Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 14 November 1936 — Page 9

FROM INDIANA

By ERNIE PYLE

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14.—Having used up all of yesterday's column with being scared into a lather, we’ll have to continue

into today to get all the Golden Gate Bridge

datter, as they say, down on paper. This bridge, as you know, runs right across the Golden Gate, which is a mile wide. It's the biggest suspension bridge ever built, Next biggest is the George Washington Bridge over the Hudson. There are just two.towers to this bridge. Each sits in the water about three blocks out from shore. Each is nearly as high as the Empire State Building. Over the tops of these towers swing two immense cables (three feet thick). They are anchored in concrete far back from the water's edge. The bridge itself hangs from - these cables. The bridge is getting pretty well along; it will be finished next spring. The bridge man who took me around had to put up with a lot of silly questions. He said the bridge was so strong that you could pack the six-lane roadway solidly with trucks, and pack the wide sidewalks with people shoulder to shoulder, and have them all jump up and down, and then saw the big cables half way in two, and it'd still be safe. I asked him if hurricanes mightn't topple the towers over, especially with all that inhuman weight of the cables bearing down on them. He just laughed. He said he'd been up there when the wind ‘was blowing 50 miles an hour and the towers didn't even tremble. He said it was conceivable that an earthquake might destroy them, but it would have to be such a bad earthquake there wouldn't be anything left in San Francisco, so you wouldn't need a bridge. I asked him how long the bridge would last. He aid a thousand years. Pooey.

Ship Would Fold Up

ASKED him what would happen if a ship got lost in fog and rammed one of the towers. He said they had run model tests on that very thing. These showed that if our heaviest battleship, going at 15 knots (which a ship coming through the gate in a fog would never do), should hit the tower base, the ship would fold up like an accordion but the tower wouldn't budge. And now, in spite of my being so scared, the most impressive thing about the Golden Gate Bridge ‘is its safety record. They have killed only ene man. Contrast that to 23 lives lost on the Oakland Bay Bridge, a few miles away. What's the answer? Nets. Never before have big bridge builders used nets to catch the workmen who fall. The old steel workers scoffed when it was decided .to put nets under them. But they've quit scoffing now. They have become conscious of that security, and they work faster and better.

Net Cost $85,000 ROM one end of the Golden Gate Bridge to the other, sagging from 10 to 30 feét below the bridge's framework floor, hangs this great net. It is made of half-inch rope, with connections about gix inches apart. The whole thing cost $85,000. Four men have fallen into it so far. “The net was paid for when the first man fell,” the bridge man said. They expect. about 20 more men to fall into the net before the bridge is finished. They expect to save 23 lives, instead of losing 23. The one man who was: killed .here.. didn't fall He was smashed. by a derrick arm.

Mrs. Roosevelt's Day

BY ELEANOR ROOSEVELT ANSAS CITY, Mo., Friday.—We were a little late getting into Kansas City this morning. So much mail awaited me that I am afraid I was very slow in getting ready for the day, so it was a few minutes before 10 before Mrs. Scheider rather apologetically suggested that several people were waiting for me and the press was downstairs clamoring to come up. Then I really hurried, saw the group representing the Missouri State Teachers’ Association, and let the press come up. The press spent quite a while, because two young Communists hdd come prepared to ask me questions which really concerned the residents of Kansas City. I have seen so many sewing rooms that walking through them is becoming somewhat automatic, but

Fi

JAY, NOVEMBER fos

Lewis’ Group Unworried as Unions Prepare to 45 ¢

LABOR CHIEF TAINS OR

“ww

Sp OT

» = =

semble in Tampa

John L. Lewis, president United Mine Workers of America.

BY DREW PEARSON AND ROBERT S. ALLEN

VV ASHINGTON, Nov. 14. —When the momentous A. F. of L. convention opens in Tampa Monday, to all outward appearances John L. Lewis’ Committee for Industrial Organization will

be on the spot. Actually, just the opposite will be the case—not the insurgents but the old-line leaders will be on

the spot. The C. I. O. group has nothing to lose, regardless of what disciplinary. action the convention takes aaginst it. For the C. I. O. unions the die already is cast. Months ago, although they did not advertise it at the time, they determined to cut the A. PF. of L. bonds — if not permitted to go their own way. So the threat of permanent expulsion—the most ‘extreme , penalty—holds no terror. for them. This defiant attitude - explains ‘why, at their conferené¢e in Pittsburgh last Saturday, they. named Miners’ Chief Lewis a committee of one to negotiate with the A. F. of L. moguls.

HE ‘moguls figured on dealing with a committee, knew. they could handle a group better than a single member. And the last man they wanted to face was the

rim=jawed Jewis, legder<of the |. rnp evi ener Je | tenis dhe

Down at Tampa the federation big-shots will be on the griddle both individually and collectively. President William Green is himself a member of the United Mine Workers, one of the suspended insurgent unions. The constitution of the A. F. of L. categorically bars a member of a banned union from sitting in the convention or holding office in the federation. Where this leaves Mr. Green is "highly conjectural.

Scientists Hear Tiny Magnets Inside Metal Turn Over, Hiss

BY SCIENCE SERVICE

: Hutcheson’s own ‘position’ in the

William Green, president, Amer- | ican Federation of Labor.

aman

Matthew Woll, a vice president of the American Federation of Labor.

The C. I. O. claims that he is helding office illegally and that his participation in the convention will be illegal. When asked about the matter, Mr! Green avoided a direct reply, joshed that he might join the: Musicians’ Union. “So he could fiddle like Nero, I suppose,” snapped Mr. Lewis,

gd 2 s

NOTHER federation Big Bertha definitely on the de= fensive is William L. Hutcheson, massive president of the Carpenters” Brotherhood. Mr. Hutcheson is the most re-

‘some of ‘them talked of coming

sisted on war. He and Mr. Lewis have been personal enemies for years. Because the carpenters, next to the miners, are the largest union in the federation, Mr. Hutcheson was able to force the executive council to go. his way. But in the last few months Mr.

carpenters’ + union has ‘ become wobbly in the extreme,

NE immediate example of the

- Landon’s crushing rout did ‘not

I

to terms with the rebels, he in- |

George ‘L. Berry, ‘president, Inlernational Pressmen and Assistants Union,

International Typographical

pa P. Howard, president, Ul on

When the executive council was deliberating the suspension : of the C. I. O., scores of. carpenter locals wrote and telegraphed protests against such . action. Mr. Hutcheson’s . acceptance’ of the chairmanship of the Landon Labor paign Committee added furr fuel to the flames. Resentment against him has been high among his own men. Like the rest of labor, the rank and file of carpenters generally supported the President, and Mr.

-help Mr. Hutcheson's standing in union, : ol pra the, face of growing hostility against him, Mr. Hutcheson seen the handwriting on the wall .and worked out a neat, scheme to: save his seriously threatened ‘scalp. The plan will be sprung: at the carpenters’ convention next month —incidentally, the first the union has held in a number of years.. Under it Mr. Hutcheson .would re=tire voluntarily as the $25, 000-2 year president of the union in ex-

KNOW: YOUR NDIANAPOLIS

Indianapolis, located less han 60 miles from the center f population of the - United

David 1. Dubinsky, president International Ladies’ ‘Garment Workers.

Daniel J. Tobin, president. of

the Teamsters’ and Chauffeurs International.

change for’ a Tite appohiitinent” as superintendent of the Carpenters’ Home at Lakeland, Fla.—at. $20,000 a year. Whether Mr. Hutcheson can. put his scheme across remains to be: seen. But whether he .succeeds. or not, the fact that he'is under fire in his own union will play an important ‘behind-the-scenes role at Tampa. Chances are strong against the convention taking any drastic action against the C. I. O. Most likely course will be to confirm the suspension order of the executive council and instruct it - to ‘attempt to negotiate with the ihsurgents, uhder threat. of permanent expulsion if Bey refuse to come to terms. re

» - 8

SUE: a policy will plays into

e dissidents, .

because it will Prove thas. the federation moguls dare: not Shrow

will. be, the’ federation. czars yiocting no. alternative. Not i are. Hey

Price Increases

# William L. Hutcheson, president ‘of the Carpenters and Joiners International.

Sidney Hillman, president Amalgamated : Clothing. Workers of

personally insecure, but a clean break ‘with the C.:1. O. would have a catastrophic effect throughout the A. F. of L. structure.

Expulsion. of the C. I. O. unions would mean automatic suspension of a number of state federations and local central labor bodies. One example of this is the Pennsylvania State Federation, 80 per cent of those members belong to C. I. O. unions. In some other states the heads of the federations are C. I. O. members or sympathizers. This is also true of. scores of local labor organizations, With the A..F. of L. already financially hard hit and shaken to the core by the. C. I. O. suspension, it can not withstand a solar plex-

us blow such as an expulsion. or-

der would mean. As much as Mr. Green, Mr. Hutcheson and the lesser federation bosses hate Mr.

Lewis, et al., they will think twice

‘and ‘proceed cautiously. Their own: pocketbooks are at stake. No matter how tough they

“talk for public consumption; they

are not the kind to cut off their noses to spite their faces.

Might Nullify

Raises i in Wages, Clapper Says

Our Town By ANTON SCHERRER

1 ‘WOULD be ducking my duty if I failed to > tell you about the wiggle-wall out at Lockefield Gardens. That's the name of the Federal Housing Project opposite-the City

‘Hospital and the sooner you learn to call it

that, the quicker this Administration can get off fo a flying start. The wiggle-wall is the invention of W. Earl Russ and Merritt Harrison, the two Indianapolis architects

Tesporialile for the project. It isn’t they invented out

e only thing ; Te but it’s the only one I have

time for today. Architects Russ and Harrison stayed up nights figuring out the wiggle-wall. They're glad they did, because, now that they have the thing working, they're pretty sure that nothing 1s impossible any more. And I'm sure you'll agree when

you learn that the wiggle-wall is

a way of getting rid of the old- Mr. Scherrer fashioned, built-in clothes closet, As far as Architects Russ and Harrison are concerned, the old-fashioned clothes closet has gone the way of the gold standard. To hear Mr. Russ tell the story back of the wiggles wall, the problem of providing enough closets for 3000

people. (that’s right) was one of the almost insure =

mountable difficulties. Indeed, it was staggering, bes cause to name only one of the difficulties there was the matter of expense. A built-in closet costs anywhere from $75 to $100 and when an architect has that staring him in the face he begins to have the jitters. When two archi= tects have it staring them in the face, both have the Jitters. Architects are peculiar that way.

How Wiggle-Wall Started NYWAY, that’s the way it affected Atchitécts Russ ‘and Harrison and that’s why they began sitting up nights. At any rate, that was the way the wiggle-wall started, and you'll feel like applauds ing when you hear how it ended. It ended in the simplest way imaginable, because that is the way of all big things. Architects Russ and Harrison figured that if they'd take the end wall

of a room. and project (wiggle, see?) it a foot or two on the center axis of the room, instead of running it straight across the room, the way everybody Sloe does, they’d have two alcoves—one in this room one in thes room on the other side of the wall. Catgh on? ® » ®

Rest Was Easy - ELL, once they had the alcove, the rest was : easy enough. All they had to do after that was to provide a curtain, a shelf and a rod and they had a sanitary way of storing clothes with practically no additional expense to the government, which, in the last analysis, is supposed to be you and me. Be= sides, they had a wiggle-wall. Offhand, you'd think anything so Slick would impress anybody—especially the Roosevelt Adminis tration. Well, it didn’t. The wiggle-wall was too

new and revolutionary, even for the Roosevelt Ade ministration. - Which was why Architects Russ and Harrison had to ‘spend the .greater part of three months in Washington, going from one bureau the next, trying to get the traditionalists down the to forget the horse and buggy days. Of course, Architects Russ and Harrison won o which is why the story of the wiggle-wall has a happy ending.

Hoosier Yesterdays

NOVEMBER 14

IXTY years ago this week a vigorous movement was under way for construction of a new, states. house to replace the rapidly deterlorating capitol that was built in 1825. As early as 1865 the need

of a new structure was apparent, but little was dong y

to encourage its replacement. - However, by an act of March 14, 1877, a pros vison was made for construction of another build= |

BY RAYMOND CLAPPER |

ASHINGTON, Nov. 14—Wage increases now being madé by a hin. number of corporations: are in line with the generally- accepted view that prosperity is-most soundly developed by strengthening ‘mass purchasing power. =

Now, ronically, recovery in “the steel industry is accounted for in large part by two other industries which have spurted forward sensationally because of low-price policies —automobiles and railroads. Automobiles are. riding on top of the world and have been for some But the effect of these: wage: in- | time. They were the first ‘to make creases might easily be nullified by | 2 notable recovery. Most . econoNo sooner does the steel’ indys- | automobile manufacturers, following try announce general wage raises |the classic principle established than a price increase -is forecast Boldly 380 br Henry Tora, drove from Suihetiiative uarters as. a ace o e depres4 ; sion ‘by turning out better cars at % heidentally, it is taken tor. grant- lower prices. A in. : ed by ihe indusiey that. when the | ORE . ee ) Ch price increase comes, con- recently railroads have reHE human ear can act as 8 cerns will act simultaneously ‘and |. duced’ fares, improved servradio loud speaker, converting | alike. - The rugged individualists of | ice, modernized - equipment, and in the impulses coming in on an ordi- the industry are not. 80° attached: to ‘general ’ have’ applied the. same Baty radio set UE aT * 5:1 that they will not waive it now and result has been a new lease of Stevens of Harvard University’s then when matters ave up. Actu-|life. Net a little of this awakening psychological laboratory, told . the ally, the unafiial peice xing Wiis in the. railroad : ; Acoustical Society of America. This

sort of electrical hook-up- is not

this one employs 1900 women, some 600 of them colored, and occupies six floors of a large office building. The light is good and it is a pleasant place to work. They have an exhibition room where their extremely good work is shown. Their baby dresses stand out because the women have put hand work on them, and some of them are really exquisite. I am sure that the women who did the work I saw this morning would be valuable in any shop where fine lingerie is made. Some of the weaving from the Ozark Mountain districts was on exhibition also and seems to me to be extremely good. But the thing which I will carry away with me as distinctive was listening to the Negro women singing spirituals. They do it for recreation, but they -have an excellent leader and one woman with a beautiful soprano voice. When they all sang together it seemed to come from their hearts right into yours. I saw a number of men’s projects, too, and reached the hotel a little before to find that a group was already waiting for me to take me over to a classroom teacher's luncheon, where I was not to eat, but just to say 8 word of greeting. They were all through Junch and Professor Treadwell of Teachers College, Columbia University, was about to make his speech, sb I waited to hear him and enjoyed it very much. Then before I knew it I found myself at the luncheon of the social science teachers, and somebody was peing interrupted in the middle of a speech.. I profusely and made my way back to the street and my own hotel. .

Daily New Books

THE PUBLIC LIBRARY PRESENTS— . HE small college town in North Carolina which provides the setting for James MeConnaughey’s first .novel, VILLAGE CHRONICLE (Farrar & Rinehart; $2.50), is a fairly accurate representation of most. college towns. Characters range ffom a beauty operator to the dean of men. The siory evolves about the love of Juel Adams

tates, is the world’s largest ‘city not situated on navigable ater.

ing and a board of state house commissioners was created, Construction was actually begun Oct. 13, 1878, and was completed Oct. 2, 1888. It $1,080,969, and is reported to be the first, if not the only, public building in the country that was con= structed : within the original cost estimate. The’ building stone was all taken from Indiana quarries. The basement’ walls and footing for the outer and inner walls consist of blue limestone, ta from the quarries near St. Paul, Greensburg a North Vernon. The outer walls of the entire buil ing are of Opolitic limestone, obtained from quarTies in Monroe, Lawrence and Owen Counties. The first architect was Edwin May of Indians apolis, who served from April 11, 1878, until his death Feb. 27, 1880. He was suceeded by Adolph Scherrer, also of Indianapolis, who served until the capitol was completed. Kaumacher and Derring were the contractors.—By F. M.

Watch Your Health

BY DR. MORRIS FISHBEIN Editor, Amer, Medical Assn. Journal S8TY is among the most common infections “the eye. Usually it represents an invasion by oi TT SR Son. PUI e cost of ho Salm on the eyelids, or, occasionally, of a hair follicle, toa. The #7 Jay oscur.at, all ages, but, js most commen 1

# highly magnetic permalloy magnetic materials described by Dr. Bozorth appeared in the report to the American Physical Society of an improved: design of a cosmic ray stratosphere robot which measures cosmic ray intensities high in the stratosphere and transmits them by radio to the scientist in his labora-

eq tory. ts tended to expand their major Dr. Richard L. Doan of the Uni- | seconds and thirds, and perfect versity of Chicago described his new | fourths tended to approximate the 20-pound radio cosmic ‘ray probe | theoretical scale values for the inwhich ‘can be sent aloft on small | terval.” unmanned balloons to tap the se« 4 crets of upper space above the altitudes yet reached by man. The weak currents generated by the cosmic rays in the mechanism are picked up by a permalloy relay

EW YORK, Nov. 14.—Scientists at the joint meeting of the five societies of physics here heard tiny magnets inside metal turn over and hiss. The awesome hiss of the magnets turning in their metallic beds was amplified to a majestic roar by Dr. R. M. Bozorth of the Bell Telephone Laboratories. The demonstration itself was no new thing to the gathered physicists of the American Phyaical Society, the Optical Society of America, the Acoustical Society of America, the Society of Rheology and the American Association of Physics Teachers, but it emphasized anew the great strides made in the last decade in increasing the usefulness of magnetic materials which form a foundation stone of modern | 80d sent out as signals on a-short-communication, either by telephone, | Wave transmitter. telegraph or radio. & ow»

Research in the last 10 years, revealed Dr. Bozorth has increased prosasux without knowing all the reasons why, six .profes-

the ease with which iron ds to magnetization some eight-fold. | sional musicians have been playing selections for scientists at the State

hl ie i Rg a n 13-fold. In| University of Towa to make one special case — for very weak Toone on i a, pe, possible magnetiaiip Telds—the increase has| This was revealed in the report |but been 66- to the meeting of the Acoustical So-| ciety of America by Dr. Paul C. Greene. - The purpose of ‘the study was to see if violinists, in unaccomperformances, played typiequally \

played in neither one when their vio. tones were turned ‘into electrical currents and made visible on an oscillograph. usicigns will wish to know “that compared with - both. natural and y tempered intonation the. vio-

identified, the quality rather like “tin-pan” JE.

of major. importance to

panied cally in the natural Or - tempered musical scales. Actually it was found that they:

d-by a competent physician.