Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 7 September 1940 — Page 6

SATURDAY, SEPT. 7, 1940

a

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES lotsof Cols... .......Busy Seamstress . . . . . .Readyto Go. . .. .....

PAGE 6

GANG'S CONTROL OF UNION BARED

Dying Leader Details Seizure of Elevator Operators’ Group by Chicago Mob; Tells of Paying $30,000 Tribute to Avoid Death.

CHICAGO, Sept. 7 (U. P.).—State’s Attorney Thomas J. Courtney said today Mathew Taylor, president of a Chicago elevator operators union, admitted in an affidavit before he died that gangsters had seized his union four years ago, forced him to pay $30,000 in union funds under threats of death and instigated the murders of three labor racketeers. ld Mr. Taylor's statement charged that Louis (Little New : York) Campagna, identified as a gangster, had attempted in| 1937 to buy out control of his Elevator Operators and Starters A. F. of L. Union for $50,000 on behalf of Thomas J.| = Burke, vice president of the Building Service Employees] International Union and that when he refused the gangsters, had started a campaign to wrest the union he had controlled | 35 years from him. |

RR RRR

Paul Kimberlin (left) and Paul Lowry, employees . . . wrap the All are inspected by an Army inspector before they leave the

PSYCHOLOGISTS | Goldfish Bow! Resurrected | ARNOLD BARES HELP DEFENSE For U.S. Conscription No.2 | ‘BOTTLENECKS

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (U. P.). life is more important to prepared- : . % —The old-fashioned goldfish bowl ness than shouldering a rifie or Speeding Up Training Of missing from official life since manning a machine gun. : the Blue Eagle days of NRA—was| In order to avoid charges of mili- | Recruits One of First Jobs. i — - |

today for resurrection tary control, the Army will have | = : > | Copyright, 1940, By Science Service. |

Mrs. Lucy Dininger . . . sews the canvas on the cots. The company has purchased several new sewing machines for the army cot order.

Lawrence Erpelding (left), company president, and J. Truman Anderson, production manager . . . plan mass production of 13,000 army cots.

Building Beds for Army Is ‘Bottleneck’ Puzzle

By EARL RICHERT

To the outsider, it would seem a simple affair to build a $3.99 folding cot for the U. S. Army.

Made 65-Page Statement ‘Revises Opinion of 30 Days But to the man who builds them, it's a problem of overcoming “bot- | |tle-neck,” quite like those which haunt the makers of $100,000 bombers. |

Twenty officers of the union . | Ago, Gives Isles Better This is the experience of Lawrence P. Erpelding, president of the

were called to Mr. Courtney’s office | last night to hear him read at a| closed meeting a 65-page typewrit- | Than 50-50 Chance. | Ermet Products Co., 2100 Caroline Ave. who after a month of hard] {work and long-listance telephone|————— - = { calls all over the U. S. thinks = OF

cots,

plant,

“The mob has had me = KNOX SAYS 00DS my union in its grip for the last three or four years,” Mr.| Taylor's statement said, “but I am|

through. I am going to beat those gangsters. I am going to try to

| drive the mob cut of union labor.” |

Monopolistic Practices in

Defense to Bring Action,

| scheduled (to help promote public support of nothing to do with administration : | Conscription No. 2. of the draft. The Army will tell the His Book Says. The goldfish bowl, made its first Selective Service Director the num- > Sept ) appearance here in 1917 when Sec- ber of men wanted. The director WASHINGTON, Ser: tN. I retary of War Newton D. Baker will furnish the men and the Army's —Assistant Attorney General! i : started the lottery which deter- first contact with them will be at man H. Arnold plans Vigorous mined the role millions of Amer- the physical examination to deter-| Prosecution of monopolistic prac-

| 3 . icans were to play in World War mine whether they meet Army re-| tices in national defense Industries, No. 1. quirements He disclosed in his new book,

" { ” ‘.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Sept. New and secret psychological aids to war will be invented as the result of a mobilization of psychological brains for defense being arranged

ten statement which the State's Attorney said Taylor had given (has the problem of building 13,000 larmy cots licked.

i HONOLULU, Sept. U. P). — him before he died yesterday at a Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox Naperville, Ill, sanitarium. Mr. | . : Courtnev said Tavior had asked Scored opponents of immediate con- : that the statement be presented to scription as political saboteurs an] The Sannin Boni Se the Cook County (Chicago) Grand predicted that Britain now had bet- if nothing else happens, the com- | bei ruc “Bottlenecks of Business,” which

Tyyyons Jury,

Mr. Courtney offered to help the union leaders re-establish the union and ‘protect decent, legitimate inions from racketeers.” Mr. Taylor's statement told how his union had been transferred from one international to another because George Scalise, former president of the Building Service Employees International now on trial at New York on charges of grand larceny of union funds, had brought | pressure upon A. F. L. executives. The statement charged that Mike | Carrozzo, late tsar of Chicago street workers’ unions, had put Big Tim Murphy, a labor racketeer and onetime State Representative, “on the spot.” Murphy was slain with machine guns on the lawn of his home in January, 1928. The murder has remained unsolved but Mr. Courtney said Mr. Taylor's statement wouid reopen investigations of the case Says Carrozzo Ordered Murder Mr. Tavlor said that Carrozzo had ordered the slaying of Murphy because “he wanted him out of the! way.” Another labor racketeer, not identified by Mr. Tavlor in the statement, was responsible for the slaying of Louis (Two Gun) Alterie, another labor racketeer, in July, 1935 He said Alterie's slaying also has remained unsolved. He said Louis Schiavone, former Capone ganaster, who was murdered in July, 1933, was slain because he had failed to turn over to the mob a $3000 ‘blood payment” Mr. Taylor had made after an attorney had threatened his life. Mr. Taylor said the transfer of his union from one international to another was sought to strengthen! Burke's position against Loop businessmen as president of the Theatrical Janitors’ Union and an executive of the Building Service Employees. He said that when he re- | fused to turn over the elevator emplovees union pressure was brought upon the A. F. of L. executives at Washington and he realized he had been beaten. He said he transterrec the union to the Scalise mternational and received a promise that his union would have local au-| tonomy. The transfer was made in | September, 1937. Suit for Accounting Filed i He said that during the next two vears he received complaints from | union members and that a suit for] gn accounting was filed against him. | In Mav, 1939 Scalise came to Chicago from New York and shortly thereafter, Mr. Tavlor said, he was robbed of $5000 bonds while driving Chicago street in his auto-

a

a mobile. Mr. Taylor said Scalise had suspended all officers of the local union and after that Burke came to his office with two policemen “whe pulled guns and wanted to get into my safe.” Te said he enlisted the assistanca of Capt. John Howe of the Police Commissioners’ office who ordered the officers to leave. On June 6, 1939, he said, the international union filed suit against Mr. Tavlor’s union for an accounting. While the suit was pending, he said, an attorney came to his office “Matt. vou are through now,” he quoted the attorney as saying. “Let us go to work and help you out on this. The mob is going to get you.”

down

Made $3000 Payment

Mr. Tavlor said he asked the attorney how much it would ce=: and the attorney replied “a hell of a lot.” He said he made another appointment with the attorney at a cocktail lounge and at that time the lawyer told him: «Tavlor, it will cost you about .10 grand to get out of this. The setup js for Burke to take over the union and put in some new business agents.’ Mr. Taylor said he had withdrawn | $3000 of his personal savings as a payment to the gangsters. When he turned it over to the attorney, he said, the lawyer told him “that wouldn't be enough,” but added that he would ‘see what I can do.” A few days after he had paid the $3000 he was called to Burke's office, | Taylor said. { «you've come to your senses, | haven't you?” he quoted Burke as saving. “You want to go along, don’t you?” | He said Burke then ofiered a proposition whereby he would take 50 per cent of the union’s money. install a new executive board and a new treasurer. He said Burke told him ‘the new treasurer would be Schiavone, It was then, he said. that the payments to Burke began until they totaled $30,415. |

| but

ter than an even chance of victory over Germany His statements were made as he

arrived here on an inspection tour | and a cruise]

of Pacific defenses with the battle fleet. He said that Congressmen attempting to force a 60-day trial period for voluntary enlistment before invoking conscription were ‘guilty of political sabotage,”

More at length were his comments on England's present chances. “I believe England now has better than a 50-50 chance of victory over Germany,” he said. “I wouldn't have said that 30 days ago, but I believe it is true now.” Should Great Britain lose the fight, Col. Knox said he believed Germany would not attempt an immediate military attack on America, first would attempt economic and political infiltration through Latin America. |

9 ACCIDENTS KEEP NEIGHBORHOOD UPSET

Patrolmen Michael Burns and Ward Pettijohn had hardly unsnarled a four-car fender bumping at 38th and Delaware Sts. last night when had to walk across the street to arbitrate a two-car tangle. The wrecks occurred only five minutes apart at the intersection. Involved in the first were cars driven by James Porter, Cincinnati; Frank Scharfe, 1521 Orange $St.; Ashur Brunes, New Augusta, and William Gates, 1057 W. 33d St. Mr. Brunes, Richard Rippinger of New Augusta, and Miss Gwendolvn Howard, 1344 W. 35th St., were bruised in the crash. Mrs. George Wards of Frankfort was slightly injured in the second crash involving cars driven by her husband and Miss Suzanne Steffen, | 3112 Sutherland Ave. | Things quieted down after that. |

they

U.S. MAY BE ASKED | TO EMBARGO STEEL

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (U. P.).—| President Roosevelt's Advisory De-| fense Commission prepared todav to ask him for a complete embargo on steel scrap exports in order to con- | serve that vital war material for this | nation’s growing preparedness requirements. The decision was said to be based on a commission survey of present and potential stocks. It was under- | stood that no formal recomraenda- | tion had been made to the President as yet but that it would be pre-| sented soon. The United States hitherto has sold large quantities of steel scrap abroad. Japan, which already has protested an embargo on American aviation gasoline exports, relies almost solely on this country for

pany will begin construction of the]

but he did not expand at the statement. |

pany

| specializing

| to the company

[cots next week—just one month after it received a $51,000 contract for them. Canvas Was Problem

Raw materials are the “bottlefneck” for army cots, just as machine tools are the “bottle-neck” for airplanes. | For example, there is the canvas for the cots, known as “army duck” in the business. There are only four or five mills lin the U. S. making regular “army duck” and Mr. Erpelding, at the time he submitted his bid for the cots, asked the mills if they could supply the necessary amount. They replied that they could furnish so much per week, subject to prior sales. The Ermet Products Co. was awarded the contract and Mur. Erpelding queried the mills concerning possible deilvery of the “army duck.” They replied that they were all sold out and had several large orders waiting. Since the company, by terms of the contract, must deliver all the cots by Nov. 2, or pay 3 cents per day penalty on each cot, Mr. Erpelding began to feel a little desperate Then There Were Rivets His brother, John Erpelding, comvice president, phoned officials of an Arkansas mill to ask if they knew anyone who recently had

vas. They gave him a name, and from him the comoany obtained the needed canvas, enough to stretch more than 17 miles. The canvas situation was the worst. But it wasn't exactly easy to get 525,000 circular rivets of the type needed, with nearly all mills making such things going “full last” with orders seemingly more important than rivets for army cots. A Chicago firm was found that would make the rivets, and deliveries now are coming through. The cots require 15 separate wood pieces, and John Erpelding is now in Michigan arranging for wood which will pass army specifications. More Men to Be Hired

There is little danger of running over the deadline, the company president said, if construction can get under way next week. The firm can turn out between 600 and 1000 cots a day. Between 12 and 15 more men will be hired to fill the Army order. This is the second Armyv order of the Ermet Products Co. The first, for 15,000 cots, was filled several months ago when the demand

for raw materials wasn't as great| | as now

The company, organized in 1920 and reorganized in 1925, has been in wood novelties such as bridge tablets and chairs for several vears. The company got into the Army business as the result of the recent War Department survey of the factories of the country. The company was invited to bid on construction of the cots, a line in which it did practically no business whatsoever,

PROFIT TAX BILL

Debate May Open Tuesday: Committee Boosts Yield | By 180 Million.

{ |

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (U. P.)—|

The Senate Finance Committee, {hastening action on the House- ap{proved Excess Profits Tax Bill, {estimated today that it has altered {the measure to boost anticipated 1940 revenues by $180.000,000. [ Chairman Pat Harrison (D. Miss.) [summoned the group today in an attempt to get the bill before the Senate early next week. Administration leaders said the Senate probably would begin debate on it Tuesday. It has been given precedence over all legislation. “I believe that we can dispose of the tax bill in three days,” said Democratic Leader Alben W. Barkley (D. Kv.), who is

plugging for adjournment or recess

of Congress late this month. “The finance committee is making rapid progress, and I am sure that its | recommendation will be satisfactory.” Under an agreement reached | vesterday, the Senate must devote [its time until 3 p. m. Monday on a transportation bill already approved by the House and pending for weeks on the Senate calendar. As soon as it is disposed of, Mr. Har-

Meanwhile, members of the National Defense Commission renewed efforts to have eliminated from the | bill certain Treasury-sponsored pro- | visions that they feared might curb arms plant expansion by private industry. | These provisions would give the | Government control over disposition {of specially-built defense plants | after the emergency is over.

Says Ann, George Almost Eloped

HOLLYWOOD, Sept. 7 (U.P.. — Ann Sheridan and George Brent “almost eloped once during the period when they were seen together around Hollywood, according to Harry G. Petterson, former captain of the actor's yacht, Mr. Petterson told of the romance that as yet hasn't reached the altar during his trial on a charge of intoxication. He was acquitted by a jury which deliberated onlv 10 minutes. ; The skipper told the court durIng cross-examination that he was such a good friend of Mr. Brent that “when Brent was going to elope with Miss Sheridan he wanted me to be best man at the wedding.” The elopement never occurred ‘for some reason,” he said.

DESTROYERS TO HUNT SUBS HALIFAX, N. S, Sept. 7 (U. P)). —Rear Admiral Stewart Bonham-

Carter, chief of British naval op-|

| erations in the North Atlantic, dis-

purchased a large stock of the can- | Ion plans to call up the tax bill.

at the psychological meetings here, | One of the first tasks of experts planning to go to Washington will be devising new psychological de- | vices to speed up training in the use {of the new tools of war. Modern | wartare, leaders explain, with parachute troops, tank units and blitzkriegs, makes new demands upon the human mind and character, As an example of what can be done, psychologists point to the method of training gun pointers de= {veloped for the U. S. Navy during the last World War by Prof. Raymond Dodge, Columbia University psychologist, a device still in use and still kept a military secret. Defense against the war of nerves will be the problem attacked by one committee of the National Research Council, membership in which is morale will plan how to keep civilian being discussed. This committee on as well as Army nerves steady and spirits up in the face of attack from the propaganda front. The action for defense being taken by psvchologists of four national scientific societies, including the American Psychological Association Representatives are being selected by the psychological organizations to go to Washington and serve on a joint committee with the National Research Council to advise the Army, Navy, the National Defense Advisory? Commission and other government agencies. Army officers may call on this committee of experts to develop new methods for training green recruits in the techniques of mechanized warfare.

ROLLER DERBY OPENS DESPITE OBJECTIONS

|

is

The roller derby opens tonight in the Coliseum over the protests of a group of members of the Associated Theater Owners of Indiana,

Inc. The theater men protested to the |

State Board of Agriculture, which | has control of the Coliseum, against the State's leasing it to enterprises lin competition with privately-owned | tax-assessed theaters. | “They protested after the contract was signed,” Harry G. Tem- | pleton, Fair manager and spokes-| man for the board, said. “We can't | break the contract.” [ Mr. Templeton said the [made no protests against leasing (the coliseum for ice hockey, ice {revues or other enterprises besides

| the three-week derby.

AGED PEDESTRIAN | IS INJURED BY AUTO

| An 87-year-old pedestrian was in| | City Hospital from injuries received |

group

{when he was struck by an auto in|

and was awarded the contract on its closed today that the destroyers the 1200 block, Oliver Ave. last

first bid. The Army orders will mean | obtained in a trade with the United night.

a gross income of almost $100,000 States will be used in an intensive| He is Daniel McKay of 542 War- |

this year.

Idrive against German submarines.

scrap metals.

Survive 2 Sinkings, Land in Baltimore

Burned and injured, but happy about their rescue, are these sailors, twice saved from death at sea

when their vessel, the Royal Navy They are shown after their arrival in Baltimore en the Swedish freighter Eknaden.

sumably by torpedoes. \

sloop H. M. S. Penzance, and a

rescue ship were both sunk, pre-

ren Ave. The car was driven by | James Moore of 515 Birch St. Mr. |

McKay was reported to have possi- | [ble internal injuries. | George Snyder of 2421 N. Illinois St. was in a critical condition at | City Hospital with a leg fracture He was struck last night in the | (1800 block, N. Capitol Ave, by a {car driven by Charles Ogden of | | 518 Warren Ave

SHOULD JEALOUS WIVES

Let Their Husbands Go Out With ‘The Boys’’?

. + « Listen to answers of questions like this on radio's newest, funniest show. Tune in on Haven McQuarrie and “THE MARRIAGE CLUB” , Station WFBM . . . 9 o'clock .. . TONIGHT! Married couples parade before the “mike,” answer humorous, intimate questions. Don't miss it . . . TONIGHT!

It was of the simple spherical | design commonly used before the guppy became a household pet and created demands for the new, streamlined aquariums. Since Mr. | Baker drew a capsule from the bowl, it has reposed in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, as an historical exhibit. The capsule bore the number 258 which meant that citizens whose cards were so num- | bered would be the first called for military service. Only once in the intervening vears | has the term “goldfish bowl” played | an important part in national life. |

|

was published today, that the Justice Department anti-trust division had uncovered ‘persuasive evidence” of restraints by both foreign and domestic companies which had resulted in the tollowing situations: 1. Throttling American capacity URBANA, Ill, Sept. 7 (U. P).— to produce essential war materials Henry A. Wallace, Democratic can- by foreign ownership and control didate for Vice President, charged of patents. today that business was fomenting| 2 Cartelization of certain indusNew Deal “hate” by training travel- tries with price and production coning men to argue against the Ad- tro] in foreign hands. ministration and suggested that| 3 Transmission to foreign com“sinister forces are at work” in the panies of American military secrets. 4. Division of markets, fixing and

BUSINESS FOMENTS HATE, WALLACE SAYS:

Gen. Hugh Johnson, who directed | Republican Party. eo Conscription No. 1, revived the| 1 have said that the Republican

| ¢ ‘restricting of price of materials esphrase when he was administrator’ | Party is the party of appeasement,” sential to military preparation. of NRA. He proclaimed that his Ne said. “Perhaps it is unwittingly| 5 collusive bidding on contracts organization would be run in “a [SO but it is more than that: It is for the Army and Navy. ooldfish bowl.” | the party of obstruction. It fights| Mr. Arnold did not reveal any Selective service officials plan to|8rimly those things that are most particular incident involving transcombine the best features of both | Vital to the defense of this hemi- mission of military secrets, but did incidents. They intend to use the | Sphere. cite the recent anti-trust action same goldfish bow] which now is in| against Bausch & Lomb in connecPhiladelphia in the lottery which | tion with his charge ot throttling will determine training priorities in| [of American industry. Conscription No. 2. | He said that Bausch & Lomb and The lottery again will be made a Zeiss of Jena, Germany, had entered great occasion. President Roosevelt into an agreement which divided is expected to proclaim a national | the world market between then and holiday for Registration Day, ex- | |a patent arrangement between Lhe pected about Oct. 1. Veterans or-| | companies resulted in the Navy ganizations probably will co-operate | Department paving Zeissa royalty to popularize the law. Some al-| | for military optical equipment, ready have volunteered, | Every effort will be made not only to clarify the regulations but to explain why they were adopted so] every citizen will understand the] execptions and deferments. Efforts] will be made to avoid calling to serv- | ice anyone whose work in civilian

Two Frightened By Boy's Notes

A West Side youth who apparently has been reading too many detective story magazines is another miscreant of the police “must” list. He has been writing threaten- A — ing notes which have been giving $30,000 AT 3-2 ON F. D. R. a lot of people the jitters. NEW YORK, Sept. 7 (U. P) The other day two frightened | Baldwin & Co., betting commission women received notes which they |ers, announced they had received turned over to the police. The |$30.000 to bet against $20,000 Willkie notes read: {money that President Roosevelt will “You are next.” win the national election

| | |

EVERY CLUB WOMAN . . . Should Read This

If you are a member of a club, lodge, church society, or a committee, or if you are an officer or a committee chairman, you should read this carefully. Many women's committees, clubs, sororities, and other organizations have unwittingly loaned the support and the name of their organization to a cheme of selling advertising to businessmen in order for the organization to get "free" printing.

The plan in substance is as follows: A printing company sends post cards or literature to the chairman of various social committees, and to officers of women's organizations, offering them an opportunity to get their printing "free." They offer to print year-books, rosters, tickets, programs, or other items which the organization may need. The only require. ment is that the chairman of the committee, or an officer of the organization, sign a card authorizing this printing company to sell advertising in the publication, or on the back of tickets. A woman employed by the printing company then calls businessmen ‘by phone. From the language which she uses, they are led to believe that she is a member of, or is directly representing the woman's organization. There is no indication te the businessman from the conversation that the call is coming from a professional solicitor of a printing company.

EE —————————

The appearance of this Information Message in these columns is evi dence that this publication subscribes to the principles of the Better Business Bureau, and co-operates with the Bureau in protecting the public even to the extent of refusing to accept the advertising of firms whose advertising and sales policies are proved by the Bureau to be contrary to the public interest.

There are a numbar of instances in our files where businessmen have made their checks out to the ladies’ organization, but these have been cashed by the printing company, or endorsed by the name of the woman's organization. Theres are many instances where more advertising is sold than is necessary to pay for the printing.

Businessmen are usually generous in their contributions and their support of organizations, but for any woman's organization to lend themselves to a scheme of this kind is assisting the operator to mislead those solicited.

Should you be invited to participate in this scheme, we would suggest that you call the Better Business Bureau for complete information before lending your name, or the support of your organization to it.

The BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU, Inc.

711 Majestic Bldg. Lincoln 6446 INDIANAPOLIS

This Bureau is an incorporated association, not operated for pecuniary . profit, supported by more than 600 Indianapolis Business concerns, and has for its purpose the promotion of fair play in advertising and selling, especially where there is a public or competitive Interest involved.