Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 61, Number 180, Decatur, Adams County, 1 August 1963 — Page 1

VOL. LXI NO. 180.

School Taxes Over State To Record Highs

By United Press International Indiana property taxpayers began this week to.receive the bad news in detail of how school tax rates will rise to astronomical heights next year if the state tax issue is not resolved. School administrators and boards of trustees, who are required by law to publish proposed tax ?ates and budgets by next week, generally have found that increases will be so great without the sales tax to produce the 1963 Legislature’s promise of expanded state aid that whopping levies will be the inevitable result. The blackest news came from Gary, where City Supt. A. H. Blankenship unveiled a proposed school tax rate of $9.46 per SIOO of assessed valuation. That’s far above the current $5.85 levy and also is $1.23% above the legal maximum. Blankenship warned that the gloomy picture may force Gary schools to close two months early next year and to close again in the 1964-65 year shortly after they open in September. Same Picture Everywhere While the situation was most critical in Lake County, where some current property tax rates are near and above $lO, the picture was similar throughout the state. Administrators resorted to property taxation, the only alternative to make up the loss of greater satate aid which they had expected until a Marion County judge declared the 2 per cent sales ' tax unconstitutional and plans to collect the tax beginning July 1 were stalled pending an Indiana Supreme Court decision on an appeal. A sprinkling of reports from

To Take New Bids On City Projects

After taking a backward step Tuesday afternoon, the city’s police station and city hall renovation projects took two steps forward late Wednesday afternoon, in a special meeting of the board of works and safety and the city council. The. board of works , and .the entire council, with the exception of vacationing Norb Aumann, who is in California, sat in on the special session, and made definite ■ plans to move forward on the propects of constructing the police building and renovating the city hall building. After much discussion, all of which was in agreement that ooth projects need to be done, the board of works rejected the two bids received Tuesday from Chalmer Barkley and Yost Construction Co., both of Decatur. ' With the rejection of the bids received Tuesday, the board of works and council agreed to readvertise for bids and receive new bids Thursday, August 22, for construction of the police building and the city hall renovation. New Bids The bids will be read aloud a< 4 p.m. in the city hall, and bids may be entered previous to that date. Any contractor desiring plans and specifications on the projects may obtain them at the Qty clerk-treasurer’s office in the city hall, beginning Monday. A few minor changes in interior materials and plumbing and heating fixture types have been made from the original specifications. Bid notices will appear in the Daily Democrat Saturday, August 3, and Saturday, August 10. The board of works and city council, after discussing the matter, decided that the two bids received Tuesday were too high, even though the contractor must use the prevailing, wage scale that was established. It is believed that by receiving bids again, the board of works will get some bids from other contractors out of town, who may not have had time to enter a bid before last Tuesday. Discuss Bids Members of the board of works and council and architectural designer Jerold Lobsiger discussed the two bids for some time, and finally agreed that they were too high for the building and work that was desired. The council had appropriated 117,500 for each of the two projects, and both the bids received Tuesday were considerably over this amount. Berkley had submitted total bids of $24,909 for building the new

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

around the state indicated that many school tax rates will rise between $1 and $2, increasing them to above $5. When combined with levies from other units of government, many of which also are showing increases, this means the $lO tax rate threatens to become commonplace in 1964. At Shelbyville, a proposed school rate of $5.18 was approved tentatively, an increase of $1.31 from the current levy. At Franklin, a $5.15 rate was approved temporarily, an increase of $1.32 for that city and more than $2 for some township units which were merged into the district only this year. “Frugal and Realistic” Marion school officials approved a $5.44 rate, and at Valparaiso a $1.20 increase will send the rate to $5.51. A budget called “frugal and realistic” by board members was approved for New Albany-Floyd County calling for an increase in rate of $1.36 from $3.41 to $4.77. While most schoolmen believe the Supreme Court by the end of 1963 will reverse the invalidity ruling on the sales tax and make it effective belatedly, or the legislature in special session will enact tax legislation to Restore the slashed state aid, the law requires preparation of budgets now taking into consideration the possibility no relief will be forthcoming. Should relief come, the proposed rates can be slashed to conform with the latest revenue expectations. Proposed tax rates, however, cannot be increased after they are published, so schools must take the realistic view that it’s possible no relief will come.

station, and $20,732 for renovating city hall. Yost submitted total bids of $25,450 for the police statuon and $21,000 for the city hall remodeling. These bids included the plumbing, heating, electrical work, air conditioning anr painting. The Barkley bid for building the police station was $16,944, plus $1,458 for plumbing, $1,587 for heat'ing, $1,431 for electrical, $1,190 for air conditioning and $2,299 for painting, making the total bid $24,909. The Yost bid on the police station was $17,425, plus $1,475 for plumbing, $1,587 for heating, sl,450 for electrical, $1,200 for air conditioning and $2,300 for paiinting, for a total of $25,540. The Barkley bid on city hall renovation amounted to $12,657, plus $1,566 for plumbing, $3,423 for electrical and $3,096 for painting. The Yost bid was $13,075, plus $1,575 for plumbing, $3,450 for electrical, and $3,100 for painting. Decatur Optimists Hear Wildcat Head George Waning, director of the Decatur Wildcat league gave an interesting report of the league's first year of operations at the weekly breakfast meeting of the Decatur Optimists club this morning. Waning, introduced by Carl Braun, league commissioner, have a detailed account of the boys’ activities, and voiced full credit to his assistants, Bill McColly, Jerry Mitchel, Floyd Reed, and the various high school boys who comprise the coaching staff. Stressing the code which the boys recite on joining the league, the director stated that there has been a definite improvement in the attitude of the boys in respecting the property of indiviluals and the Community in general. He pointed with pride to the fact that the league has players with physical handicaps who play regularly without asking for or being given special consideration by the coaches or the other players. Braun then presented a brief financial report on the league's treasury. stating the loop is only $l2O short of its ultimate goal. He said that the shortage must be met this week by individual contributions. Following adjournment of the meeting, a collection from individual members totaled S6O, which was presented to the league.

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x DELIVERED BROTHER— Torin Tompkins, 10, holds his halfbrother Rene William Nicoll. Torin delivered the baby in his family’s Long Beach, Calif., home, by following his mother’s instructions.

Meany Opposed To Kennedy Rail Plan

WASHINGTON (UPI) — AFLCIO President George Meany told Congress today that if it is going to “compel” railroad employes to work it ought also to think about ending private ownership of the industry. “It’s a natural followup,” Meany told the House Commerce Committee. Meany said that if employes can be forced to accept certain working conditions because their industry has “paramount public interest” then the “next logical step is that these industries should not be the medium for private . profit.” The labor leader called on the committee to reject President Kennedy’s plan for settling the four-year-old railroad work rules dispute. The President wants the matter referred to the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). Meany noted that the administration does not consider the proposal as a form of compulsory arbitration. Advocates Own Plan “I do not know if it is compulsory arbitration,” he said, “but I do know it is compulsory.” Meany said Congress would be acting more in the public interest if it adopted a plan for settlement he offered several days ago. Under the Meany plan, the railroad unions and management would be directed to continue collective bargaining under the close scrutiny of a congressional watchdog committee. Negotiation would continue until the committee decided that no further progress was necessary. Asked by one committee member what would happen then, Meany replied: “It puts it back to Congress as it is now, and Congress would have to do something.” Asked what Congress should do then, Meany answered that he had no opinion now, but he would when the time came. “I hope we don’t get to that point,” he added. Meany described his proposal as “a last shot at collective bargaining.” J. E. Wolfe, chief negotiator for the railroads, told the Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday night that “positive, deep-seated and pervading” differences separated the carriers and the five railroad unions involved. Wolfe dismissed the Meany plan and said it was “highly improbable” that the dispute could be settled if Congress does not approve President Kennedy’s plan. The Senate committee today called Lester P. Schoene, Washington attorney representing the rail unions, and then planned to close the record of its hearings. Acting Chairman John O. Pastore, D-R.1., said the committee would go into executive session Aug. 8 to aet on the proposed legislation. Wolfe said earlier Wednesday that the carriers had made ‘/some adjustmenta” in their proposals for settling the dispute and avoiding a nationwide strike, giving rise to hope that give-and-take collective bargaining might begin. Wolfe said “in a sense" the adjustments could be considered concessions but he emphasized that the proposals mainly were translations into collective bargaining terms of recommendations made earlier by a presidential board.

ONLY DAILY NNWSPAPNR IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana,

Blames Unions Wolfe said the railroads believed further negotiations in the four-year-old dispute would be “fruitless" without the aid of a program such as President Kennedy proposed. He blamed the unions for the impasse that brought about the presidential action. Labor Secretary W. Willard Wirtz in his office Wednesday With railroad mariagemWff negotiators but had no comment on the session. Wolfe told the Senate committee he did not want to say the dispute is beyond all collective bargaining but “it appears hopeless.” Asked by Sen. Norris Cotton, R-N.H., if the carriers would agree to placing the dispute before an entirely new and independent group,named by President,Kennedy, none of whom had served before, Wolfe said the railroads would “accept it on the spot." Daniel Loomis, president of the Association of American Railroads told thecommittee “Congress will have to face the issue and it might as well face it now.” More Blood Donors Are Urgently Needed Mrs. Ferris Bower, local chairman of the Red Cross blood donor program, announced today that more blood donors are urgently needed for the Red Cross bloodmobile visit Monday. The bloodmobile will be at the Decatur Youth and Community Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on that day to receive donations of blood from persons in good health and between the ages of 18 and 59. All types of blood are needed. Mrs. Bower said, in outlining the quota for the Decatur visit. Roughly, it is hoped that Monday's work will net 25 pints of O-positive blood, 25 pints of O-negative, 25 pints of A-positive, 25 pints of Anegative, two pints of AB positive and 2 pints of AB negative, for a total of 104 pints. Mrs. Bower said that a number of times are still open for Monday donors, including 11:30, 11:45, 12:30, 12:45, 1:15, 1:30, 1:45, 2:15. 2:45, 3 and 3:15. Donors who thave not previously registered may call at these times. All previous donors that could be conwjfcted have been called and another 100 donors are urgently needed if Adams county is to reach the goal of 125 pints of blood next Monday, Mrs. Wanda Oelberg, executive secretary of the Red Cross, said today. The volunteers 'in charge of telephoning have spent this week in making calls on those who have previously donated blood. Anyone interested in giving blood, or in replacing for someone who has had to have blood, should call the Red Cross, and ask to be scheduled, or walk in sometime between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.~ Monday at the Decatur Youth and Community Center. TWO SECTIONS

New Trial Motion Is Filed In North Adams School Merger Case

Judy Mosser Is Winner Os Dress Revue The 4-H dress revue, staged in a quaint and colorful “Fisherman’s Wharf” setting, sailed smoothly through eight divisions of entrants, plus a junior champion and a senior reserve champion, to see its senior champion burst into tears when she was announced a sthe winner. Judy Mosser, wearing a cran-berry-colored suit with a sailortype color which blended well with the stage props for the show, won the coveted grand champion award from a field of more than 100 4-H girls who originally en- ■ tered the contest. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. David Mosser, route 2, Geneva, she is a member of the Jefferson Work and Win 4-H group. Sandra Bransteter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bransteter, route 2, Berne, won the senior reserve champion award. She, too, is a member of the Jefferson *Wor_k and Win club. The junior champion award went to Jennifer Meyer, . daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James L. Meyer, 1109 Nuttman avenue, Decatur. She is a member of the Washington Peppy Gals. Appearing on stage were the members of the honor group, who .were the winners in each division. The divisional winners, in the order in which they placed, were as follows. First division: Dianna Zurcher, Janice Auman, Mary Lentz, Linda Mattox, Sandra Kukelhan, Phyllis Diehl and Dianna Branstetter. Second division: Ann Langston, Debra Souder, Jacklie Helm, Nancy Bertsch, Marsha Erxleben and Carolyn Miller. Third division: Jennifer Meyer, Kay Wheeler, Janie Sommer, Karen Kunkel and Karen Bollenbacher. Fourth division: Kathy Christman, Barbara Chilcote and Cynthia Fuelling. Fifth division: Darlene Rich, Linda Conrad, Mary Lybarger, Sherril Heckman and Barbara Hawbaker. Sixth division: Sandra Bransteter, Donna Hodpen, Nancy Habegger, Debbie Bultemeier and Siiaron Buuck. Seventh division: Cindy Boerger. Eighth divtision: Judy Mosser, Ellen May Lindsey, Sally Schnepf and Betsy Schnepf. The girls were judged on a basis of three general categories — appearance, costume and acces- 1 sories. The appearance category 'included general appearance, pos- ■ ture, poise, charm, personality and grooming. The costume category included becomingness and wear- < ability, fit, workship, style, color and fabric. The accessories cate- 1 gory included hat, shoes and hosiery, bag, gloves and jewelry. Asks Farmers To Top Corn At Intersections Sheriff Roger Singleton issued a request to all Adams' county farmers this morning. The sheriff asked that all farmers in the county who have corn growing at county road and highway intersections, to have the ebrn topped. Some intersections thoroughout the county are becoming dangerous, sheriff Singleton explained, as corn is growing very high at the interdiction corners and reducing visibility of motorists. He asked anyone who has corn growing of an intersection of any highways or county roads, to have the com topped, affording better visibility for motorists approaching the intersections.

Group Opposed To New School District Files The north group opposed to formation of the North Adams school district filed its motion for a new trial at 4 p.m. Tuesday in the Huntington circuit court, but Judge Ray Ade is out of the state on vacation until August 13, and no ruling will be made until that t time.I If the judge overrules the motion for a new trial, the way will then be open for the north group to file an appeal with the supreme court, as their praecipe reads. North Still Operating The present motion in no way interferes with the continued operation of North Adams community schools, which was activated by Judge Ade’s July 3 decision, and the board is expected to meet again, possibly next week, as soon as the board members have returned from their vacations. At present the North Adams board has not authorized a budget for the coming year, but when the Decatur board recently asked the state board of accounts to continue : hearings on its building fund, it was turned down, on the grounds that North Adams is now ni opera, tion. This Itad to the possibility that the state beard of accounts will not approve Preble, Root, Union, North Washington, or Decatur sahool city budgets for the coming year, if the North Adams board fails to function, and the entire north area Could be without school service, other than parochial schools. Sales Tax Cut Hurts Decatur school superintendent Gail Grabill stated that he was now figuring out the Decatur school budget, just in case; that the school city will lose $178,000 because of the loss of state revenue funds, and that this would amount to more than $1.20 per SIOO assessed valuation. The entire North Adams community Schools, if it operates, would lose $212,000, which would be 95 cents on the school levy over the entire North Adams district. Meanwhile, the South Adams community schools is functioning very well, and apparently pleasing most of the people in all of the former school districts involved. South Adams Because of the unconstitutionlity of the sales tax, the South Adams school district will receive $169,000 less than anticipated from state revenue, which will add about venue, which eoeNo. $1.13 to the school rate in that district. The South Adams board has made several economy moves to keep the rate from reaching the $5.05 maximum, Hie board has fixed a ratio of 3.2 between the pupils of the Berne and Geneva schools, so that there will be no “pirating” of students within the South district. Part of the transfer of records has already been completed to the South Adams school district, and thj( rest is awaiting final approval of the books by lhe county superintendent’s office. Dr. Norman Beaver, of Berne, has been named to tht South Adams board to replace Harold Sprunger, who recently resigned. The selection was made by the four other members of the board? Walter Muth, Fred Fosnaugh, Robert Lehman, and Leslie B. Lehman. INDIANA WEATHER Fair with little temperature change tonight. Friday partly cloudy and warm with thundershowers likely north portion afternoon or night. Lows tonight 62 to 70. Highs Friday 84 to 88 north, 85 to 93 south. Sunset today 7:58 p. m. Sunrise Friday 5:45 a. m. Outlook for Saturday: Partly cloudy, warm and humid with scattered showers. Lows in the 60s. Highs 83 to 93.

Government Seeks Test Ban Approval

WASHINGTON (UPI) - President Kennedy is expected to emphasize anew today his hope for overwhelming congressional and public support of the nuclear test ban to be signed in Moscow next week. The President scheduled a news conference for 4 p.m. EDT, which could serve as a forum for his new appeal. The conference was being televised and broadcast live to the nation Kennedy was believed ready to give some indication of U.S. reaction to the attitude of French President Charles de Gaulle, who has declined to sign the pact and plans to continue his test program. Clarification Unlikely It was considered unlikely, however, that the President would clarify in any great detail the question of whether the United States was prepared to assist France with information and weapons if the French keep their experiments underground. Under Secretary of State W. Averell Harriman said Wednesday the President could be expected to give some observation on the French attitude toward nuclear testing. The President was understood, to be wary of taking too definite a position

Convicted Ward Is Still Gravely 11l

LONDON (UPI) —Dr. Stephen Ward, convicted Wednesday of vice charges'," remained "grieviously and critically ill and unconscious” today, more than 24 hours after taking an overdose of drugs, a hospital bulletin announced. The bulletin said Ward was operated on “to replace a temporary airway tube” this morning. Ward tried to kill himself Wednesday a few hours before his case went to the jury and i still does not know that the jury found him guilty of two vice counts that could bring a 14-year prison term. The 50-year old society osteopath, whose friends included the rich and famous of Britain, introduced some of them to call girls and touched off one of the scandals of the century. The medical bulletin said: Text Os Bulletin "Dr. Ward's condition remains comparatively unchanged, that is to say. he is still grieviously and critically ill and is still deeply unconscious. “A slight operation is called for to replace his temporary airway tube and this is being under- 1 taken at the moment." The bulletin was issued at 10:30 a.m. (5:30 a m. EDT).

Ward was rushed to St. Stephen's Hospital while the trial proceeded. The jury found him guilty of two vice counts — living off the earnings of prostitutes Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies — and acquitted him of three others. He Will be sentenced when and if he recovers. His lawyers said they would appeal the conviction. A London newspaper asked today whether Ward might be a “fall guy" and whether the trial had brought, out everything about those in high positions involved in the scandal. Ward himself, in a newspaper interview he granted the night before his suicide attempt, charged that Lord Astor "crucified me" by not speaking up for him. Admitted Introduction , Ward, who had a cottage on Astor’s Cliveden estate and was a friend of the wealthy peer, admitted he introduced Astor to 21year old Christine and 18-year old Mandy, but not with the intention of offering their services as prostitutes. He said the same thing of his

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pending further study. Harriman pumped more steam into the administration drive for test ban approval by asserting that the United States would “lose our leadership of the world” if the Senate failed to ratify the ban on air, space and underwater tests. Announced Delegation He spoke at a National Press Club lunch not long after the White House announced that a liman delegation, including four Democratic and two Republican senators, would accompany Rusk to Moscow Friday. The delegation includes Democratic Sens. J.W. Fulbright, Ark.; Hubert H. Humphrey, Minn.; John O. Pastore, R.1., and John Sparkman. Ala.; and Republicans Leverett Saltonstall, Mass., and George Aiken, Vt. •< Others are United Nations Ambassador Adlai E. Stevenson; Disarmament Agency Director William C. Foster; Chairman Glenn Seaborg of the Atomic Energy Commission; Llewellyn Thompson, former ambassador to Moscow and now a top adviser to Rusk, and Arthur Dean, former head of the U.S. delegation to the Geneva disarmament negotiations.

introduction of War Minister John Profumo to Christine. Her affair with Profumo at the same time she was seeing the Soviet naval attache, Capt. Eugene Ivanov, nearly caused the fall of the Macmillan cabinet and brought about Profumo's resignation. Blonde Mandy testified that she had been intimate with Astor and with actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Both men denied this in statements out of court but did not testify. - / . “It’s not prison that worries me,” Ward told a London Daily Express reporter Tuesday night. "It's taking the blame, being the victim of a witch hunt — that’s what hurts.” Denies Statement On School Appeal Robert M. Kolter, Preble township trustee, denied Wednesday afternoon that he said that the north group opposed to school reorganization planned to appeal, as was stated in the featured front-page article in Tuesday’s Decatur Daily Democrat. Kolter stated that he went in, as most trustees do, to see the school superintendent for help in preparing the budget. When the superintendent came to his school budget, and informed him that it would not be necessary to include a school budget, he said that he wasn't sure, but he had heard rumors that the north group planned to appeal, but that he had not heard it directly from anyone, nor been in contact with any of the group involved in the appeal. Kolter'a township voted about 85 per cent against the proposed school district, and he had attempted to lead Preble township and Root, township into a joint operation of the Monmouth school for the coming school year. Show Women Film On Cancer At 4-H Fair The showing time of the film about cancer, for women only, at the 4-H fair this evening has been charged |rom 6:30 until 7:30 p.m. The title of the film is, "Time and Two Women.”