Newspapers / Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, … / April 30, 1947, edition 1 / Page 1
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FORECAST: T~7” . -- Served By Leased Wires ■ ,-ht " slight!'' ASSOCIATED PRESS showers today; Thursday, partly cloudy »nd the UNITED PRESS With Complete ('overage of — -- ■ State and National New* , nL 80. NO.—218. ___ - , - ESTABLISHED 18C7 Rural Health fleet Keynote District Home Demonstra tion Clubs To Press For Betterment Laws . elution urging to passage la,,vs for the betterment of c; [ hea!th conditions and the ex n:r 'j,n of school lunch programs Expected to pass the 11th dis ‘\ ; meeting of home demonstra lnc ciubs, which starts at 10 o'clock this morning at Penderlea school. ‘ cjmi’jar to a resolution voiced isth district federation at Y Meeting last week, it will state ‘L (he local federation will stand ’ ■ such legislation because “health continues as North Carolina’s num ber one need.” The 11th district meeting today bnl,g together representatives Lm four counties—New Hai ver, Brunswick. Pender, and Duplin In addition, the resolution would Lledce the district home demon stration clubs to put their weight ?Yi-j programs in school health cation, farm youth organiza Ls highway safety, establish ' more farmers’ markets for stabilizing prices, and farm home safety programs. Ni,. ty To Atten Nearly SO New Hanover county demonstration clubwomen will at tend the meeting. Miss Iris Davenport, editor of the Woman's department of the southern Agriculturist magazine will be guest speaker. Mrs. Fred F-rdan New Hanover county Fed eration president will introduce her before the other members. The devotion will be led by Mrs. Thompson McRacken of Bruns wick county. Mrs. Robbie Batson d pender county will give the wel come address to which Mrs. Hen rv Parker of Duplin county will respond. Greetings will be brought from R r. Rich. Pender county Agri cultural Extension agent, George \V. Harriett, principal of Pender lea High school, Mrs. Jame F. Bradshaw, Jr., president of the Burgaw Woman’s club, Mrs. H. M Johnson, executive board of t.re y c Federation of Home Demon stration clubs and chairman of the jane s McKimmon Loand Juno committee. Mrs. Mary L McAl llster. southeastern district agent vill recognize the guests. County reports will be given by the following Home Demonstration club women and 4-H club girls of !he respective counties: Mrs R. I L Bostain and Mary Alice Ke , I Xew Hanover; Miss Robam Mc I Pougal and Betty Flo Reid, Bruns j wick Mrs. Walter Rhodes and Bet I (Continued on Page Two; Col. 5) EXPANDED AIRLINE SERVICE LOOMING CAA Spokesman Assures Wilmington Solution To VHF Trouble Coming The outlook for Wilmington s chances of increased air tragic looms brighter today with the dis closure of assurances by a Civil Aeronautics authority official that some solution to the problem °t army and navy danger zones in the area are expected to be work i i out. Henry E. Boyd, Traff c-Manager of the Wilmington Port-Traffic as sociation yesterday notified .R- B. Page, chairman of the air com mi.tee of the local chamber o commerce, and Harry R- Gardner, chairman of the New Han0^ county airport committee, _ that this assurance was given him in i conference with L. R. Wri^* 0 the CAA last week m Washington. Danger Aones The problem heretofore facing air development in Wilmington and surrounding cities was e danger zones maintained by e army and navy along the coast. Although military authorities have announced that they were no planning any action toward mo ing the ranges i-: the near tu ur because oi space iimitatios, Vt rl= told Bovd that some solution wouia be arrived at even though it ml°nJ V necessary to work out a e“ plan with the army and navy so tha; commercial airlines could op erate safely. Promises Aid . Wright promised to give special attention to the very high ire quenc;. radio ranges in Wilmin^. and at other coastal points, B y The beam has been delayed in use for several weeks because crosses a Navy bombing range 0 . Alberniarle sound. The Weather FORECAST: So.uii Carolina—Considerable cioudi •• met with scattered light Aowers north portion Wednesday- u Q*\- , cloudy and warmer. Ty’onh Carolina—Mostly cloudy, slight ly v.., :, er, scattered showers extreme Wednesday. Thursday partly cloudy •rid warm. ‘Eastern Standard Time) (By t . S. Weather Bureau) Meteorological data for the 24 hours, •flying 7:20 p. m yeste d®v. TEMPERATURES 1-30 ;j. m. 56; 7:30 a. m- 61. 1:30 p. m. M: 7:30 p. m 68: Maximum 72: Mini mum 55; Mean r: >T 1 66 HUMIDITY 7 30 a. m. 78; 7:30 a. m. 67; 1:30 p- m. ’:30 p. m. 67. PRECIP1TATON Total for 24 hours ending 7:30 p. m. ^ r,!- inches. Total since the first of the month 3.72 TIDES FOR TODAY 1F om the Tide Tables published by U ^ Coast and Geodetic Survey). High Lew Wilmington _ 5:54 am 12:31 am 6:26 pm 1:01 pm Masonboro_3:48 am 10:13 am 4 :27 pm 10 :36 pm Sunrise 5:24; Sunset c:o4; AIoonr.se Mocnset 3:11a. fi ver stage at Fayetteville, N. C- at L 5 m. Tuesday 11.8 feet. u.s Chamber Urges Industry Price Cut Manufacturers Association Responds Fast To Presidential Appeal For Help In Dispelling Inflationary Clouds WASHINGTON, April 29 —(/P)_ In quick response to a direct new appeal from President Truman, the Ur ted States chamber of com merce today urged industry to • ut prices “where and when busi ness costs permit.” “More goods for more people at k er prices is the American formula for prosperity.” the 2,000 businessman delegates to the chamber's 35th annual convention declared in a formal policy state ment. While saying business recognizes its own responsibility to "oid the peril of “runaway prices” and has more interest in "a sound struc ture of fair prices than any other group,” the resolution added: ‘‘The task of recovering econom ic stability and reducing costs is a task for all—government, busi ness, labor, agriculture and the consumer.” A? the day’s sessions opened, Mr. Truman called on the busi ness executives in a message to help “dispel the inflationary cloud now h-.nging over us” by lowering prices and swelling production 1 , achieve “an ever-expandin'* tern of private enterprise ' This, he said, is ^ tas' of all business; <a.’0c' Taking “today” literally , ber delegates made the ^ olution their first policy -S’ •*> in the four-day meeting. Maritime Commission Incurs House Group Ire RELIEF TRIMMED WASHINGTON, April 29. — (A3)— The House voted today to trim a $350,000,000 foreign re lief program to $200,000,000 and to deny aid to Russian-domi nated countries unless they agree to rigid U. S. super vision. Both actions were tentative — on teller counts of 156 to 138 and 135 to 110 — and are sub ject to roll call votes later. Likewise tentatively, the House voted 136 to 72 to speci fy the countries entitled to the aid — Italy, Greece, Hungary, Austria, Poland and China. Rep. Lawrence Smith (R. Wis.), who offered this amend ment, told a questioning mem ber that it is aimed at prevent ing any of the relief going to Russia. ALEMAN GREETED BY LARGE CROWDS Mexican President Met At National Airport By Truman; Long Parade WASHINGTON, April 29 —— President Truman and hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians greet ed President Miguel Aleman of Mexico today, paying back in good neighbor style for the welcome Mexico City gave Mr. Truman last month. e two Presidents exchanged fervent pledges of good will and peace at one of the most im oressive welcomes the capital ever gave to a foreign dignitary. Major Walter H. Thomas, act ing head of the Washington police, estimated the throngs as high as *00,000 to 800000, counting those that lined Constitution avenue and j historic Pennsylvania avenue, wav ing small U. S. and Mexican flags. Secret service men called the show for the visiting Mexican chief of state the greatest since the welcoming of the King and Queen of England in 1938. Eighteen bands played along the route. The 43-year old. mustached Ale (Continued on Page; Two Col. 6) CHARGES DROPPED RALEIGH. April 29 — UP)— Charges of conspiracy to de fraud the government against T. A. loving company and as sociates in connection with con struction work at Ft. Bragg have been dropped in federal district court here. Judge Don Gilliam ordered dismissal of the criminal ac tion which was brought in No vember 1943 and which charg ed the Goldsboro firm with overcharging the government in rental fees for trucks auto mobiles and construction equip ment on a project at Ft. Bragg in -940. Dismissal of the action re sulted from settlement in Jan uary of civil actions between the government and con struction firm. In its civil ac tion, the government claimed the construction company had overcharged on equipment rental from $50,000 to $100, 000. The construction company filed a counter-action seeking to recover approximately $100,000 it claimed the govern ment owed for the Ft. Bragg work. In the settlement, it was agreed that all actions in ttie case, both civil and criminal, would be dropped. CONSERVATIONISTS URGE RESTORATION OF WILDLIFE FUNDS ELIZABETH CITY, ‘pril 29—(IP) —A resolution urging the N. C. delegation in congress to work for the restoration of appropriations to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife serv ice so that it will not be -neces sary to close the Beaufort Marine Fishery laboratory was unanimo s ly passed by the State Board of Conservation and development here today. The board, in the closing ses sion of its quarterly meeting, adopted the resolution after Chair man J. L. Horne of Rocky Mount had read a report from Washing toi which said that the Beaufort laboratory and five other fisaery laboratories would be closed under present upp ;cpriat:„n. Lgu.es foi the Fish and Wildlife service. Lax Budgetary Controls Blasted At Hearing In Washington The Mornirg Star Washington Bureau WASHINGTON, April 29. — The Maritime commission yesterday incurred the wrath of another House committee, the second in the last few days, when the appro priations committee demanded that the “amazingly lax budgetary con trols and utter disregard of sound business practices” in the agency “be cured immediately.” The Commission previously had been attacked by the Mer chant Marine committee, over al legedly “wasteful” sales of prop erty from stripped reserve fleet ships. Proposing to let the Commission spend $1,800,000 above previous limitations on expenditures from its revolving fund, the Appropria tions committee report on the second deficiency bill quoted Mari time officials as having testified that, even if the limitation were raised by $90,000 more, “they would still require $331,000 to meet their pay rolls to June 30, 1947.” “The committee experienced ex treme difficulty in finding out the true situation with respect to fund requirements and as a result of this experience is not too certain that the figures furnished are firm”, the report said. Admitting that the Commission "was entitled to anticipate ad ditional funds to meet a substan tial part of the cost of mandatory pay increases”, the report said that “if the latest figures sup (Continued on Page Two; Col. 3) SINGLETON SWASH PROJECT BOOMED Army Engineers To File Unfavorable Report On Proposed Boat Basin Morning Star Washington Bureau WASHINGTON, April 29 — The Army engineers will soon file an unfavorable report opposing the proposed construction of a small boat basin near Singleton Swash. A point on the intracoastal water way from the Cape Fear river, N. C. to Winyah bay, S. C. Local interests have recently re quested deferment of the project, which also would connect the wa terway with the Atlantic ocean ar.d the “minor benefits” to be expected are considered insuf ficient to justify its considerable ccst, Senator Olin D. Johnson of South Carolina was told today by Col. G. W. Gillette, South Atlantic division engineer, Atlanta, former ly of Wilmington. Hearings on the project were held at Myrtle Beach, S. C., Au gust 26, 1940, and August 27 of last year. The unfavorable report, by the district and division engineers, is subject to review by the Board of engineers in Washington, which will consider “any statements or facts” about it. Smith Starts Waste Probe Ship Stripping Charges Be Checked Here*By Mari time Commission An investigation into charges that the Maritime commission has been selling equipment from sur plus merchant ships stripped for the Reserve fleet and later buying identical articles at higher prices, has been begun, according to Ad miral W W. Smith, Maritime corn miss' • -v -airman. a\£0v",_ of the investigation, ler the chairman of rchant Marine com 'can Representative s' Michigan, charged ,..j3mmission’s sales prac ‘extremely wasteful, are ex ^.^ted to be completed within 10 days. Only two ships have been strip ped in Wilmington for storage in the Brunswick river storage basin during recent months, according to local officials. McCarthy Quoted L. T. McCarthy, assistant di rector of the surplus sales divi sion of the Maritime commission in Washington, D. C., has been quoted as declaring, “the situa tion is atrocious.’’ He stated that in all cities where ship stripping operations were conducted 'that it was impossible to know how many men to keep working. A ship is stripped, and within several days a second ship is brought in to be equipped with materials taken from the first, he said. A check with the Reserve fleet commission in Washington has brought forth the reply that very little is done to a ship when it is stored, other than paint it. Mc Carthy, however, declares that, “paint costs money.’’ $200,000 Spent Republican Representative John Brophy, Wisconsin, a committee member, visited the commission’s office at Norfolk, Va., and brought back to Bradley a report that the Commission had spent $200,000 in re-fitting 10 ships with equipment exactly like the goods which had been stripped from other vessels and then sold for about 10 per cent of its original cost. Brophy attributed the practice to ‘a com plete lack of coordination between the various branches of the Mari time commission.’’ Brophy also advised Bradley [ that the Commission should be (Continued on Page Two; Col. 2) SCOUT CAMPOREE PLANS COMP E Big Program Slated For This Week-End At Blue thenthai Airport Plans for the annual Boy Scout camporee. scheduled for this week end at Bluethenthal airport, were completed last night at a dinner meeting of the Wilmington Dis trict scoutmasters. The dinner meet, held in the Crystal restaurant, was a fare well banquet honoring Courtland W. Baker, Cape Fear Area scout executive, who is leaving Wilming ton this week to become executive of the Palmetto council, Spartan burg, S. C. Bob Howard, district commis sioner in charge of the meeting, expressed appreciation to Baker for his work in promoting and de veloping scouting here during the four years he served as executive of the area. Three-Day Offer The Camporee is to be held on May 2, 3, 4, at Bluethenthal air port and the public is especially invited to the field day exercises all day Saturday and to the court of honor and campfire program on Saturday night. The field day activities will in clude instruction and competition in such events as: rope work, woodcraft or nature; personal first aid; tracking and trailing; physi cal fitness; compass work, games; signalling, and tent pitching. In the compass work, the scouts participating will attempt to find a lost child by means of the com pass. Plans were discussed for the an nual Scout Circus which is to be held on May 9 at Legion stadium. TORNADO LEVELS MISSOURT TOWN TAKING MANY LIVES; RUSSIA BACKS DEBATE PLAN Britain Wins First Round Palestine Se s s i o n Of UN Assembly Brings Forth Sharp Exchanges NEW YORK, April 29—(/?}—Rus sia tonight supported full discus sion of the Palestine question in the United Nations assembly but reserved her position on the merits of the Arab states’ campaign for immediate independence of the Holy Land. The Russian position was pre sented after Herschel V. Johnson, U. S. representative, told the as sembly’s 14-nation steering com mittee that the Arab proposal “at tempts to prejudge the issue.” Anctrei A. Gromyko, Russia’s chief relegate, declared that dis cussion of Palestine independence "does not mean that the general assembly has to take a decision at this session on the substance of this question.” He made no commitment on the substance of the Arab hope for a free Palestine which would retain its present Arab populational ma jority. Taking the floor a second time, Johnson declared he felt it neces sary to protest against Arab in terpretations of is previous state ment. II. S. Position "The United States in declining to give its approval to the Arab resolution,” he explained, “is not precluding the independence of Palestine or a discussion of this problem.” Johnson said there were several different views on the foi*n of in dependence Palestine should have, and that some of them differed sharply with the Arab views. “We are here to set up a commit tee, not to analyze history,” he added. This was a reference to the Brit ish proposal to establish a fact finding committee for Palestine. “Suppose the Arab item was admitted to the agenda,” Johnson said. "Does anyone suppose it would quiet the situation in Pales tine. It would inflame passion and would be interpreted according to their purposes. We want this to be taken up in a calm atmosphere.’’ In the midst of prolonged com mittee debate on the Arab pro (Continued on Page Two; Col. 5) LOCAL OFFICIALS TO BACK PETITION Thirty Wilmington Bus inessmen To Testify At Bus Franchise Hearing Among those scheduled to tes tify at the hearing on a petition of Carolina Coach company to op erate into Wilmington from Nor folk, Va. are approximately 30 Wilmington officials, according to J. Frank Hackler, local attorney for the company. The meeting will be in the U. S. Federal court room in the Cus tomhouse on May 7, and the tes timonials are to be heard before the State Utilities commission in an effort of the company to se cure a franchise to operate buses over part of the coastal route now being used by Seas .ort Transpor ti n and the Greyhound compa nies, Hackler said. Part of the route will be from Jacksonville to Burgaw where no bus service is now offered. Sole objector is the Seashore company, according to Hackler, as the Greyhound company has al ready given consent for the now route to be established. The addi tional service to Wilmington and other cities is part of the Caro lina company’s expansion pro gram, planned now at an estimated cost of some $200,000, he ^aid. SHOWN ABOVE is Linwood D. Latta, who yesterday announced his resignation as secretary and treasurer of the Tide Water Power company to become effective May 1. A native of Wilmington, he was named to the position he now holds in 1929. He also has been a mem ber of the board of directors of the firm for 15 years. Linwood Latta Resigns Treasuryship Of TWPC CO-ED BAN WHITEHAVEN, Teim., April 29—(.Pi—The sudden blossom ing of too many romances into marriages at the Whitehaven High school has provoked an administrative ban on co-edu cational lingering, visiting eat ing and, of course marrying. Principal Fred Elliott said to day he had issued a circular letter to the school’s 700 stu dents declaring that marriage will mean indefinite s uspen sion and that five-day suspen sions will be slapped on those guilty of: “Eating together lingering in the cafeteria after eating is at an end, “walking as couples on the campus, visiting in home rooms.” BELL REELECTED TWPC PRESIDENT Stockholders Name Board Of Directors Ot Organ ization Meeting Warren W. Bell was reelected president o£ the Tide Water Power company at an organization meet ing of the board of directors in the Tide Water building here yes terday. Re-elected as vice-presidents were A. E. Jones and J. Holmes Davis. Preceding the election of offi cers of the TWPC. the following were named to the board of di rectors by the stockholders in an nual session: Bell. LeRoy B. Carter, K. C. Council, J. Holmes Davis, Thomas W. Davis, Jones, L. J. Poisson, G. W. Sheldon and J. G. Thorton. In the annual report to the stock. (Continued on Page Two; Col. 3) Signing $60,000,000 Checks Causes Worry; Phone Box Brings Mouse Squeaks, For FCC State Auditor Bridges Has Big Time Changing Cash From N. C. Coffers RALEIGH, April 29. —IP)—In the three months he has been in of fice, State Auditor Henry L. Bridges has become accustomed to writing checks, but despite this experience he was highly nervous today when he signed his name to two checks for a total of $60, 232,256. Both the checks, however, rep resented purely bookkeeping trans actions as the state transferred its funds from one pocket to another. One was for $50,932,256 to trans fer money from the general fund to the permanent improvements fund and the other was for $9, 300,000 representing a transfer from the general fund to the post war reserve fund. The 1947 genera] assembly pass ed a permanent improvements -'••asure toia’me rs ‘32 236. and j (Continued on Page Two, Col. 8) Along The Cape Fear Today’s guest columnist of Along the Cape Fear is Mr. Andrew J. Howell, author of “The Book of Wilmington.” The R. O. T. C. of the New Han over High school has been for sev eral years a much appreciated part of our educational system. Its value is shown in the sturdy de velopment of discipline and char acter in the life of large numbers of our young men. Its worth has also been demonstrated in the ex perience of numerous former members who served in the arm ed forces of the United States. The recipient of a Congressional Med al of Honor, Captain Charles P. Murray, is a leading type of the many who became efficient in de fenders of our national life. Ana. in business and professional af fairs. the citizenship of our sec tion, and in c.her places, gives testimony to the value of the mill tary training offered by the ROTC. This subject prompts me to dip into the past of Wilmington and bring back memories of a strict ly military school that afforded the city much of a distinction for several years following the War Between the States. This was the Cape Fear Military Academy, which promptly became a part of the very heart and of the community. It was widely patro nized here, and drew students from distant places to live in the homes of the city. One interesting feature of the academy was that it reflected much of the atmosphere and ar dour of the former Confederate soldiers who had returned from the battlefields, and were full of stirring memories. Their sons na turally imbided their spirit. It was l0 ihe cie'1 of f'e school ner i Continued on Fage Two, Col. 4) Chopin Nocturine Chords Also Duplicated At Exhaustive Test WASHINGTON, April 29. —UP)— Members of the Federal Communi cations commission today s a t around with telephones glued to their ears listening to sounds that ranged from the squeak of fright ened mice to the opening chords of a Chopin nocturne. In between times, they talked gravely about decibels (noise to you, chum.) The commission is trying to de cide what, if any, “tone warning” system should be put inside the phone box to let folks know they are talking for the record when one or the other party of the con versation decides to click on an automatic recording device. Most of ihe warning models tried out emitted a discreet reminder every 15 seconds that the whole thing was being taken down for 1 (Continued on Page Two; Col. 2) ''i Well Known Businessman Plans Long Rest; Has Served 18 Years Linvvood D. Latta, secretary and treasurer of'the Tide Water Power company since 1929, announced his retirement yesterday with his res ignation to become effective to morrow. He is scheduled to be replaced by H. T. Buchanan, with A. M. Alderman being appointed assist ant secretary and assistant treas urer of the firm. Latta was named assistant sec retary and treasurer of the Tide Water Power company on April 7, 1929, and was elevated to the po sition he now holds on April 23 of that year. Prior to joining the TWPC, Lat ta v as associate^ with Jacobi Hardware company for 18 years. In addition to serving as secre tary and treasurer, he was a di rector of the company for 15 years. Latta has one son. the Rev. Wil liam M. Latta, pastor of the Wadesboro, N. C., Episcopal church. Latta, who is 65 years of age, said after announcing his decision to retire that he has scheduled a long-needed rest but admitted that other than this he had no definite plans. SADDLETREE MAN HELD BY VERDICT Coroner’s Jury Finds Probable Cause In Hit Run Highway Killing LUMBERTON, April 28. — A coroner’s jury at St. Paul’s Mon day night found probable cause to hold James McLamb 22 ot Sad dletree township for manslaughter in the hit and run killing of Joseph LeRoy Tompkins 40 year old St. I Paul’s man early Friday morning. Rural Policeman J- J. Kinlaw and Highway Patrolman W. A. Baxter told how the hit and run death on Highway 301 near St. Pauls was traced to McLamb the same day that the broken oody of Tompkins was found on the high way. McLamb had been at lib erty under $5,000 bond following his arrest in Fayetteville where ne was empjuyeu. Ai. emblem with the word Buick written over a figure “8” discov ered in the clothing of the victim by Deputy Kinlaw and known to be an emblem, of only the 1937 model Buicks led officers to Mc Lamb’s residence after a county wide search for cars of that make. In his yard was a damaged Buick with a missing name plate. Officers testified at the inquest that McLamb admitted having driven the automobile when struck a man on a bicycle about 12:35 Friday morning and told them he became so frightened that he did not stop at the scene. Hubbard McCumbee. service sta tion proprietor, testified that Tompkins had spent the evening at his station drinking a quart and two 12 ounce bottles oi beer. He said the bicycle on which Tomp kins rode off from the station had no light attached but that Tompk'ns carried a flash light which was still burning when he found the body after the acci dent. Worth Homes Demolished < ___ Highway Patrol Estimate* Dead At Twenty With Scores Injured WORTH, Mo., April 29—«P)-A tornado virtually leveled thu Northea*! Missouri towi today killing at least 13 persons and in tioTof 233 the remaining P°PUla non of 233 persons. The state highway patrol esti mated 20 were killed. The business district was re duced to rubble. Only a few resi dences were left standing after romm n St°rm lashed small community at 2:30 o’clock (CST) this afternoon. The identified dead, in a mortu ary at nearby Grant City: Fred Jennings, John Danner W F Roberts, Bert Shipley, Mr.’and Mrs Levi Burns, Orin Meyers, winPh°™ operator> Mrs. Charles HnH, Mrs. Molly Porter, Mrs. Bert Shipley, Melvin Pelerine 20 Irene Pickering and Ella Walker! Chester Krause, editor of the laryville, Mo., Forum, reported rescuers still were searching the rums for additional dead or in i’?1^- He said all the dead prob ab,y had been recovered The victims were middle-aged or older, except Mevlin Pickering and his sister, Irene, who were In their early twenties. Melvin Pickering and Mrs. Bert Shipley died in ambulances en route to hospitals. School Leveled The storm whipped through the center of the town, smashing 12 buildings including, the school, churxih and community hall in ad dition to the business houses and about 15 homes. An alert school teacher, Mr*. An na Trump, saved her 16 pupils (Continued on Page Two; Col. 8) SOUTHERN OWNERS BUCK LEWIS PLAN Soft Coal Operators Refuse To Bargain On In dustry-Wide Basis WASHINGTON, April 29.—{>!»)— Southern soft coal operators balk ed at industry-wide bargaining with John L. Lewis today as the government sought to stave off the threat of a new coal strike July 1. The Southern Coal Producers as sociation agreed to negotiate a separate contract with Lewis’ United Mine Workers union, but insisted that different operating conditions in various sections of the country make industry-wide bargaining “impractical and un desirable.” Under government prodding, Lewis and the operators sat down together for initial talks looking toward the end of federal control of the nation’s 2,500 soft coal mines June 30. On that date, the govern ment’s control of the pits seized last May, at the height of a 59 day strike, expires. Without a new contract with the private owners, a new walkout ap pears inevitable since the miners traditionally follow a “no contract no work” policy. BUCKS BeWlS The Southern association’s will ingness to go ahead with negotia tions on a sectional basis ran coun ter to Lewis’ previous determina tion to bargain on an industry wide level or not at all. The association said in a state ment that “government control, at best, is only a temporary and necessary expedient, and govern ment, management and miners alike desire it ended as soon as possible.” “The meeting today is one in which operators from ail segments in the industry are represented,” the statement continued. “These operators from areas outside our own are friends but it must not be forgotten that they also our competitors.” The southern group's stand led to a recess until 3 P. M. (E.S.T.) tomorrow in the conferences called by Navy Capt. N. H. Collisson, federal coal mines administrator, who had urged both sides to make “sincere efforts” toward a set tlement of the long-drawn dispute. Representatives of 32 coal-pro ducing associations had gathered in an. attempt to work out a solu tion by June 30. And So To Bed A tall, elderly man entered the office of the Morning Star last night and claimed that he was the fellow who swept the tide in and swept the tide out. After several minutes of talking with the gentleman, he said, “1 am Billy the Kid,” and “I am supposed to be dead but I caught a freight out of Texas after they put the finger on me and was supposed to have shot me.” He called the editors of the Star “Copy Boys” and after 13 minutes of continually talking, he said that he wished he could find something to talk about.
Wilmington Morning Star (Wilmington, N.C.)
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April 30, 1947, edition 1
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