Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 57, Number 294, Decatur, Adams County, 15 December 1959 — Page 1

Vol. LVII. No. 294.

John L. Lewis Resigns As Mine Workers Head Effective In January

WASHINGTON (UPD—John L. Lewis, a turbulent titan of the labor movement for 40 years, announced today he will resign as president of the United Mine Workers early next month. Lewis disclosed his unexpected l move in a letter to members of his union published in the United Mine Workers Journal. UMW Vice President Thomas Kennedy, 72, former lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania and a national officer in the mine union since 1925, will succeed Lewis. Lewis gave no specific reason for stepping down from the post he has held since 1919, but his advanced age—79—apparently figured in the decision. Aides said he is in good health and shows no ill effects from the heart attack and pneumonia which hospitalized him for several days last February. Father of CTO “Every logical circumstance leads to the conclusion that I should begin the transfer of my obligations and duties to other and more capable hands,” Lewis wrote. "Accordingly, I will resign from the constitutional office of president shortly after the new year.” Lewis, the father of the CIO who led the drive to organize mass production industries,in the mid-30s, is one of America s most distinguished union leaders. But his bushy black eyebrows, now silver with age, have darkened countless cartoons depicting him as a labor villain- Although he is venerated by the miners, the public often saw him as an ogre who shut off coal supplies in the depths of winter. He has been in nearly continuous conflict with Congress, presidents*. courts and colleagues in the labor movement during most of his adult life. Retire on Pension After summarizing the gains made by the United Mine Workers Union during the many years of his stewardship, Lewis said in his letter that he hopee he union's convention next October would grant him an “honorable discharge” from his duties. There was speculation that he wanted to leave at a time when the union is free of crises and in good financial condition. Observers also felt he would be available as a "consultant” in case new UMW leders want his advice. Lewis will retire on pension equal to his full salary—sso,ooo a year. The UMW has no “president emeritus” title. He apparently will continue as a non-paid trustee of the union's multi-million-dollar welfare and retirement fund. He made no mention of that job in his letter. Soft-Spoken Kennedy Kennedy is a product of Pennsylvania's hard coal fields who still maintains a home at Hazleton, Pa. He is now attending a meeting of the Inlerntional Confederation of Free Trade Unions in Brussels, Belgium. The UMW constitution provides that the vice president automatically fills any vacancy in the president's office. He is a quiet, soft-spoken little man—in sharp contrast to the fiery Lewis, who borrows freely . from Shakespeare, Lincoln and the Bible to cut down his opponents in verbal duels. Lewis described his successor as “amply qualified by training, character, executive ability and a lifetime of devoted and loyal service to function with credit nd distinction in this office of high responsibility. In every official and personal sense I commend him to you.” The union elects officers next December by referendum ballot and Kennedy is considered a shoo-in if he wants to run for a full four-year term as president. But because Kennedy algo is past 70, the man who is chosen to succeed him in the vice presidency may move up. the top Ida within a few years-. ~ ~ Recalls Turbulent Times The news of the approaching retirement recalled Lewis’ tri-umphs—-the birth of the CIO, fantastic growth of steel, auto, rubber. textile and electrical workers’ unions and the mniers’ climb to tiie top of industrial pay scales. It also recalled the UMW’s wartime strikes, enormous fines for contempt of court, losing battles

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against the Taft-Hartley law and clashes with former Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman. The son of Welsh immigrant parents who quit school to go down into the mines at 14 has had personal dealings—not all unpleasant—with every American president since Woodrow Wilson. Lewis himself gave the best description of how he pleaded the miners' case: “.. . not in the quavering tones of a mendicant asking alms, but in the thundering voice oLthe captain of a mighty host.. ./ It was in this spirit that he castigated former Vice President John N. Garner a& a “laborbaitiing, poker - playing, whiskydrinking, evil old man.” Union Gained Much The rambunctious Lewis was slapped down hard by the federal courts, however. The union was fined $3,500,000 and Lewis was assessed SIO,OOO for striking after the government seized the coal mines in 1956. The union’s fine was later reduced to $700,000 A year later, the UMW paid a record-breaking $1,400,000 fine and Lewis was fined $20,000 for violating a federal judge’s no - strike orders. Despite these setbacks, Lewis chalked up sizable gaips at the bargaining table. Union miners now make more in an hour than they did in a day when he first took office. Basic daily pay is now $24.25, compared with the $2.50 to $3 per day common in the 19205. Rapid introduction of coa 1digging machines—encouraged under Lewis’ leadership—made drastic inroads on the union’s mernbership The number of miners in UMW ranks fell from 600,000 to less than 200,000 in the last 10 years because of increased mechanization. Lewis regards the UMW welfare fund, financed by 40-cents-a-ton royalties from bituminous coal producers, as one of his greatest accomplishments. The fund has built 10 hospitals and provides other medical and retirement benefits for soft coal miners.

Ike On Board U.S. Cruiser

ABOARD U.S.S. ESSEX (UPI) — President Eisenhower boarded the cruiser Des Moines today and headed into the Mediterranean for two days of rest from his triumphant good will mission that has carried him 12,500 miles through Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The.sleek warship weighed anchor and started moving out of Phaleron Bay at the conclusion of the President’s one-day visit to Greece in which he again moved through crowds of cheering thousands and praised Greek •‘valor and heroism” in its struggle against communism. His praise for Greece came in a speech to parliament. It gave him a standing ovation when he said he made his trip for “peace and friendship and freedom.” The only jarring note came from the left wing bloc which stared ahead in stony silence when he spoke of the struggle against communism and said Greece and America would remain strong. The left wing bloc has 78 members in the 300-man parliament. The ruling pro-Western National Radical Union — which cheered every remark—has 173. Barbara Visits Child Travelling with the official party aboard the Des Moines were his son and dauuughter-in-law, Maj Johnandßarbara Eisenhower, Before . leaving Athens, . Barbara visited the hospital bedside of Gtfear-old Theodore Zervos who was critically injured Mon-' day while cheering for the President as he drove into Athens. She stroked the cheek of the small boy and tallked with his mother. The child was one of 22 injured when a stone and iron wall collapsed under the weight of onlookers.

HREr ■ T' • v. * • W i I &IL. Uh (Sr* W \ »•' ; B Bte? FRIENDLY ENEMIES—A golden retriever named Puddie and a bunch of kittens are exceptions to the old cat-and-dog routine. The canine and felines get chummy in Nashville, Tenn.

' ' T TAnnual Lions Club Parly For Children Boys and girls of all ages enjoyed the annual Lions club Christmas program Monday night, which Included a gymnastic clown and Santa Claus. More than 100 children were treated to the banquet before the program. Sing Songs Following the dinner, the children assembled in chairs in front of the stage in the main auditorium of the Youth Center. A clown soon appeared, after Jack Gordon

Thousands of Athenians, including girls in colorful Greek national costume and soldiers holding balloons with Greek and American flag designs, watched as the President climbed into a helicopter for his trip to the ship. En route, the helicopter swung past the Acropolis and other glories of ancient Greece before setting down on the cruiser’s after deck. It was raining hard as the President left. No Trace of Hoarseness Eisenhower’s state of health continued to amaze his staff. “He’s stood the trip better than any of us,” said Press Secretary James C. Hagerty. As he addressed parliament his voice was strong without any trace of hoarseness ond he appeared to be in energetic spirits. Eisenhower, in a speech that received thunderous applause, emphasized the Uftited States must remain strong “militarily, economically and spiritually.” •Die statement was of particular importance to Greece which threw off threatened Communist domination at the end of World wwar IlEisenhower paid tribute to the valor of the Greek people for the “light of Inspiration that shone free world from this land- and- its,, islands” and said “in our common dedication to the ideals of democracy our two countries feel a basic kinship.” He recalled the past glory of Greece when it was the cradle of Western democracy and then told of its valor in recent years. “You have proved yourself fearless in defense of your independence,” he said. “Tireless 'sin (Continued on page eight)

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Decatur, Indiana, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 1959.

and Mike Stonestreet had led the group in several songs, including "Jingle Bells,” “Joy to the World,” and others. At clown blew up a huge ballUff, which was soon broken by one of the Lions club members, Frank Lybarger, to . the enjoyment of the crowd. The clown then placed four bottles on a card table, put a chair on the bottles, placed a'nother chair on the edge of the seat of the first chair, and balanced himself upside down on the backs of the two chairs. Audience Helps Then he went out into the audience and selected Miss Grace Kelsey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. ' Frapcis Kelsey of 412 Closs street, to aid him in an act. Hie ciqwn Balanced another chair on the edge of a chair, and then helped the girl sit on the balanced chair, while he then balanced himself on the two chairs, the girl sitting very still to balance out the act. Hie clown also lifted the heavy table, inspected by one of the young men present, with his teeth, after removing a small sandbag (weighing about one ounce) from the chair still on the table. Santa Claus then entered, and passed out candy treats to all the children present. Advertising Index Advertiser Page A&P Tea Co. — 3 Arnold Lumber Co., Inc. - 2 Ashbauchers’ Tin Shop 2 Baker Plumbing & Heating .... 2 Beavers Oil Service 2 Bower Jewelry Store 3 John Brecht Jewelry -3, 6 Briede Studio 3 Burk Elevator Co. 5 Butler Garage 5 Citizens Telephone Co. 4 Fred Corah Insurance .... 4 Decatur iSuper Service — 5 Decatur Ready-Mix, Inc. ........ 2 Erie Railroad 6 Fasteeth 6 Holthouse Furniture Store 7 Heyerly Electric 2 Kohne Drug Store 5,7 Kohne Window & Awning Co. — 2 Petrie Oil Co. .... 5 Price Men’s Wear 6, 8 Quality Chevrolet-Buick, Inc. ... 5 Rambler 8 Rx & S. Marathpn Service -7 ReppertSchool of Auctioneering 6 L. Smith Insurance Agency .... 5 Smith Drug Co. 3,5, 6 Shaffer’s Restaurant 4 Stucky Furniture Co. — 8 Teeple .......i 5 Uhrick Bros. 4, 6 Yost Gravel-Readymix, Inc 2 Zintsmaster Motors 4,5, 7

Hospital Manager Is Speaker Monday At the last meeting of 1959, the industrial division members of the Decatur Chamber of Commerce heard Thurman Drew, general manager of the Adams County memorial hospital, tt l U of the future plans and additions at the local hospital.. M. J. Pryor, of the local NIPSCO office, will assume the chairmanship of the division during 1960, and Gene Rydell, of the Bag Service, will serve as program chairman. They replaced Glen Ellis, of the Schafer Co., and George Auer, of the General Electric Co., respectively. Replacing Old Plumbing Drew told the group that soon the entire plumbing of the hospital will consist of copper pipe, as each of the old pipes goes bad, it is replaced from the ground up with copper tubing. He also explained the plans calling for a "standby electrical generating system which will be used in the event of disasters, and emergencies. The $15,000 item will be FJid for by the taxes of local citizens and from a grant from the federal government. Hie cost will be equally shared, he added. High on the list of work to be done is the drilling df an emergency well. Although., the hospital receives an adequate Supply from the jfity, at present, the well will provide the hospital with complete self reliance in the event of an emergency or disaster. ~ Drew also told how the aim of . the hospital is the care of the patient first, and all else is secondary. "The staff tries to make it as pleasant as possible, but not that pleasant that the person wants to hurry back,” he . added humorously. Seven units of furniture for the various rooms will also be added in the near future as the hospital ’ is attempting to replace all the beat-up furniture that has been there since the building was dedicated in 1923. The latest gift, he said, came from the Geneva bank. Relates Hospital Operation In stating hospital operation, and how it manages to now run at no cost to the taxpayer, he listed that 70 per cent of load is paid by the various insurance companies.. He also told of the headache caused by several of the insurance firms, who still have claims unpaid after as long as three years. He said that this hospital loses only about 5 per cent on bad accounts, which is far below the national average. The hospital is rated by the American hospital association, and while not fully accredited, it is approved. He told that a full-time pathologist is needed for accreditation, as are a records librarian and a regist(Continued on paa« eight) Good Fellows Club Asks Community To Help Local Project The Good Fellows club, which attempts to make certain that every deserving family in Decatur has a happy Christmas, still needs assistance from the community. Anyone knowing of a family in dire straits should contact any of the club members, who are members of Delta Theta Tau sorority. Mrs. Frank Lybarger, at 3-2080, can be called before Dec. 18, which is the deadline, for ordering food, sorting toys, and packing baskets. “ The kindness and support of residents of Decatur and area makes the club and its project a success. Mrs. Lybarger said, in expressing her thanks for the cooperation shown the club members to date. She added, “if the true meaning of Christmas is lost, we will have nothing. Any assistance anyone can give the club members will be greatly appreciated.” f

St. Mary's Fund Campaign Is Over Goal The first results of the St. Mary\s Catholic church development program put the campaign drive well over the top with more yet to come. The 11 vice chairmen totalled the pledges Monday night at a special meeting at St. Joseph’s school, coming up with $263,665.54 from 623 pledges. A total of $29,857.79 was presented in cash as down payments on the two-year pledge program. The minimum goal set for the drive was $225,000. Expect Another $50,000 The overall average donation for each pledge is $423. With 230 pledge cards still out, a 50 per cent return would net the drive another $50,000. Thursday at 8 pm. the group will again meet to wind up the major portion of the drive, and formulate a permanent building 1 committee to care for the development program. 1 Ths more than 300-plus team members toured the parish Sunday afternoon soliciting pledges ■ from parishioners after hearing the Most Rev. Leo A. Pursley, bishop of Fort Wayne, deliver an inspiring invocation at the church. The bishop started the drive off on the right foot by presenting a $5,000 check to the Very Rev. Simeon Schmitt, pastor at St. Mary’s. He told the group that they are not building the convent for anyone in particular but for themsleves in general. In other words, he said, the entire project is for the parish,, not for one individual. 319 Donate Sunday In breaking down the pledges, a total of 304 had been turned in , prior to Sunday’s drive by the members of the committee for $120,909.54, with $17,446.79 in cash. The remaining 319 were collected Sunday for $142,756. A special fund, including the bishop’s $5,000 check, netted $5,827.04. Friends of St. .Mary’s par- . ish other than parisjiioners came t through with this amount. I AU interested team, members . are invited to Thursday’s meeting by the Rev. Schmitt to continue working on the permanent comj mittee. This group will re-visit > those who were not home or. for ' some other reason failed to sign a , pledge. The group will also assist t in the planning of the building of the- convent and other phases of . the development program. The Rev. Schmitt thanked the men for their splendid cooperation - and the “tremendous effort” they 1 put forth to get the job done so 1 well. Bob McGrath, of Lawson ? assciates of New York, who directi ed the drive operation, expressed - his belief that it was one of the (a best conducted drives he has ever . seen. He explicitely put all the, laurels on the heads of the team! , members, "who really went out ( with the right attitude.” ; Ed Neuenschwander Dies At Bluffton Edward E. Neuenschwander, 74, retired farmer of Bluffton route 4, died Monday morning at the Wells county hospital in Bluffton, where he had been a patient five months. Death was attributed to a stroke and carcinoma. He was bom in Adams county Jan. 28, 1885, a son of Peter and Lena Biberstein-Neuenschwander, but had lived in Wells county most of his life.. Surviving are two sons, Carl E. of Craigville and Roger of Monroe route 1; three grandchildren; two brothers, Noah of Bluffton route 4, and Oral of Lawrence, iMinn., and two sisters, Mrs. Tillie Schnepp of Bluffton route 4, and Mrs. Emma Schwartz ' of Waynedale. Three brothers and two sisters are deceased. 1 Services will be held at 2 p. m. < Wednesday at the Goodwin fu- j neral home in Bluffton, the Rev. , Sam Aeschliman officiating. Burial will be in the Apostolic Christian church cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home un- 1 til time of the services. i INDIANA WEATHER I Partly cloudy and a little .. warmer .this afternoon. Mostly ] " cloudy tonight and Wednesday with chance, of some rain extreme south Wednesday. Sunset 5:22 p.m. e.s.t, 4:22 p. m. c.s.t. Low tonight mostly in 30s. Sunrise Wednesday 7:59 a. m. High Wednesday in 40s, low Wednesday night in 30s. Outlook for Thursday: Rain south, mostly cloudy north. High in 40s.

Third Count Os Votes In Mayor Race—j

The third count of the Decatur mayor race will begin at 9 a.m. Monday, December 28, Judge , Myles F. Parrish ruled late Monday. The court ruling was requested , by Mayor Robert D. Cole through a petition to contest the election, filed at the time of the legal deadline. Method Explained Judge Parrish explained that he would have the election board place the ballots in his custody. Then he would ask the lawyers, Robert S. Anderson and John DeVoss, to go through the ballots, and count them. Ballots about which they disagree will be placed in a separate pile. Judge Parrish will rule on these later. The judge called in both lawyers before setting the date, which by : law he had to set within 20 days of the termination of the recount i by the commission. Both agreed to December 28. It is not likely that the votes will be tallied and ruled upon by January 1, the date that the mayor will take office, Judge Parrish further explained. In that case, Donald F. Gage, Republican candidate certified by the recount commission, will take office. Later, if there is a change in the count, it would be possible to certify Robert D. Cole. The decision of the local court may be appealed directly to the supreme court. In Open Court Judge Parrish stated that the ballot-counting this time will be in open court. Rules governing civil cases will be in effect. In the original count November 3, Gage defeated Cole 1,708 to 1,704, or by four votes. In the recount by the commission, in which 547 more ballots were ruled mutilated than in the first election, Cage won by a count of 1.452 to 1,413. Reasons For Count During the recount by the commission, the ballots were counted by precinct. The first precinct, 1-A, was counted twice, as procedure was generally established at that ) _

Herter Asks Allies Patch Differences

State Christian A. Herter appealed today to the NATO Allies ( to patch up their differences and ' said failure to maintain their military strength would imperil the slight chance they have now of ending the cold war. The dispute between the United States and France over France’s growing reluctance to co-operate wholeheartedly with NATO appeared so profound that only a direct meeting between President Eisenhower and President Charles de Gaulle could patch it up. A smoothing out of these differences could take place Saturday, when the two presidents hold private talks just after the Western summit meeting begins. To Stick To Pledge Herter told the opening session of the NATO foreign ministers meeting today the United States will stick to its pledge to keep a quarter million soldiers and 11 combat wings consisting of more than 180 aircraft in Europe But he was prepared to ask the United States’ 14 NATO partners to make extraordinary efforts to live up to their pledges to keep the alliance militarily strong, on grounds that if the Western arms posture is allowed to slump now the West will have lost whatever slight advantage it might have at the East-Wes summit meeting next year. The French-American dispute that cast a pall over the ministers’ meeting and threatened to mar the Western summit talks over the week end was triggered by charges by U. S. Gen. Nathan B. Twining that France was the prime offender among IJfATO Allies not livinl up to .military commitments. Wants More Control But the dispute stemmed also from France’s year-old campaign lies not living up to military comtrol, more closely appoximating what De Gaulle considers France’s true strength and importance in relation to her NATO Allies. The Americans were considered partly to blame for the rift.

time. Ballots on which the X was outside of the square or circle by more than one mark were not counted. Ballots with just one mark outside were counted, the commission ruling that such marks were inadvertent, and therefore not illegal. In the first precincts Cote gained votes, but he lost votes in the last precincts. An eyeglass was used in the last few precincts to determine if any of the lines were outside in more than one spot. '— At the beginning of the session, it was decided by the commission that the chairmanship would rotate; huwever, as it ended, one person acted as chairman most of the time. Mrs. Sarah A. Gerber Is Taken By Death Mrs. Sarah Ann Gerber, 81, a lifelong resident of Wells county, died at 4:15 p. m. Monday at the Clinic hospital in Bluffton following an extended illness. Mrs. Gerber was a member of the St. John’s Evangelical and Reformed church at Vera Cruz. Her husband, Calvin J. Gerber, preceded her in death. Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Ira Baker of Bluffton; a granddaughter; five great-grandchil-dren; four sisters, Mrs. Edward Bauman of Bluffton; Mrs. G. G. Gottschalk of near Geneva, and Mrs. Raymond Bluhm and Mrs. Clayton Holloway, both of Mom roe, and, two brothers, L e,v i Moeschberger of near Berne, and Nathan Moeschberger of Geneva. . Funeral services will K conducted at 1:30 p. itt. Thursday ta ’ the Goodwin funeral home at Bluffton, the ReV. Louis Minsterman officiating. Burial will be in Elm Grove cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 p. m. today.

5 too, for having chosen this mo 1 ment to pressure other NATO ' members into meeting their full 5 commitments, as the United f United States has always done. The French were also angry ‘ with the United States over tne American abstention ’on last Saiur- ’ day’s crucial United Nations Geo--1 eral Assembly vote on the Algerian issue. i i Good Fellows Club ■ Previously reported —5307.00 Mr. & Mrs. Ed Jaberg 10.00 Mr. & Mrs. LaVerne Roth 250 St. Vincent De Paul Society 5.00 r Ladies Auxiliary Veterans of Foreign Wars 5.00 A Friend —------ 100 Decatur B. P. W? Club.... 11.50 Red Men Lodge 5.00 Tri Kappa 50.00 Decatur Emblem Club 10.00 Berean Clags Baptist Church 5.00 Marion - Sheri Lynn Brodbeck 2.00 C. W. Kent 100 Mr. & Mrs. W. W. Cravens 5.00 Mr. & Mrs. George J. Buckley 5.00 Ben Trout 10.00 Mrs. Catherine Borne 2.50 Change in boxes 1.16 Total - $438.06 SHOPHIIG BAYS LOT HBPRGHTTB with CHRISTMAS SEALS Mg

Six Cents