Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 57, Number 257, Decatur, Adams County, 31 October 1959 — Page 1

Vol. LVII. No. 257.

- ||a® ~~ j|». _ I x .■ • '~'- vs I WB WI fw 1 -wßkf «.<m L i IM' M <S i Rural Electric Association township chairmen, in special meeting, are pictured above as they decide what to do next, since the three appraisers appointed by Judge Myles F. Parrish have turned in an appraisal figure over the I&M offer. The group urges all Decatur citizens to vote in the power election Tuesday to show the 4,000 rural people affected how Decatur feels towards them. The group has fought for five years to get off the city lines, since they pay considerably more for their electric service than others. Pictured above, from left to right, seated, are Chet Bowen, Russell Brouwer, and Arnold Thieme; standing, Franklin Scheiman and Ralph Grote.

Deposit Os Gravel To Save City Money The city of Decatur will save thousands of dallars thanks to a discovery made recently by the city street department. Mayor Robert D. Cole, announced this morning. The department has discovered a large deposit of gravel on the cityowned land behind the Youth and Community Center. Expected to run into thousands of tons, more than 100 truckloads have already been hauled to be used as base material for alleys, streets, etc., and will also be used to backfill over sewers, cutting the expense of contracts. This means, the mayor explained, that the city will get more and better streets for the money appropriated. Gravel today costs between 85 cents and $1.25 a ton. Already the gravel has been used to build the base of an alley located between Sixth and Seventh streets and Monroe and Nuttman. Crushed limestone is used for a topping. This will be allowed to settle until next spring, and then, liquid asphalt will be added, and fine stone chipped in on top. This will permit much more street widening and building, if operation of the quarry is continued, the mayor explained. NOON EDITION

Supreme Court To Rule Soon

PITTSBURGH (UPI) — Steel strike negotiators meet here again today but their attention was focused on Washington where both the U.S. Supreme Court and the chief federal mediator moved to hasten the end of the 109-day walkout. Today's meeting was scheduled to be held 10:30 a.m est in the Penn-Sheraton Hotel where the parties talked for an hour and 20 minutes Friday in an atmosphere of gloom. The Supreme Court said it would rule soon on whether the half-million striking steelworkers must return to work under a Taft Hartley injunction. The court permitted the union to continue the strike until its ruling was handed down. The meeting here Friday was the shortest of the week and both sides frankly admitted nothing had been accomplished. Nu Progress Reported USW President J . McDonald said in a wire to Mediation Chief Joseph F. Finnegan agreeing to the Washington talks that "the current meetings are not makine progress.” McDonald said the union urged steel negotiators to accept President Eisenhower’s suggestion that the USW-Kaiser Steel agreement serve as a basis for industrywide settlement. (The President said in his news conference Wednesday he thought

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Khrushchev Urges East-West Talks

MOSCOW (UPI) — Premier Nikita S. Khrushchev today urged an early East-West summit meeting, without long preparations which he said would make the conference of the Big Four (Chiefs of government little more than a social event Khrushdhev, in a world-rang-ing foreign policy report to the Supreme Soviet, thus lined up with President Eisenhower and British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in opposition to French President Charles de Gaulle on the calling of the EastWest summit meeting. The Soviet Premier said “there is agreement” between himself and Eisenhower on the summit, and Macmillan “also favors a summit.” But, he said in a direct reference to De Gaulle’s stand. “Some statesmen in the West say a summit conference should be held after preliminary agreement had been reached on main problems.” If this was the case, Khrushchev said: “A summit conference Would not be convened to decide on or solve anything, but simply to pass the time of day pleasantly —like for instance, fishing or listening to a concert or something of that kind.”

the Kaiser agreement "should be a signal for both labor and management to find a basis in which we can get back to full production.”) McDonald said management refused a settlement along the lines of the Kaiser pact and remained “adamant and inflexbible.” Court Acted Swiftly Management agreed to the sessions with Finnegan even before Friday's meeting with the unionThe steel companies suggested, however, that the sessions be held here instead of Washington. “We will of course be glad to have your valued mediation services in our continuing attempt to negotiate a mutually satisfactory steel settlement,” management told Finnegan. Management suggested the Pittsburgh site because several parties, including the union, have headquarters here and talks “in the atmbsphere of steelmaking” would be conducie to a settlement. The Supreme Court, acting with unusual swiftness, agreed to rule quickly on the union’s appeal of the Thft-Hartley injunction which challenges its constitutionality. The tribunal gave the government and union until Monday noon to submit briefs outlining their Oral arguments were scheduled for Tuesday and a final ruling was expected soon afterward.

GIVE TODAY -- THE UNITED WAY

Advises Negotiations Khrushchev’s reference to the summit came at the end of a farranging report on the international in which he skipped from Europe to the Middle East to the Far East to state the Soviet stand on the major problems in each area. “Problems facing the world can only be solved through negotiations, and not by force,” Khrushchev said. President Eisenhower agreed with him on this during their talks at Camp David, Md., he said. For this reason, “the sooner the summit conference is held, the better.” ' And he added that “governments should decide not to take any steps to aggravate the situation and to htrow obstacles in the way of a summit conference.” This also was seen as a slap at De Gaulle, who has virtually spiked hopes for a summit meeting this yearIn an earlier reference to France—his only specific one— Khrushchev said his coming with De Gaulle in Paris would be “useful” to Soviet-French relations. But he did not disclose when he would make the visit. Refers To Germany Khrushchev said that the “Germany problem” was one of the “knots in relations” between East and West. A peace treaty would untie the knot and w”would also solve the problem of Berlin," he said. The Premier said the twin problems of Germany and Berlin should be on the agenda of the summit conference. Khrushchev read his 101-min-ute speech from a prepared text. It was broadcast by Radio Moscow.

Daniel N. Schindler Is Taken By Death Daniel N. Schindler, 67, Jay county farmer, died unexpectedly about noon Friday at his home following a heart attack. He was an employe of the New Idea Corp, in Coldwater, 0., until retiring in July because of ill health. Mr. Schindler was a member of the Holy Trinity Catholic church. Surviving are the widow, Florence; a son, Irvin A. Schindler of route 1, Bryant; eight daughters. Mrs. Donald Miller and Mrs. Clyde Gerber of Decatur, Mrs. Glen Greaf of Fort Wayne, Mrs. Frank Kaiser of Cincinnati, 0., Mrs. Leon Homan of St Anthony, 0., Mrs. Morris Grieshon of Fort Recovprv 0., Mrs. Orville Wendel of Portland, and Mrs. James Knape of Coldwater, O.; 29 grandchildren, four brothers and three sisters. Funeral services will be held at 9 a.m. Monday at the Holy Trinity Catholic church, the Rev. Francis Uecher officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call at the Bain! funeral home in Portland untH- time of the services.

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Saturday, Oct. 31, 1959.

Decatur Residents To Cast Ballots Tuesday Over Sale Os Utility

Hunt For Judge j Pinpointed On Lake Michigan CHICAGO (UPD— The search for missing Judge W. Lynn Parkinson concentrated today on a desolate Lake Michigan beach and a tawdry saloon area a few blocks away. A U.S Coast Guard skiff was to resume dragging the shallow waters off the 63rd St. beach this morning. A storm disrupted search operations Friday night. Police and FBI agents leading the search for Parkinson, 57, formerly of Lafayette, Ind., said fears are mounting the distinguished Appeals Court jurist may have drowned. “We'll continue searching for clues but I’m afraid we’re going to find that he fell in the lake.” detective chief John Ascher said. "It’s only a theory, but it’s the best theory we have” But relatives and friends reaffirmed their belief that Parkinson suffered an attack of anmesia after leaving his courtroom Monday afternoon and has been wandering in a daze through Chicago or his beloved native Northern Indiana. These hopes centered today on a south side tavern only four I blocks from 63rd St. Tavern owner Charles Laswitz said he be- 1 lieved the man who drifted in for a drink Thursday morning was ; Parkinson. “That man was in here,” Laswitz said as he looked at a -pic- ■ ture of the judge. “I can’t forget ] him.” i Laswitz said the patron was ( dressed in dark clothes, wore a ( homburg and had a J>lack eye. Parkinson was also wearing dark clothes when he left the courtrtom and his blue-black homburg was found by a striking 1 steelworker Thursday on the lon- ■ ely 63rd St. beach. 1

Liner Missing, 27 On Board

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — (UPI) _ A Piedmont airliner with 27 persons aboard, missing on a flight from Washington Roanoke, Va., was feared down early today in a rugged stretch of Blue Ridge Mountain country near here. State troopers, deputies and volunteers spread out through the sparsely-populated mountain terrain in a futile night-long serch with hope fading that there might be survivors. Civil Air Patrol planes and fresh search parties will join the intensive search. The plane, a DC-3 carrying three crewmen and 24 passengers, radioed the Charlottesville airport at 8:42 p.m. e.s.t Friday asking for routine landing instructions. That was the last heard from the aircraft. Piedmont said the plane would

GIVE A oct. Crippled Children Soc. . Boy Scouts 20 tO 27 Gin scouts $20,429.00 Salvation Army 1959 GOAL u. s. o. ■■ Mental Health W PRESENT v .. . „ „ M? . DONATIONS Youth & Recreation Red Cross | $15,535.00 THE UNITED WAY

Financial Drive Planned By Church

Members of St. Mary’s Catholic church met at a fund-raising kickoff dinner Friday night, announcing plans for extensive expansion to the Sisters of St. Agnes ponvent and the entire school system. The general chairmen, Arthur Voglewede and Charles Ehinger, announced that a minimum of $225,000 would be raised within the next two years for the expansion project. They stressed, however, that the figure is mini- ‘ mum and the group will strive for “better results for better schools.” Bishop To Speak The fund drive will actually open Dec. 13 with the Most Rev. Leo A. Pursley, bishop of the Fort Wayne diocese, as main speaker. The meeting will be followed by benediction. The announcement of the plans at last night’s meeting ends speculation as to which way the Catholic school would go under the school reorganization act of 1959. Although not under state jurisdiction, except that it must adhere to its standards, the school will, in effect, set up its own study committee to evaluate and decide how to best improve facilities and educational standards. . An estimate by one df the members attending, showed that there are more than 800 families in the parish, with about 1,000 being wage earners. In order to reach and pass the minimum goal, some individuals must accept the challenge and pledge strong financial support. The average wage earner must also evaluate the situation and attempt to do his best to assist in the campaign. The collection and pledge system will operate under vice chairmen, who will choose five men as captains, and they will choose five workers each/ The collection

have run out of fuel at 11 pjn e.s.t and therefore had to be presumed down in the area, about 20 miles north of Charlottesville and about 100 miles south of Washington. Die airline began notifying the next of kin of the crew and passengers that the plane was overdue. Another plane crash in the South claimed two lives. A light plane en route to the Redstone Arsenal at Huntsville, Ala. from Indianapolis. Ind., crashed Friday night near Pulaski, Tenn., killing its two occupants. An Arsenal spokesman said it was not known immediately who was aboard the plane. Reports said one of the victims wore a uniform and the other was a civilian.

campaign will be outlined at another meeting in the near future. Those Attending Those attending the dinner last night at the Fairway, hosted by Carl Klepper, were: William Kuhnle, Lawrence Beckmeyer, John Schurger, Arthur Baker, Robert Braden, William LOse, Jr., Don Schmitt, George Laurent, Robert Holthouse, Charles Holthouse, William Gass, Anthony Teeple, Dr. John Terveer, Robert Boch, the Very Rev. Simeon Schmitt, the Rev. Robert Contant, and John Winberry, a representative of the Lawson Co. Winberry will be program director during the campaign. Winberry distributed literature on the development program following the open discussion period when parishioners unanimously approved the inception of the idea , and the formulation of its policy. The next meeting will be at St. Mary's rectory Nov. 3. Charles Schroeder Is Taken By Death Charles Schroeder, 80, lifelong resident of Marion township, Allen county, died at 2:20 o’clock Friday afternoon at his home eight miles north of Decatur on U. S. highway 27. He had been in failing health for three years and seriously ill for the past five days. He was born in Marion township Sept. 20, 1879, a son of Frederick and Wilhelmina BultemeierSchroeder, and was married to Caroline Droege May 19, 1904. His wife preceded him in death Sept. 20, 1957. Mr. Schroeder was a member of St. John’s Lutheran church. Surviving are five daughters, Mrs. Roy Conrad of Hoagland, Mrs. Oscar (Alvina) Fuelling of Union township, Mrs. Melvin (Olga) Scherer of route 1, Hoagland, Mrs. Sieman (Gertrudq) Dettmer of Waynedale, and Mrs. Wilfred (Margaret) Scherer of Root township; three sons, Herbert and Paul (Poodle) Schroeder, both of Marion township, Allen county, and Lawrence Schroeder of Decatur; 29 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted at 1:30 p. m. Monday at the Zwick funeral home and at 2 p. m. at St. John's Lutheran church, the Rev. Edwin A. H. Jacob officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 2 o’clock this afternoon until time of the services. The casket will not be opened at the church. Local Man Arrested For Leaving Scene Glen Mankey, of Rugg street, Decatur, was arrested Friday night by Wells county authorities in connection with the fatal accident of Joseph Sovine, Jr., 35, of Craigville, a former Adams county resident. Sovine was killed when his car went out of control on state road 301 and overturned in a cornfield south of Craigville in Wells county. Mankey was arrested on a charge of leaving the scene of an accident, according to Adams county sheriff Merle Affolder, who reported the arrest this morning. No further details were known on the incident. INDIANA WEATHER Cloudy with occasional rain or driasle today, possibly ending late tonight Sunday cloudy. Little change in temperature. Low tonight mid 40s north, low south mid 50s. High Sunday low 50s north to near 65 south.

Decatur citizens will be given a chance to vote Tuesday on the question of the sale of the city electric utility, it was decided today by the Decatur city council at the request of the county election board. The election board requested that the city council decide whether the question of the sale should ( be left on the ballot and counted, left on but not counted, or removed from the ballot. An opinion from the state elec- ' tion board received yesterday indicated that the county board did not have the power to remove the question from the ballot. The state election board indicated that either the circuit court* or the city council would have to make the decision. Declines Jurisdiction Judge Myles F. Parrish, apparently informed the election board informally that he wanted no part of any more decisions on the light plant; at least the letter from the county election board to the city council indicated quite strongly that the judge felt he could not rule in time, although his statement Thursday was that he would be glad to rule. The issue of the vote drew statewide attention to Decatur, as resentment and questions arose concerning the handling of the appraisal by the judge and the three appraisers. Voters’ Questions Most of the talk centered on the fact that the first appraisal had been completely open to tjie public. with a full reporting of what took place in the deliberations, as is required by the Hughes antisecrecy act. The recent appraisers, however, gave no information to the public except what they leaked out through their friends in private conversations. One of the most puzzled persons m the picture was the REMC engineer hired by the recent appraisers to give his opinion on the value of the plant. After due consideration, it is reported that he valued the plant at $1,713,000, considerably under the $2,099,300 offered by Indiana-Michigan, and the final figure of $2,275,000 given to the judge by Mark A. Morin, one of the members of the group. Association Statement Louis A. Jacobs, president of the association for the betterment of Decatur, gave the following statement this morning: "The association for the betterment of Decatur still strongly urges all of the signers of the petitions and all others favorable to the eventual sale of the Decatur light plant, to vote yes next Tuesday. “We are bitterly disappointed about the confusion on this issue. Our rural neighbors again feel most sincerely that they have been ignored and mistreated. “We feel that a strong yes vote will assure the council that in spite of numerous road blocks the citizens of Decatur want a chance to decide this question by ballot for themselves.” Rural Statement The rural electric association pointed out that they strongly urged a yes vote, which, although it will not result necessarily npw in the sale of the plant, will indicate that the citizens and merchants of Decatur are sincerely interested in the plight of the rural people, who have to pay to have their own lines built, and for their transformers, then must give them to the city, and still pay much higher rates. The Decatur city council, galvanized into action by a letter from the Adams county election board received by most of them late Friday evening, met at 8:30 a.m. today to answer the questions posed by the county election board. Council Statement Their complete statement reads as follows: WHEREAS, the common council of the city of Decatur. Indiana, received a communication from the Adams county. Indiana election board, consisting of Edith Beer, Richard D. Lewton and Cal E. Pet-

erson, under date of October 30th, 1959, requesting the common council of the city to determinate whether or not the question concerning the sale of the Decatur municipal plant should be left on the ballot and counted, left off of the ballot and not counted, or removed from the ballot; and to notify said election board of the action of the said common council, and WHEREAS, it has been the policy of the common council of the city of Decatur, Indiana, to present all issues to the voters of the city of Decatur for their consideration and vote, and WHEREAS,’ the common council has investigated and presented to the citizens of the city of Decatur, Indiana, all facts concerning the power situation, and WHEREAS, it is the desire of the common council of the city of Decatur to grant to the citizens of Decatur the right to express their opinion concerning the same. THEREFORE, be it resolved by the common council of the city of Decatur, Indiana, that the Adams county elation board leave the question of the sale of the Decatur municipal plant on the ballots and *' that said ballots or votes be counted, tabulated, filed and made a matter of record in. the office of the clerk of the Adams circuit court, Decatur Indiana, and that the inspectors of the various precincts in the city of Decatur. Indiana heretofore appointed for the general election to be held on November 3rd, 1959, be instructed to count and tabulate the votes for or against the sale of such municipal light plant and file the same with the clerk of the Adams circuit court, as a matter of-public record. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be delivered to the secretary of the Adams County, Indiana election board. Passed and adopted in open session, by the common council of the City of Decatur, Indiana, this ,31st day of October, 1959. Norbert Aumann Ed Bauer Clyde E. Drake Carl D. Gerber Lawrence A. Konne Attest: Miriam Hall clerk-treasurer. Raised Friday At 4:30 p.m. Friday the county election board handed down its decision on the question in a twopage letter to the city council. It was delivered by the president of the election board. Cal E. Peterson, to Mrs. Miriam Hall, who as clerk-treasurer of the city is secretary of the city council. Mrs. Hall was sick at home, and Cie letter was delivered thfere. The letter reads as follows: Election Board’s Position As you know, the common council of the city of Decatur. Indiana duly adopted a resolution to sell the municipal electric utility to Indiana & Michigan 'electric company on June 16. 1959. Also, pursuant to special ordinance No. 1959-9 adopted on September 1, 1959, submitting the question as to whether the Decatur municipal plant should be sold to Indiana & Michigan electric company for the sum of $2,099.100.00, said question was placed upon the ballot of the’city of Decatur. Indiana by the Adams coun- • ty board of election commissioners. Also, as you further know on October 29, 1959 the appraisers which were petitioned by the city of Decatur, Indiana submitted their appraisal in the amount of $2,275,000.00. Therefore, pursuant to the provisions of Section 48-7211 of Burns Ind. Ann. Stats., which stipulates . . no such property shall be sold for less than the full appraised value thereof . . .” the question is now moot, or meaningless. The Adams county election board on October 29. 1959 addressed a letter to the Indiana state board of election commissioners as to what course of action to follow in regard to the bottom portion (Continued on page olabO

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