North Carolina Newspapers

| ffitfmmgtim Morning £>tmc VoT79.—NO. 256. WILMINGTON, N. C., THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 1946 ESTABLISHED 1867 City Council Okays Budget For New Year Plans For Municipal Auditorium Also Approv ed At Regular Meeting NO FUNDS AVAILABLE Construction Of New Build ing To Await Easing Of Material Laws See Picture On Page Five The city council put the mark of approval on two top items yesterday—the detail ed plans of the proposed $1, 000,000 municipal auditorium and' the $1,863,262.22 muni cipal budget for 1946-47. The auditorium plans, unveiled by Lynch & Foard, local archi tectural-engineering firm, were ac cepted by unanimous council vote. They will be placed in the U. S. post office immediately for a 30 day public display. 5,584 Seat Total Based on a plan of proven pop ularity in various cities through out the nation, the proposed audi torium is a combination hall and theater separated by a two-way stage. The hall seats 3,962 persons and the theater 1,622, a grand total 01 5.584. Although no federal funds are now available for aid in financing the structure, City Manager Ben son said the government may make new federal grants by the lime building materials are plentiful. These grants may be a loan or an outright gift, he said. In either event, however, the city would have to float a new bond issue to fin ance its end of the project, he ex plained. To Compile Costs Lynch & Foard will start im mediately in compiling mere exact estimates on the structure’s cost, he added. The SI.863,262.22 budget, the larg est in the city’s history, though ap proved yesterday, will undergo one more pub'ic hearing on August 30. Then, after a 21-day advertising period, it will be legally adopted. This procedure is required by law, City Attorney W. B. Campbell ex plained. Other Business Yesterday the council also: Rejected all sewer extension bids as being too high. Benson was di rected to make arrangements for purchasing necessary material on a unit basis. Directed Campbell to revise an old ordinance which prohibits the installation o£ canopies over the sidewalk in front of stores. To Destroy Bonds Authorized the destruction of SW6.701.25 worth of retired bonds. Instructed City Engineer J. A. Loughlin to relieve poor drainage conditions in the vicinity of Sixth and Wright streets. Polio Spreads By The Associated Press The worst wave of infantile paralysis since 1916, reaching epi demic proportions in some local ities, has struck scattered sections of ;'ne South, West and Middlewest. Health authorities took steps to c'necK the spread of the disease Js the U, S. Pulhc Health Service reported a cumulative total of •■154 cases throughout the nation, “eluding ail states but West Vir ginia. This total compared with 29, 00(1 c4ses in 1916, 2.913 for the same Penod in 1945 and 3,992 in 1944, ,he nex‘ worst year since 1916. in some of the worst areas, the "umber of cases rose to 10 times as a year ago. HAMEONE’S MEDITATIONS By Alley WONDUH HOW OOMt ^ &I66E.S' WlMNttN ls AU.UZ 60t PE. ^1115' PAVJ65? 8* & Ileleased by The Bell Syn dicate, Inc > Trade Mark Reg U S Pat Office) The Weather FORECAST North and South Carolina: Thursday partly cloudy with scattered showers and not quite so warm. (Eastern Standard Time) (By U. S. Weather Bureau) Meteorological data for the 24 hours ending 7:30 p.m., yesterday. Temperatures 1:30a 77; 7:30a 75; 1:30p 83; 7:30p 74. Maximum 84; Minimum 74; Mean 74; Normal 78. Humidity 1:30a 91; 7:30a 89; l:30p 69; 7:30p 98. Precipitation Total for 24 hours ending 7:30 p.m., 0.24 inches. Total since the first of the month, 2.68 inches. Tides For Today (Fr<jm the Tide Tables published by U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey) ..... . . High Low Wilmington _6:09a 1:12a . 6:51p l:23p Masonboro Inlet_3:56a 10:12a _ . 4:40p ll:G3p Sunrise 5:28; Sunset 7:07; Moonrise 4:15p. Moonset 1:24a. River stage at Fayetteville at 8 a.m. Wednesday—14.3 feet. 500 MAY WORK AT LAY-UP BASIN First Reserve Fleet Vessels Scheduled To Arrive August 12 Possible employment of 500 to 750 persons from the Wilmington area in connection with operations of the Brunswick river laying-up basin was indicated by develop ments yesterday which consisted principally of statements from au throitive sources that the first reserve fleet vessels to be stored in the basin are scheduled to ar rive in this section Monday, August 12. Begin Next Week Active use of the basin will begin late next week, according to in formation received from Wash ington last night, which was at tributed to the Maritime Commis sion, when two war-built merchant vessels will move into the Bruns wick river. The anchorage, 17,000 feet long and 1.200 feet wide, has been made possible by dredging 12,000,000 cubic yards of river bottom, and eventually will accommodate ap proximately 500 ships. The fleet will consist of merchantment un needed in current ocean commerce and subject to disposition under the merchant ship sales act of 1946. Two More Tugs Two additional tugs of the 100 ton, so-called “sea-going” type, reached Wilmington yesterday, and were berthed alongside two others which arrived late Tuesday. The four tugs will be used in convoy ing and escorting the large num ber of Liberty ships and vessels of similar types which are to be decommissioned. Many units of this fleet, which played an import ant part in the victory of the Allies over the Axis in the recent war, were constructed in Wilmington. Equipment Installed Desks, telephones and other of fice equipment were installed yes terday aboard the General Fred erick Hodgson, a large former Coast Guard vessel, which will be used as headquarters for the lay ing-up basin. Captain A. G. Ford of the Maritime commission, and various aides, are understood to be leaving this morning for South port to complete arrangements for arrival of the first ships of the laying-in fleet. The Hodgson is ex pected to be towed to Southport within the next few days. Employes Sought It is understood that already approximately 75 persons have been employed locally to aid In operations or the laying-up basin, and that the local office df the United States Employment serv ice still is seeking more employes for the work. Captain Ford, super intendent of the laying-up basin, is understood to be expecting the tran-fer to the basin of various employes of the Maritime com mission now'located elsev. nere to aid in the executive duties. Employment of only caretakers or watchmen, instead of "skele ton” crews, for the vessels of the reserve fleet, is indicated by un official statements that only an average of one and one-half per sons will be employed for each ship. On this basis, approximately 750 persons would find employ ment if 500 vessels are sent to the basin. See BASIN On Page Five ONL V SLIGHT DELA Y FORESEEN IN PROJECT TO DREDGE CAPE FEAR TO 32 FEET DEPTH; T0&CCO PRICE A VERAGE INCREASES BY $2 ^ ^_ _ _ __ Weeut/iimps To New High On Markets Record Average Of $57.50 Set In Sales In North Carolina VOLUME HITS RECORD Largest Poundage Of Sea son Expected Today With Good Weather By PHIL WRIGHT North Carolina Border Belt t o b acco markets yesterday sold nearly 3,000,000 pounds of tobacco at an approximate ly average of $57.50 per hun dred pounds, an increase in average price of $2 over the previous day. Reporting the highest volume sold since Monday market officials said the steadily climbing prices were satisfactory to all growers. Big Sale Set Today The largest sale yet is exected today as a result of the past two days of sunshine during which the farmers have had a chance to pre pare their tobacco and get it to the markets. Fairmont, reporting its most satisfactory sale yesterday, ex pects to sell well over a million pounds today, according to Charles B. Stafford, sales super visor. $82 Top Fairmont Price The market paid growers $314, 184.08 for 546,530 pounds yester day averaging $57.49. Top price was $82. William Maulin, St. Paul’s farmer, sold 1,882 pounds for $66 er hundred. In Chadbourn, Garland Nobles, warehouse weight man, reported See TOBACCO On Page Five NAVAL OFFICERS SEEKING CHARTER Chapter Of RONS Formed Here First In North Carolina Naval Reserve officers of Wil mington, headed by John Wilson, a Navy veteran of P ari Harbor and the Pacific fleet battles, ap plied yesterday to national head quarters of the Reserve Officers of the Naval Services for a chart er to establish a local RONS chapter here, the first of its kind in North Carolina. The prime purpose of the local chapter is to aid in a cooperative way Wilmington’s U. S. Naval Organized Reserve unit, which is slated to be organized shortly, Wil son said. Large Membership With upwards of 150 Naval Re serve officers, both men and wom en, living in Wilmington and vi cinity, .the local chapter is expect ed to’ have a large membership. All reserve officers of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard are eligible to join. When the charter is granted, the chapter will operate like any other veterans’ organization, with offic ers and a board of directors direct ing its activities. Founded In 1945 The national organization was founded in September of 1945 to See RONS on Page Two HEIRENS ASKS RAZOR BLADE A ttempt Upon Own Life Suspected Of Chicagoan CHICAGO, Aug. 7. — <U.R> — William Heirens, 17-year-old psycopathic killer who began his crime career at the age ot nine, attempted late Wednes day through his unsuspecting parents,, to obtain a razor blade for a probable try to take his own life. Sheriff Michael Ivlulcahy an nounced that a razor blade had been found in one of four books which Heirens, who only Wednesday morning completed a confession of his rnany crimes, had asked be brought to him in his county iail cell. The books were among the University of Chicago youth’s possessions and burglary loot which police seized in his col lege dormitory. It was believed he “planted” the razor blade in the book. Wednesday afternoon his parents, George, 43, and Mar garet, 40, heart-broken by his crimes, visited him in his cell. He appealed to them to ask Sheriff Mulcahy for the four books and listed the books specifically. The parents pass See HEIRENS On Page Two OUT _OF THE FRYING PAN Red-Eyed Peace Delegates Approach New Fireworks, But Then Get Polite PARIS, Aug. 7 —(U.R)— The peace conference rules com mittee Wednesday night invit ed Italy, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Finland to pres ent to the full conference Sat urday their pleas for changes in the draft treaties prepared for them by the “Big Four’’ Foreign Ministers. The personal hearing for the five ex-enemy states was adopt ed on the proposal of Secre tary of State James F. Byrnes with a Russian amendment providing that conference com mittees might also hear the satellite delegates if desired. Another Argument Proceeding with almost pain ful politeness and unanimity after surviving Tuesday night a major crisis on voting prece dure, the Rules committee adopted a series of proposals and then ran into another argu ment. Chairman Paul - Henri Spaak moved that United Nations as sembly procedure apply in all cases not specifically covered by special conference rules, Russia and Norway at once objected and Byrnes and Great Britain supported Spaak. Brief-Lived The agreement was brief lived. It was ended when on Russia’s proposal it was agreed that principles and precedents of UN rules, if not UN rules themselves, should apply. There was another mement when it looked as if fireworks might start. Spaak tried to end debate. Russian Chief Dele gate Viacheslav Molotov, who usually speaks for 20 or 30 minutes at a time, demanded recognition. But he merely praised Wednesday’s spirit of unanimity on rules. Black Shadow Delegates met red - eyed, yawning and anxious at 4:05 p. m. after their crisis ses See PEACE on Page Two BURNEY PRAISES WO K OF POLICE Superior Court Jurist Chief Speaker At Depart ment Banquet Appreciation to Mayor W. Ron ald Lane, City Manager James R. Benson and members of the city council for improved working con ditions and increased salaries was expressed by Judge John J. Bur ney, spokesman for the Wilming ton Police department, at a ban quet tendered by the department last night at a local restaurant. Judge Burney, principal speaker of the evening, said that members of the department "pledge con tinuation of their efforts to pro vide the City of Wilmington with adequate and honorable police pro tection." Deeply Appreciative "Members of the department,” Judge Burney said, "are deeply appreciative of all that Mr. Lane, Mr. Benson and the council have done for them, and shall continue their efforts to give the best serv ices of which they are capable.” Interspersing his address wit! amusing anecdotes, Judge Burney said he could remember when ‘‘policemen of the city went about their duties on horseback. Then came bicycles, followed by motor cycles, and now we have the mod ern patrol car with two-way radio. I don’t know what’s coming next.” Best In State Speaking in a more serious vein, the Superior court jurist said his duties had taken him into 54 coun ties of North Carolina, and that “I believe Wilmington has the best police department in the state. The average citizen doesn’t appre ciate how much an efficient police department means. It means that he can enjoy a peaceable exist ence, with the very minimum of fear from lawless depredations.” "The best police officer,” Judge Burney continued, ‘‘is not the one who makes the most arrests on his beat, but the one who main tains his beat in an orderly man ner. Neither too much severity nor too much leniency should be exercised.” Majority Present During the course of the banquet, See BURNEY On Page Two I ESS WORK ON THE RAILROAD ICC Figures Disclose 3,477Layoffs On ACL Reduction In Forces Over Entire System Attributed By Officials To Inadequate Allowance To Cover Increased Costs Approximately 3,477 employes of the A^antic Coast Line railroad system have been laid off temporarily, figures released by the Interstate Commerce Commission in Wash ington last night show. The reduction in forces is a result of action growing $100,000 PROJECT STARTED AT LAKE 159 Shore Lots To Be Developed At Waccamaw By Concord Man Special to the Star WHITEVILLE, Aug. 7—A spec tacular $100,000 development which will provide 159 dakeshore lots along two miles of crescent-cur ving shoreline below Weaver’s pier on Lake Waccamaw, located 12 miles east of Whiteville, is underway. It is the largest single development ever undertaken at this lake. Promoting the undertaking is J. L. Sides, of Concord, who purchas ed the property several years ago from the H. B. Short estate. His brother, L. H. Sides, is engineering the job. 40-Foot Canal Blue print plans call for the construction of a 40-foot canal di rectly to the rear of the lots where boats may be tied up. On the canal side of the lots will be a road ex tending the full two-mile length of the development. From the lake shore to the back of the canal, the distance will be 200 feet, while the lots will be 60 feet in width. Construction Underway Actual construction is well un derway, with a dragline, a bulldoz er and from 15 to 20 men engaged. Mr. Sides estimated that it wiil probably take six months to com plete the job. The lots will be located amid a See LAKE on Page Two Along The Cape Fear FOUR . WAY COIN - CROWN— “Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will, To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” Thus spake Ulysses after his famous voyage. Thus speak we after our search for the oldest U. S. coins along the Cape Fear. Notice, we said “coins,” which means, of course, that there are several hereabouts of the same date. Moreover, they are owned by several people. Which means, further, that the old-age coin crown must be split up four ways. 1795, 1795, 1795, 1795—Yes, four people have come up with coins older than the 1798 penny owned by Mr. E. E. Page of Acme. Without further ado, let’s get the coronation ceremonies over with. The three kings and the queen are: Mr. Eduard Ahrens (1795 penny); Mr. Rex Willis (1795 penny); Mrs. E. A. Masters (1795 penny); and Mr. Frank Harrell (1795 half-dol lar). Mr. Harrell, you may observe is sort of in a class by himself with that ancient 50-center, so let’s make him a kind of chairman of the committee. But let’s not for get that the other three committee members share the same throne with him. ★ ★ ★ CONTEST’S END—Now, we hon estly believe that this ends the old age coin contest. Mr. Ahrens, who is quite an expert on moolah mat ters, says the United States didn t start minting coins in regular is sue until 1793. Three coin presses were brought over from Europe in 1792, and a few coins were struck in that year, but 1793 is the date coin collectors observe as the holy birthday of the nation’s metal specie. So it seems of doubtful that any body around these parts has a coin older than 1795. If there were such a person he most certainly would have come forward before now to wrest the crown from the other competitors. POSTAGE CURRENCY—But be fore we put an end to our specie stories, we want to tell you about some old paper money owned by Mr. Warren Johnson, president of See CAPE FEAR on Page Two out of a previous ruling allow ing ACL a 4.7 per cent increase in freight rates last July. The rate hike was termed “wholly inade quate” by ACL President C. McD. Davis shortly after it had been al lowed last June. Steady Reduction The ICC figures released in Washington yesterday disclosed that in April of this year the com pany carried 25,619 persons on its payrolls; in June the figure had been reduced to 23,702 and by July 31 the number employed had drop ped to 22,142. These figures show a reduction for the whole line. No breakdown for personnel in local shops and yards was available here last night according to C. G. Sibley, general manager. Seek 35 Per Cent Hike Railroads, including the ACL, have asked for a 25 per cent in crease in freight rates to meet what company officials term ris ing costs of operation. They were granted a six per cent increase last June. Disputes Figures ACL President Davis contends the actual percentage of increase would amount to only 4.7 per cent for the local company because “ex ceptions in certain categories re duced the dimensions of the in crease below those granted.” Whether the retrenchment pro gram for ACL has halted could See ACL on Page Two Train Wreck Hurts 25 HICKORY, Aug. 7—(A5)—A South ern railway passenger train bound from Asheville to Salisbury was derailed approximately three miles east of Hickory Wednesday night and an estimated 25 passengers were hospitalized with injuries of varying degree. No dead were re ported. Meager reports filtering back to the Hickory police department from radio cars at the scene indi cated that at least eight coaches and the second engine of a double header had jumped the track. The coaches remained upright. Clark Expresses Belief Job May Get Green Lid Meanwhile, Under Economy Order, Dig Of Channel Ordered Temporarily Held In Abeyance By LARRY HIRSCH 1 The million dollar project of dredging the Capfl river channel to 32 feet deep and 400 feet wide, ori* scheduled to start in late September or early Octobe* be only “slightly delayed” by the 56-day moratorium posed Monday on almost all federal works projects V conversion Director John R. Steelman, Congressman Jj ard Clark of North Carolina informed The Star fro! BEACH BOOSTERS TO MEET TONIGHT Permanent Organization To Coordinate Efforts On Agenda A concrete Southeastern North Carolina Beach association, com plete with officers, a board of di scheduled to be formed tonight in an effort to boost the region’s beaches as four-seasonal vacation resorts. One of the first tourist-attrac tion events slated to be sponsored by the new association is an an nual ‘‘Fishing Rodeo,” tentatively set for 30 days after Labor Day. The “Rodeo,” which nas already received strong support throughout the local beach region, will give wide advertisement to the fall fishing season. A complete fishirg program, including prizes, will be run at each beach during the “Rodeo.” Long Felt Need The association, termed a “long felt need” by officials of the beaches and Wilmington alike, will be composed of two members from each of the following: Wil mington, Kure, Fort Fisher, Long, Caswell, and Holden beaches; the town councils of Carolina Beach, Wrightsville Beach, and Southport; and the city council of Wilmington — a total of 20 members. Year-Round Resort The prime purpose of the as sociation, according to the officials, is to make the Southeastern North Carolina beach area one of the most popular year-round resort re gions on the East Coast. This, they have stressed, can be accomplish ed only by a cooperative organiza tion through which all the beaches See BEACH On Page Two Salvage Squabble LONDON, Aug. 7.—(£>)—'The Bri remove her towlines from the tish steamer Eizabeth refused .o crippled food ship American Farm er despite the wishes of the Am erican owners and contrary to U. S. Naval advice, the captain of the U. S. destroyer Perry said Wed nesday. “At no time,” he said, “did we see any violence, nor was any re ported to us.” He added that he refused a request from the Eliza beth’s captain to stop merchant seamen from the American Rang er from going aboard the damaged American Farmer to bring her in to port. Seamen from the Ranger, a sis ter ship of the Farmer are bring ing the Farmer with its cargo of food into port under its own steam. The 2,000-ton Elizabeth had started towing the 8,000-ton Farmer, dam aged in a collision and abandoned 1,700 miles off England a week ago. VHF WORK SPEEDED Parker Seeks Way To Push Bluethenthal Schedules To facilitate establishment of additional schedules at Bluethen thal field by National Airlines as quickly as possible, equipment and men will be utilized at once to put the road leading in the site of the VHF radio range in shape so that materials now in the city can be moved thereon, Jesse Parker, manager of the airport told members of the Wilmington Kiwanis club yesterday. Equipment Here During the course of an address in which he covered most phases of operations now going on at Bluethental Field, Parker pointed out that he had been informed that all the equipment for the VHF range is now in the city, but that incessant rainfall of the past 30 or more days had put the county road leading to the range site in such bad shape that heavy equip ment can not be moved ever it. To Repair Road To speed action on establishment of the range, Parker said that he plainned to place men and mater ial on the job to repair the road so that the much needed equip ment can be moved and construc See KIWANIS on Page Five home in Fayetteville last Project Moratorium0* The moratorium, order^l President Truman, is desi^nl I slice $700,000,000 from iixB I works projects which h»v#j ready been drawn up blit W which no contracts have jw'MJ let. Under the restrictions ofsfiteW man’s order no contracts for projects can be let until Octoff&dJl without federal permission, bh* The Cape Fear project lies'** this category. Disclosing that Steelman is mak ing a speedy and thorough study of the stricken projects to deteru mine which may be authorized to go forward as scheduled, Congress man Clark declared, "It IS my opinion that the Cape Fear river project will get the green light; it is too important a thing to be dropped when it is so near to being accomplished.” Specifications Approved Specifications for the project were approved a few days ago by Army Engineer headquarters in Washington. They are expected to arrive here for printing late this week. Under the original schedule, advertisement for bids would have been published about August 15, with award of contract made about 30 days later. The local district engineers’ of fice received direct orders from headquarters yesterday to "hold up’’ on the project and "sit tight” until October 1. Office Optimistic The office, however, was optim See CHANNEL rn Page Five HERBERTOmL RITES SET TODAY Well-Known Citizen Dies Unexpectedly Here After Fall I Funeral services for Herbert It. O'Neill, 58, who died early Wednes day morning, will be held at the Ward Funeral home at 5 o’clock this afternoon, with interment in Oakdale cemetery. The following active pallbearers have been selected: J. B. Hughes, Frederick Willetts, E. C. Hines, Thomas Ames, Sr., J. Jgrrell Skinner and Cecil Payne, with Frank Shepard, E. M. Beery, J. W. Hughes, L. H. Hummeli, Herbert Latimer, Empie Latimer, James Holmes, John Snyder, Louis Pols' son, Fred Poisson and S. A. Good man serving as honorary pallbeart ers. WLI To Attend All reserve corps members of th{ Wilmington Light Infantry hav( been requested to convene at th< WLI armory at 4 o'clock this aft ernoon preparatory to attending tht funeral in a body. Mr. O'Neill, one of Wilmington’! best-known citizens, died abor? 12:30 o’clock Wednesday morning at James Walker Memorial ho» pital from a cerebral concussion according to Dr. J. B. Purcall oi the hospital. He had been founi unconscious two hours earlier by See O’NEILL on Page Five And So To Bed The Phalanx Fraternity thought this was so good that they didn’t mind passing it on to us. The other night when they were playing a softball game with the Loyal Order of the Moose there was an aged but enthusiastic fan in the stands. He watched every play with the eyes of a combination player manager-umpire-fan, and he cried out his approval or dis approval of each play. At one crucial moment when the Phalanx team made a good play, he rose to his feet and shouted: “Nice going there, Kleenex Fraternity.”