Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 56, Number 307, Decatur, Adams County, 31 December 1958 — Page 1

Vol. LVI. Na. 307.

~— x J Severin Schurrer Prosecutor _ itWalter Kom Assessor

TAKE OFFICE JAN. I— The above officials will take over their offices Thursday, Jan. 1. Three of the men, Affolder, Koos and Eichhorn will be starting new terms in office following reelection in November, while the other three are new officials following their election victories. All are Democrats.

Urges Drivers To Be Careful Over Holiday Predict 390 Traffic r Deaths In Nation On New Year Holiday United Press Inter national The National Safety Council warned today that as many as 390 persons will be killed in traffic during the New Year’s holiday unless celebrants show “sober, thoughtful, considerate behavior.” “Surely the tragic highway toll over the Christmas holiday must have shocked all of us into more sober, thoughtful, considerate behavior behind the wheel,” the council said. “We appeal to everyone to carry the memory ot that huge and needless toll into the heavy traffic of the weekend just ahead, and do his part to see that it doesn’t happen again.” The 102-hour holiday weekend begins at 6 p.m. New Year’s Eve and closes at Sunday midnight. During last week’s Christmas holiday of the same duration. United Press International counted 599 traffic deaths, or 21 below the council’s pre-holiday' estimate. The council said it expected a lower toll over New Year’s because of lighter traffic and because motorists generally are more wary. In addition, December one of the worst traffic months of the year while January is usually one of‘the safest. The Council's prediction of 390 deaths over the New Year period is only 40 abwe the average of 350 traffic fatalities which could be expected during a non-holiday period of the same length at this time of year. The worst previous four-day New Year holiday toll occurred to 1952 when 423 persons were killed on the nation’s streets and highways. The four-day New Year holiday in 1956 killed 412 persons in traffic. Night spots around the country looked for booming post-recession business on New Year’s Eve. Top prices included $37.50 for a gourmet’s feast in Los Angeles and 125 for a night’s entertainment in Chicago. -J- ’ The cocoanut Grove of .the Ambassador Hotel to Los Angeles reported a sell-out crowd of 850 persons would sample its $37.50 package of food and music tonight. Bistros in Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Dallas and other cities hosting New Year’s Day bowl games expected crowds to be swelled by visiting football fans. ? Authorities appealed to motorists to use public transportation facilities if they overindulge in holiday spirits. In Detroit, revelers will get an assist from bus drivers who have been ordered to deliver patrons to their doorsteps "upon request” if the request is reasonable. Continued on Hv * ■

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT V ONLY DAILY JNEWSPAPEB IN ADAMS COUNTY \ * ■■D. '''

Merle Affolder . Sheriff i Bari Johnsen Representative

Lift Loan Freeze On State REMCs Another Setback To State Commission INDIANAPOLIS (UPI) — The Indiana Public Service Commission today threw in the towel in its 10-month battle to regulate federal borrowing by rural electric cooperatives. A commission statement, issued shortly after the Rural Electflfil catiqn Administration announced > it was lifting a “freeze" on loans : to state REMCs, indicated the PSC ’ will not appeal an Indiana Appel- • late Court decision to the Indiana ■ Supreme Court. The appellate court's decision I revoked a PSC order of last March ■ 7 which required REMCs to ask ■ PSC permission to borrow money ’ from the REA. “The commission feels that as a state agency it is not in a position j to pursue this matter further,” the , statement said, “and it will abide by the decision of the Appellate Court unless and until it is reversed by the Supreme Court. [ “The action of this commission in adopting its March 7 order was based on a decision of the Supreme Court of Indiana in the Kosciusko County REMC vs Public Service Commission of Indiana and Northern Indiana Public Service Co. case in which the court said that an REMC was a public utility. “The court in its decision fails to discuss this particular holding in the Kisciusko case. The position of the commission was that if the REMC is a public utility as defined by the Supreme Court, then i it should be regulated as . all other' public utilities.” Word of the REA’s lifting of the freeze on loans, came Tuesday. The embargo had been in effect since last March 7 when the PSC issued a controversial order requiring the 43 Rural Electric’ Membership Corps, to get commission approval before accepting loaps from the REA. The order set off a howl of protest from the REMCs, owned cooperatively by thousands of Hoosier farm families. Governor Handley at first sided with his three-member PSC. But he later switched his position in what appeared to be an attempt to win the farm vote in his bid for the U.S. Senate. He lost by about 240,000 votes and dopesters believed rural indignation over the PSC ruling shared the blame. The Appellate Court on Dec. 22 revoked the PSC order with a blast declaring it to be “contrary to law and of no force and effect.” It,said, in a unanimous opinion, that the commission’s power over REMCs is “limited to rates and territories” and the General Assembly never gave the PSC authority to regulate loans. ■ A.D. Mueller, general manager of the state REMC organisation, said word of the lifting of the erpbargo on Joans was telephoned Tuesday from REA headquarters in Washington. The specific case breaking the freeze involved a $619,000 loan to Continued on page

: Loren Heller Commissioner K _L .- .. ....... ... —, Von A. Eichhorn Senator

Snow Sweeps Info Midwest For Holiday Weathermen Warn Os Heavy Snowfall, Hazardous Driving United Press International A southwestern snowstorm, preceded by freezing rain, swept into the Midwest today, bringing new woes to motorists at the start of the New Year’s holiday. The storm, which earlier buried Albuquerque, N.M., under record 14-inch snows and stranded 600 travelers in Liberal, Kan, drove eastward during the night toward the Ohio Valley and southern Great Lakes. Weathermen warned of heavy snow during the day from eastern Oklahoma through portions of Missouri, Kansas and lowa, with lighter amounts in the southern Great Lakes and northern sections of the Ohio Valley. <- Freezing rain was expected to glaze highways from northern Texas through central Arkansas, Kentucky and the southern portion of the Ohio Valley. Drifts eight feet high blocked roads in the west and southwest Tuesday, and hundreds of motorists took refuge in hotels, motels and private dwellings. Some Rose Bowl-bound travellers were stranded at Liberal by a paralyzing 10 U inch snowfall Snowplows opened most toads out of Liberal by nightfall. Monumental traffic jams .occurred in Wichita, Kan., and Dallas, Tex. At Wichita, fire combined with snow-slicked streets to snarl traffic in the downtown section Tuesday night. Traffic was halted for three hours while firemen battled flames in a two- story building. The death toll on snow and ice packed highways mounted as the storm continued. Traffic fatalities blamed on slippery roads included three each in Texas and Oklahoma and one in New Mexico. In addition, a plane crash in Oklahoma blamed on icing killed one Continued on page five City Council Holds Final 1958 Meeting ' The Decatur city council met in special session to allow the last bills of the year Tuesday night, .and gave the balances remaining in the various city funds. All of the departments showed a surplus at the end of the year, as the result of the last tax distribution, Mrs. Miriam Hall, city clerk-treasurer, explained. The balances were: electric light, $27, 692.74; water works, $56,634.56; sewage, $8,073.59; parking meter, $5,462.27; recreation, $8,984.53; general fund, $76,440.92; park, $470.24; street, $4,579.68. Annual reports by the various deparments and appointments' for 1958 will be made at the first meeting in 1959, Mayor Robert D. Cole stated.

.Decatur, Indiana, Wednesday, December 31, 1958. - ■ - - ■■■■ — - - -

— 'W — ■. I Bitter Struggle Rages With Cuban Rebels For Control Os Key Center

Reject Soviet Ultimatum On West Berlin 1 Western Big Three" Invite Russia To Discuss Problems WASHINGTON (UPI) — The United States,Britain and France told Russia today they intend to. stay in West Berlin despite Soviet threats. They challenged the Kremlin to take part in a Big Four conference on the problerias of Germany as a whole and Eu-i ropean security. In separate but similar notes delivered in Moscow, the Ailed Big Three advised the Russians they would not discuss the problems "under menace or ultimatum.” They also said that they would not recognize the East German regime even if the Soviets turn over East Berlin and the access corridors to the city to the puppet government. The three notes flatly rejected the Soviet Union’s Nov. 27 demand that the West quit West Berlin by June 1 and permit it to become a Communist-encircled “free city.'’ The 2,000-word American note was considerably shorter than tar British reply, which included a? . detailed rebuttal of the charges against the' West which Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev made in his note. Officials said the United States intends to refute these old Russian charges in a press statement to be issued later this week. The substance of the. Allied notes was the same. , The United States and its Allies made it clear they will negotiate with Russia only if they receive some assurance the Kremlin did not intend to present them with a show-down ultimatum on' Continued to page 5 District Boy Scout Activities Planned Several Meetings Slated In Decatur A number of important districtwide Boy Scout meetings have been scheduled for Decatur next year, John G. Carlson, district executive, announced today. Three district committee meetings will be held at the Decatur Youth and Community Center during the year of 1959. They are scheduled for 7:30 p. m. Wednesday, March 11; Tuesday, June 9; and Tuesday, Nov. 10. District meetings are attended by the institutional representatives for the 44 units in Adams, Wells, and Jay counties, and also by specially appointed inembers. May 25 the district commissioners will meet at the Decatur Scout cabin for a meeting; Oct. 21 they will meet at the Decatur Youth and Community Center. The district explorer cabinent will meet in Decatur March 31 and December 15 at a place to be announced. Aug. 11 the explorers will hold a round table meeting at the center. Feb. 10, the advancement committee will meet at the home of T. C. Smith in Decatur. A round table for Cubs and Scouts will be held at the Berne high school April 7. September 17, a similar meeting will be held at Geneva high school. District convmissioners will meet Feb. 24 at the Ray Beer home in Berne. Complete schedules for the year have been sent directly to the people concerned, Carlson added. Another major change in scouting for the coming year will be the change in chartering dates, Carlson explained. In the past units have been chartering willy-nilly throughout the entire year. This next year Adams county units will be chartered in such away that the following year all charters for Adams county will come due in March. Charters this year will range in length from six to 18 j months. 1 • .. ;

Tickets Mailed For Annual C. C. Meet Annual Banquet To I Be Held January 15 I Glen MauHer and Noah Steury, | co-chairmen of tickets for the' j Chamber of Commerce annual din- - ner meeting to be held at the De- ! catur Youth and Community CenI ter Thursday,. January 15, at 6:30 | p.m., announced today that tickets [have been mailed to Chamber l members and to members of the I Botary and Lions clubs, who are | combining their meetings with the ? Chamber that evening. § As a service to its members and ’ to the 'cmmunity at large, this | year’s meeting will be devoted to a , discussion of the proposed sale of i Decatur’s electric utility. Repre--1 sentatives of the engineering firm , which recently surveyed Decatur’s , utility, of Indiapa-Michigan which has made an offer to buy, and of the city administration, will all have a part in the program. Members receiving tickets ate asked to confirm their reservations Sat once. Due to space limitations at the Center, it will be necessary to count those reservations before the remaining tickets can be offered to the general public next week. Ticket holders have been urged to submit questions. These questions are to be signed to insure they are being made in ’good faith, jbut the questioner’s name will not ’ be mentioned at the meeting, Since there will be many questions and a limited time period for them, it has been suggested that they be submitted early to the Chamber office to insure being included. To avoid confusion, questions will not ■ be accepted from the ifloor at the ' meeting. President Louis Jacobs said today, “We want to emphasize that the Chamber is not taking sides on this issue. As a service to our membership and to the community, we merely want to make as many facts available as possible so that the voters can make up their own minds. Our by-lsws state that one of our organization’s objectives is ‘to facilitate intelligent discussion’ and this would seem an excellent time for such a discussion.” Week Os Prayer To Open Sunday Night Special Services By Associated Churches Week of Prayer services, sponsored by Associated Churches of Decatur, will be held the evenings of Jan. 4 to 11, excluding Saturday, Jan. 10. This is the second year for this special week of services, and the host church and speaker will be changed each evening. Services will start at 7:30 p.m., and the public is invited to attend. Special music will be provided at each service by the host church. The schedule, as arranged by the committee composed of the Rev. Benj. G. Thomas, the Rev. W. L. Burner and Clifford Hoverman, is as follows: Sunday, Jan. 4—First Baptist church, the Rev. Edward Pacha, First Christian church, speaker. Monday, Jan. s—Church of the Nazarene, with the Rev. Benj. G. Thomas, Bethany Evangelical United Brethren church, speaker. Tuesday, Jan. 6—First Christian church, the Rev. C. E. Lykins, Church of the Nazarene, speaker. Wednesday, Jan. 7—Church of God, the Rev. Paul Parker, Nuttman Ave. United Brethren church, speaker. Thursday, Jan. 8 — Missionary church, the Rev. Emmett Anderson, Union Chapel Evangelical United Brethren church, speaker. Friday, Jan. 9—First Presbyterian church, the Rev. Hkzen F. Sparks, First Methodist church, speaker. , Sunday, Jan. 11—Trinity Evangelical United Brethren church, the Rev. William C. Feller, Zion Evani gelical and Reformed church, speaker.

,1111, <■■■■*■*■■<■ > ■ -!■ Call For Laws For Jail Terms For Pressure I - Influence Probers Call For Series Os Tough Federal Laws WASHINGTON (UPD — House influence investigators, today called for a series of tough laws that would send to jail'anyone attempting tc put improper pressure on a federal regulatory agency. T e House influence investigating subcommittee also recommended a much broader continuation of its investigations that already have resulted in the resignation under fire of former Presidential Assistant Sherman Adams and Commissioner Richard A. Mack of the Federal Communications Commission. Subcommittee members unanimously set forth the recommendations in the group’s final report. Chairman Oren Harris (D-Ark.) told a jammed news conference that the proposed legislation would make clearly illegal many of the activities disclosed by the subcommittee in its investigation of Adams, his gift-giving friend Bernard Goldfine and a parade of , television channel applicants and federal officials. Harris disclosed that despite unanimity among subcommittee members on the recommendations that “two or three” members disagreed with parts of the report involving the group’s sensational investigations. Harris said the members in disagreement — “not Democrats that I know of” — were expected possibly to file minority statements. Asked specifically whether the members disagreed over statements made about Adams, Harris said that would be up to them to say. The chairman did not release the text of the final report which was given final approval only late Tuesday night and sent to the printers. Instead, he outlined it to newsmen and promised that the text would be made available by Saturday. However, the final recommendations reported by Harris did not differ substantially from the recommendations in the tentative draft of the report disclosed last Wednesday by United Press International. Native Os Decatur Dies In Michigan Mrs, Adolph Berger Is Token By Death Word has been received here of the death ot Mrs. Catherine Hackman Berger, 74, of Dansville, Mich., a former resident of Decatur. Mrs. Gerger died Monday at a hospital in Mason, Mich., following an extended illness. She was born’ in Decatur Aug. 28, 1884, a daughter of Frank and Anna Hackman, and was married tur. Mrs. Berger died Monday at Mrs. Berger was a member of the Bunker Hill Catholic church. Surviving in addition to her husand are a son, J. Frederick Berger of Orlando, Fla.; four daughters; Mrs. Lyle Campbell and Mrs. Le Haindel of Hason, Mich., and Mrs. Michael Kuch and Mrs. Maurice Monroe of Webberville, Mich.; 28 grandchildren; and one sister, Mrs. Edith Tester of Decatur. One son and sister preceded her in death. Funeral services will be held Friday at Bunker Hill Catholic church, with burial in the church cemetery. • Mrs. Tester left today to attend the services. Good Fellows Club Previous total —— $101.16 Gerber’Super Market 15.00 Cash in boxes 2.00 Total 8818.16

l ■ i ■ i i iiiiT-irr-ir Two Major Missiles Run Wild Tuesday Rocketeers Seek Cause Os Failures CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (UPD— Rocketeers studied complex electronic reports today to determine the reasons two of their major missiles ran wild and had to be blasted to bits over the Atlantic. First it was the Navy Polaris, still experimental, which was destroyed in flight Tuesday morning. About 11 hours later it was the Air Force Thor, successfully flown many times. Both are intermediate range ballistic missiles . (IRBM’s) with ranges of 1,500 [miles. It was a partial success for the Polaris, but the Thor’s flight was so short it was doubtful that much knowledge could'be gained from it. The Thor, an operational 50-ton rocket that has been the booster for three moon probes and three Thor-Able mouse rockets, fizzled and would have flopped into the Atlantic intact had not the range safety officer pushed the "destruct” button just, a split second before it would have hit the water. The Air Force IRBM was fn trouble from the start It tilted off its tactical launching pad at blastoff and failed to climb to its usul acceleration, veering slightly to the north until it roared through a low layer of clouds at some 4,000-5,000 feet and momentarily out of sight of the hundreds of ground observers who lined the beaches. But in another split second it was seen falling earthward in an erratic course. Less than 1,000 feet from the water it exploded in pieces as die button was pushed. The debris hit the ocean only a short distance off the Cape and Air Force recovery boats sped in to search for bits of wreckage. Aulo Supply Store Robbed Last Night Burglary Reported Here During Night A burglary incident and a grand larceny complaint have been filed with the city police department for two incidents that occurred Monday and Tuesday in the city. The Decatur Auto Supply company reported early today that the building was burglarized during the night, and Harold Thatcher, of route one, Monroe, reported a theft incident Tuesday afternoon that occurred Monday night at the Indiana & Ohio pipe company. Approximately $75 in cash was reported stolen from the Decatur Auto Supply building Tuesday night. The theft was reported at 8 o’clock this forenoon by Don Forst, manager. The police report shows that thieves entered the north side of the building by breaking a pane of glass in an overhead door enabling the culprits to reach in to unlock the door. The thieves then proceeded through the door into a large room where a hole was ; broken through on the east side ' of the office wall. The hole was large enough for a man to crawl ■ through, enabling him to enter the ■ office. Forst reported that the • safe was damaged, but that nothing of value was taken. Papers 1 and inventory slips were scatter- ' ed about when the thieves were searching for money. The thieves then entered the front of the building and removed SSO from the cash register. A soft drink vending machine was pried [ open and approximately $5 taken. : Candy and cigarette machines ‘ were also heavily damaged and approximately S2O in cash removed. The thieves then re-entered the office and broke out a second ’ window pane and left the build- [ ing on the south side. Forst stat- ’ ed that nothing was known to be ’ missing with the exception of the ’ Continued on pogo five

Six Cent*

Rebels Claim Blocking Os Army Convoy Says Reinforcements For Cuban Army Are Blocked From City HAVANA (UPD—Rebel farces claimed today to have blocked a Cuban army convoy attempting to break through to Santa Clara where a bitter struggle for the strategic central Cuban city raged for the fourth straight day. A rebel field radio message said the convoy included 400 to 500 troops and was spearheaded by four tanks and several armored trucks. The message said the Cuban reinforcements were trying to reach Santa Clara from Mordazo, about 35 miles to the west. The message did not indicate how the blockade was accomplished. The rebels also claimed successes in operations in Camaguey and Oriente provinces and said that an all-out attack on the major city of Santiago de Cuba is imminent Claim Maffo Captured “The battle of Santiago is about to begin,” the radio in the Sierra Maestra stronghold of rebel leader Fidel Castro proclaimed. The broadcast claimed the capture .of Maffo, long a Cuban army field operations center in the drive against the Oriente guerrillas, and said 117 troops were captured. including a major and five lieutenants. “There is not a single enemy (army) force between Bayamo and Santiago,” the announcer said. Bayamo is about 80 miles west of Santiago, capital of Oriente Province in southeast Cuba. Castro’s radio spokesman said the Cuban army suffered “l,(t» casualties” including dead, wounded arid prisoners, in 45 days of fighting in Oriente. >?■ Many Wild Rumm In addition to Maffo, hrdaimed Jiguani, Baire, Contramaestre and Palma Soriano were in rebel hands. He said that rebel forces also captured Gibara, a north coast seaport, but subsequently abandoned it. Rebel casualties in the Maffo battle totaled only 24, including four dead, he said. Wild rumors circulated in Havana, but Cuban army sources said the rebels had barely been able to penetrate the outskirts of Santa Clara, t>e— capital of the province of Las Villas at Cuba’s narrow waist. Within the city itself, the army said, there was only sniping but on the city’s outskirts the rebel and government forces were engaged in frequent and heavy fighting, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Foreign diplomatic sources .in Havana said they had heard “rumors” of an estimated 1,500 rebel casualties, but they said this referred to fighting throughout Las Villas Province and not in Santa Clara alone. . Key Communications Center Cuban army authorities said they were not worried by the status of the fighting there. Cuban officials described as Continued on page five INDIANA WEATHER Hazardous driving warning for most of state. Snow extreme north and snow, sleet or freezing rain or drizzle eote tral and south portions except mostly rain near the Ohio River with 2 to 4 Inches of snow' accumlation extreme north portion and hazardous driving conditions developing most of state tonight and Thursday. Not so cold north portion tonight. Low tonight 3 20s north to the low 30s extreme south. High Thursday 2* to 30 north, 26 to 35 south. Sunset today 5:20 p. m. CDT. Sunrise Thursday 8:01 a. m. CDT. Outlook for Friday: Precipitation ending -Thursday evening, becoming parity cloudy and a little colder. Low Thursday night 20 to 28. High Friday 25