednesday night around 30. High Thursday low 40s.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT v ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNT* ‘

May Announce Soon Plans For Rocket To Moon Vanguard Girdling Globe In Orbit Far Above Other Moons WASHINGTON (UP)-High defense officials said the United States, now that it has two satellites spinning around the globe, may announce, plans to send a rocket to the moon “soon.” Meanwhile a high-ranking scientist said Russia may have halted its satellite launchings in hopes of lulling Americans into complacency in the space race. Another “guess” as to why the Kremlin has sent no satellites aloft since Nov. 3 is that Moscow may be seeking to spring a major triumph by shooting a man into space and bringing him back safely, to earth. Lofty Orbit The grapefruit-sized Vanguard I, second made-in-U.S.A. moon, girdled the globe in a lofty orbit running from about 407 miles to some 2,513 miles above the earth Because of its height — far above Sputniks I and II and Explorer I — scientists predicted a life for it of possibly as much as 20 years or -more. Dr. John P. Hagen, head of the Navy’s Project Vanguard which after many setbacks fired the ra-dio-equipped satellite into space Monday, said its solar-powered radio, one of two aboard, wil probably continue to transmit signals “indefinitely’’ — as long as it stays aloft. Hagen said the next Vanguard test will be an effort to put a fully-instrumented 20-inch satellite into orbit. He declined to say when but indicated it would be within the next two or three weeks A second Army Explorer ic slated to be fired next week. Moon Shot Approved Army Secretary Wilber M. Brucker indicated Sunday night that the Advance Research Projects Agency, top Defense Department agency handling space de- . velopments, had approved a shot to the moon. But Brucker did not say who would do the shooting or with what. '< Hagen said Monday’s firing indicates the upper stages of the three-stage Vanguard could be ’ added to “any powerful booster” and shot to or around the moon. Both the Army and Air Force have missiles they are plugging for the initial phase of the moon shot. An Air Force spokesman, asked if the Air Force feels "out in the cqld” now that the Army and Navy have satellites circling the earth, said the Air Force confidentlv expects to put the first man in space* L 2i_:

Outline Plans For Possible Cut In Taxes Treasury Secretary Cites Alternative Tax Cut Proposal BULLETIN WASHINGTON (W — President Eisenhower promised today to take any “desirable and necessary action’* — including cutting taxes—to help the nation make a “healthy economic recovery.’* WASHINGTON (UP)—Treasury Secretary Robert B. Anderson today outlined alternative administration plans for a possible tax cut, including cutting the withholding tax in half, a Republican senator said after a White House meeting. Anderson discussed the plans for 30 minutes at the weekly meeting of President Eisenhower with GOP congressional leaders. Sen. Edward Martin (R-Pa.), senior GOP member of the Senate Finance Committee, told reporters that “no conclusion” was reached on when and if to put any of the plans into effect. The senator said Anderson discussed various alternatives, including a reduction of excise and business income taxes. Martin said another alternative was to reduce personal income taxes in the high brackets, along with lowering business income taxes, to encourage capital investment and long range growth of business. Warns Against Delay Martin said he believed that if a tax cut is decided upon, it might be a combination of the various alternatives. Meanwhile, Everett Kassalow, a union economist, said organized labor may call for raising individual income tax exemptions from S6OO to SBOO unless Congress acts immediately to cut taxes. Kassalow, research director for the AFL-CIO industrial union department, said delay in tax reductton ”wouid“ordy mean that more drastic measures would be required later. He spoke to rank-and-file delegates to a United Rubber Workers legislative conference* The AFL-CIO last week proposed that exemptions be boosted to S7OO to counter the recession. Other economic highlights: —Assistant Secretary of Labor Newell Brown said the current downturn should not cause “serious concern for the long pull.” He said in a speech that unemployment is now concentrated almost entirely in manufacturing indus(Contlnued on page five) Loyal Troops Hold Control Os Medan Sumatran City Is Taken From Rebels SINGAPORE (IB — The central Indonesian government used paratroops in retaking the nortji Sumatran caiptal of Medan from the rebels, Jakarta reports said today. Eye-witness reports from diplomats in the city—site of a rebellion against the Jakarta government on Sunday—said the central government forces were in full control and that the rebels had withdrawn.’ The reports said government paratroops dropped at Bereawan Harbor 10 miles from Medan early Monday and that the rebels, who were already pulling out, hasened their withdrawal. United Press correspondent Robert Monahan reported from Jakarta that 250 Americans and-825 Dutch and British dependents from eil and rubber concessions in Sumatra were to leave Medan for Singapore Thursday aboard the Dutch liner Orangje. The diplomatic reports said two ■entral government P-51 Mustangs and two B-25 medium bombers bombed and strafed Medan airfield while the rebels were holding it. Reports from Medan today said all was quiet although roadblocks prevented anyone from approaching the airport or the main square. In Singapore the Cable and Wireless Co., said communication with Medan was restored early today and that “we presume we are working with the previous (government) administration.” A spokesman for the Americanowned Caltex Oil Co. said American wives and children evacuated here from Sumatra will return there as soon as the Jakarta government informs them the Siak River is clear of rebels. The spokesman said he thought this would happen in about four days.

Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, March 18,1958

Cannon Shells Pepper Two Communities In Wisconsin Last Night

House Refuses To Accept Five Cent Postage Postage Rate Bill Sent To Conference To End Differences WASHINGTON (UP) — The House refused today to accept the Senate-approved plan to char/e 5 cents for mailing out-of-town letters. Instead, it sent the postage rate bill to a conference committee to iron out differences between Senate and House versions. The were taken on a routine motion by Chairman Tom Murray (D-Tenn.) to disagree with Senate changes in the original House bill. No objections were raised. The House bill, passed last year, called for a 4-cent rate on both local and out-of-town letters and other postage rate increases to bring in a total of 527 million dollars annually. The Senate last month hiked the charge for out-of-town letters to 5 cents and tacked on a 320-million-dollar-a-year pay raise for the nation's 519,000 postal workers. - PoKtage" tncrerrses -u n-d er—the ■ Senate version would amount to 132 million dollars annually. . Price Freeze WASHINGTON (W — Congressional approval seemed assured today for a one-year freeze on farm price supports and acreage limits. _ But many members believed the stop-gap legislation, despite a crucial amendment to make it more palatable to the administration, would be vetoed by President Eisenhower. The object of the legislation is to block scheduled cuts in farm price supports this year and anticipated further reductions in planting allotments next year. The Senate, by a 50-43 vote, already has approved legislation to impose a freeze of this kind indefinitely. The House Agriculture Committee approved the Senate bill 25 to 8 Monday with an amendment to bar support cuts this year and to prohibit acreage allotments expected to be announced this year for next year’s crops. Informed congressional sources predicted today the House will buy this by a fairly good margin, possibly late this week. The Senate, these sources indicated, probably will go along with the one-year limitation. The first of a series of scheduled cuts in price supports — on dairy products — goes into effect on April 1. Congressional leaders expect to put the bill on the President’s desk in time to head off this cut in the event he decides to sign the measure.

Lenten Meditation (By Rev. Paul D. Parker, pastor, Nuttman Ave. United Brethren church > e “THE THING THAT MATTERS” “Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.”—Jere. 9:23-24. If we were to ask a cross section of our community their version of things that really matter we would no doubt get as many different answers as we would have people interviewed. The prophet Jere. had told the people that because of their sins judgement was inevitable unless they would turn to God in repentence. Instead of turning to God they began to look to the worldly wise, their own strength, and their own treasury. They were glorying in their own resources. Who are we to criticize. In spite of all of our preaching today we are basically no different, for we are now engaged in one of the hottest races to win a cold war that the world has ever known. Seemingly, in. our crisis hour our greater trust is placed in satel’ites, guided missiles, and atomic power, rather than in the Almighty. What does"it really matter who reaches the moon first? Our security depends upon a right relationship to God. The prophet points out that instead of glorying in our material resources we should glory in an understanding and knowledge of God. "IfGod be for us who can be against us?” Do you know God?

Snow Storm Moves Toward Virginias Colorado Storm Is Heading Eastward By UNITED PRESS A storm system that unloaded road-blocking snows in portions of Colorado and the Plains states drove eastward today, bringing a threat of heavy snows to parts of Virginia and West Virginia. A near blizzard with snows accumulating from four to seven inches was expected in the mountains of West Virginia where about 1,000 volunteers sought a 3-year-old boy lost since Monday afternoon. The boy, John Wayne McKinney disappeared frotn his farm home near Point Pleasant, W.Va., wearing only a shirt and overalls. National Guardsmen, students from Ohio University at Athens, Ohio, police and neighbors aided in the serch. Weathermen said the eastern snowstorm, which began early today, was expected to pile heavy snows throughout the higher elevations of southern West Virginia and southwest Virginia. The storm whipped out of Colorado where up to three feet of snow fell before it was replaced by clear, cold weather as the disturbance pushed eastward* The snow and high winds were .blamed- .for • at- least -six deaths in.. Colorado, , three of killed in traffic ’ crashes' on slippery roads and three tNew Jersey residents killed when ’high winds caused their plane to crash near Bennett, Colo. A three-foot snowfaU occurred at Wolf Creek, Colo., and four inches covered Denver. Streets and highways in most of Colorado and Wyoming were icy and snowpacked Monday. As it rolled eastward, the storm hit West Plains, Mo., with eight inches of snow and spread across parts of Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. At least 41 schools and some rural industries in the Prairie states were forced to close down due to the snow. During the night, light to moderate snow fell along the midMississippi Valley and lower Ohio VaUey with HopkinsviUe, Ky., reporting three inches on the ground early today. Light snow also continued through the upper Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes. However snow flurries diminished in the North Atlantic states as a storm center moved out into the Atlantic. South of the snow band, rain spattered across all the Southeastern states from the lower Mississippi River to the South Atlantic Coast The Southwest enjoyed clear skies for the first time in about a week, but rain and snow flurries continued over much of the Pacific Northwest.

Reveals Huge Profits Made On Land Sale Special Audit By Board Os Accounts Reveals Big Profit INDIANAPOLIS (UP)—A special audit by the Indiana State Board of Accounts revealed today huge profits made on the sale of land to the State Highway Department for an Ind. 100 cloverleaf west of here. The audit, which was submitted to Atty. 'Gen. Edwin Steers before it was made public, said Lealand and Clarice West of Scott County bought a 2.69 acre strip of land from the Pontiac Coach Co. of Drayton Plains, Mich., on April 25, 1956. The Wests paid $40,000 for the land. On June 8, 44 days later, 11,160 square feet or about one-tenth of the land, was sold to the highway department for $62,000, giving the Wests a net profit of $22,000, the audit said. The sale was approved by former highway right-of-way director Nile Teverbaugh and then highway chairman Virgil ( Red> Smith, who is under sentence for embezzlement conspiracy in other landbuying deals. - Th? WIW TOverbdu-gft - approved the $62,000 payment June 20 and Smith accepted the land grant the next day. Steers praised examiners for documenting the exposure of highway scandal stories which first broke nearly a year ago, but indicated he could do nothing about the West case“This is a shocking circumstance and an additional indication of the flagrant and already (Continued on pape s.x) Gay Candidate For Township Trustee Decatur Man Seeks Office As Trustee Robert E. Gay, owner of Gay’s Mobile Service, filed today as a candidate for trustee of Washington township in the Democratic primary. Gay, who comes from a long line of Democrats on both sides of his family, is married and the father of two sons. He owns his own home in the Homestead, in precinct 1-A. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, Decatur Masonic lodge, Scottish Rite, and the Loyal Order of Moose. He has never before sought public office. Gay is the first candidate for Washington township trustee to innounce on the Democratic ticket. William Linn, a Democrat, who has served two terms, is ineligible to succeed himself. Charles H. Myers, of North Blue Creek township, has filed for the advisory board in that township. Two Democratic precinct committeemen, Franklin H. Fruechte of North Kirkland and Cecil E. Smitley, of West Jefferson, have also filed for reelection. Close Rest Rooms At Court House At Night Because of the recent occurrences of vandalism in the men’s rest room located on the south side of the court house, the board of commissioners approved Monday, new hours in which the rest room will remain open. The rest room will be open daily Monday through Saturday, from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m., and will be closed all day Sunday. Roy Gibson and Herbert Wiegman, Union township farmers, appeared before the board of commissioners and requested that culverts be constructed on the Shackley ditch in Union township. The commissioners approved the proposed construction and referred the matter to Lawrence Noll, superintendent of the highway de-

Recall Pastor wit The Rev. C. E. Lykins has been requested by the congregation of the Decatur Church of the Nazarene to serve for his fifth year. According to the rules of the denomination, the pastor must receive at least two-thirds of the votes to be eligible for continued service. The congregation vote was nearly unanimous. The pastor has 30 days to consider acceptance. Rev. and Mrs. Lykins came to Decatur from Goshen in 1954. 9 " 11 1 Remodeling Planned At Decatartibrary Librarian Speaks At Lions Meeting Plans are now underway to remodel the Decatur public library, moving the adult reading department onto the first floor level, and leaving the present secondfloor facilities for the children’s department and office space. Miss Bertha Heller, librarian, told the Decatur Lions c’ub Monday night. The national library week speaker was introduced by Dr. N. A. Bixler, president of the library board, who was introduced by Ed Highland, program chairman. The next meeting of the Decatur Lions club will be held in Berne Monday at 6:30 p. m. at the Berne auditorium. The Decatur Lions and Rotary clubs will join with the Berne Lions and Rotary clubs in the farmers achievement banquet, which is also a ladjes night. Miss Heller explained how adult reading has doubled in the past ten years, while children’s reading had increased more than five times. There are 23,500 volumes in the Decatur library. and 80 to 90 current magazines. The Sunday edition of the New York Times is also kept there. Every edition of the Decatur Daily Democrat is microfilmed, and a microfilm reader is available. This is fine-free week at the library, Miss Heller added, and those who desire to bring in their books without an overdue charge should du so this week. Seventeen Decatur merchants are featuring books .this week in their windows, part of the display of old and first edition books collected at the library this week. The Easter egg tree, an annual feature of the library, will be ready by the end of the week. Records for the blind are also available through the library, and records of good books, newspapers, and the Bible are included. An inter-loan arrangement with the state library, other libraries in the state, the library -of congress, and other out-of-state libraries, makes it possible for a person in Decatur to borrow almost any book he desires. Girl Scouts provide shuttle service between the library and the homes, of shut-ins who desire library books, and also take books to the Adams County memorial hospital each week. Last year, 63,313 books were read by library patrons, as compared with 21,246 ten years ago. Television has helped libraries, because persons seeing plays taken from books then come to the library to borrow the book.

Three Houses Are Hit But No One Hurt Report Air Force Bomber May Have Fired Cannon Shells SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Air Force authorities today admitted a 847 might have been in the area when two nearby communities were peppered with 20 millimeter cannon shells which hit three homes. Lt. Billy Baxter, informatie® officer at Lockbourne Air Force Base at Columbus, Ohio, said a 847 from Lockbourne “probably might have been in that area" Monday night when the outburst occurred. Baxter said a team of Air Force officers was en route to Sheboygan to investigate the _ report. The team of officers was headed by Brig. Gen. Donald W. Saunders and was expected to arrive in Sheboygan Falls before noon. Baxter admitted that Lockbourne had one aircraft in the area Monday night, “but it has not been confirmed that it was the one.” A spokesman for Bth Air Force headquarters at Westover AFB, Mass., said Saunders was flying to the scene. Saunders ’"ill be aided by expets from Locxbourne AFB In Ohio. The spokesman said there would be no comment on the incident from Bth Air Foret headquarters until Saunders has completed his investigation. The spokesman'also said the Air ’ Force has a firing range about 25 miles southeast of Sheboygan j over Lake Michigan. He emphasized that the range was “out over . open water.” Saunders is commander of the • 57th Air Division based at WestI over. However, he added it would be a “big assumption to say it was 1 the culprit.” Officials said the ■ plane was on a “routine training ■ mission.” 1 No one was injured in the out- ’ burst, which occurred shortly after ’ the dinner hour, but one shell nar--1 rowly missed three children being put to bed by their parents. At least six slugs, similar to ' those from the cannon of a 847, , sprayed nearby Sheboygan Falls ’ and Oostburg. Sheboygan Falls ’ policeman John Winter said one of the shells exploded in the street 20 feet in front of Police Chief Henry Dillman’s squad car. “It scared the daylights out of people when the bullets hit,” Winter said. “The things exploded and sent up puffing clouds higher than the house tops.” The Air Force in Milwaukee and a Truax Field at Madison, Wis., said none of its aircraft was in the air at the time. If the bullets came from an Air Force plane, it would be the second near-tragedy in a week. Last . .Tuesday,, jan . accidentally dropped an atomic bomb at Florence, S. C. The bomb’s nuclear core did not ex- > plode, but the TNT triggering , device went off, injuring six per • sons. One of the slugs ripped through the roof of the John Novatny home in Sheboygan Falls and J landed in the bedroom where the ’ parents were putting their three young children to bed. Winter said the shell did not . explode, but lodged in a chest of drawers. Mrs. Novatny told Winter she had rearranged the room a few days ago, moving the chest ■ to where the children’s beds had been' located. i Another unexploded bullet I pierced the roof of the Francis Deeley home in rural Sheboygan Falls and a third plunged into a closet at the Lloyd Theune resU ’ dence at Oostburg where it exploded and set clothing afire. The live bullets were recovered 1 by sheriff Harold Krull and his ’ deputies from th? Novatny and (Continued on page five)

Six Cent -