Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 3

Decatur, Illinois, Wednesday, January 13, 1954. DECATUR HERALD Shaft Marks Construction Start on Gregory Foltz On National Bank Board Education Group; Favors Keeping Special Charter The Decatur Council of Educa shaft vesterdav and when a sne shaft vesterday and when a speci fied depth is reached tunneling operations will begin. The shaft is on the south side of the A. E. Administrator Sees Increase In Cost for Hospital Care in Decatur Sewer fc TW 3 Staley Mfg.

Company outlet on the Lake Decatur shore. (Herald and Review Photo) cause of financial status, race, or religion in the 38 years of its operation, Pullen said. The new hospital wing, now un; der construction, is about 35 per cent bricked up. rullen said workmen are enclosing die structure with canvas and installing heat units to keep building on schedule. Pledges from last year's fund drive now stand at $1,107,000, he said.

The completed three-storv hos pital will cost an estimated $1,800,000, according to Pullen. Opening of the new wing, sched uled for Jan. 1, 1955, will capacity from the present 248 to 543 beds. The ultimate goal of the hospital association will be for greater expansion with the new wing en larged to a seven-storv building and a hospital capacity of 550 beds, Pul len said. There are 6,903 hospitals in the United States and 5,122 of these are short-term general hospitals such as the two major Decatur hospitals, Pullen said.

The city has two of the 473 hospitals in the country which have a bed capacity of 250 of One -City Appropriation Of $10,000 Spent One city appropriation, in the street department, has been spent almost down to the last cent. From the $10,000 appropriation for asphalt for unpaved streets, $9,999.91 has been paid out, according to the report of Comptroller William H. Owen yesterday. All of this type of work has been completed for the fiscal year which ends April 30.. Stand on Union City Council members agreed yes terday on the position they will take when discussions, are resumed Monday with the AFL Municipal fcmployes Union.

The union question was consider ed for nearly an hour in an off-the- record session. Council members de clined to make public their, stand until Monday Council meeting Street Commissioner Lyle-Kirby, however, said that while he does not oppose union organization, he will not be a party to any contracts un less all city departments are in cluded. "I don't care if that gets in the papers," he said, pointing out the citv does not have a contract with the Firemen's Union. The Municipal Employes Union, which claims membership from all but six eligible employes of the waterworks, recently handed the Council a list of 13 demands. The first discussion of these proposals between union representatives and the Council, last Thursday, pro duced much debate and little agree ment.

Driver License Fine Stephen Durbin, 31, of .303 Longview arrested Jan. 6 for having' no drivers license, pleaded guilty and was fined $23.20. Assistant State's Attorney David Jack said Durbin had lost his license and had since applied for a renewal. Tool Box Stolen Pat Hunt, 1156 N. Union reported to police yesterday the theft of a tool box from the boulevard in front of his home, where he had placed it while he went into the City Decides Council Backs Early Start on Water Search Mavor Robert E.

Willis' proposal for an early start on a search for emergency water supplies won unanimous approval of the' City Council yesterday afternoon. I Last night, the mavor said the first step mav be a meeting of Coun cil members and representatives of the state Water Resources Board. Water Commissioner Homer L. Chastain, who with the mayor has conferred with the Board, will at tempt to arrange such a meeting soon, Mayor Willis said. Meanwhile, City Engineer John M.

Weir will try to learn from the Pure Oil Company the water characteristics of a well drilled on a farm northeast of Argenta. It is believed that this well may have tapped the underground MaT hornet River, 1 he Water resources Board estimates the Mahomet might produce 6 to 7 million gallons of water a day. This amount of. water, Chastain pointed out, would reduce the 'Tate of the fall of Lake Decatur by a third, under present conditions. If it had been available this fall, Chastain added, the level of the lake probably would be only two feet below the top of the dam rather than yesterdav's measurement of 4.61 feet.

The basic idea under con sideration is to find a source which would be pumped into either the Sangamon River or one of its tribu taries probably Friends Creek to replenish Lake Decatur. This would be carried out primarily during drouth periods. If suf ficient emergency supplies could be assured, it is believed the date for constructing additional reservoirs might be delayed, once five feet is added to the dam. During a discussion of the cost of exploratory Work, Mayor Willis observed that "the people who should pay for the pumps are those who are responsible for us. being a year be hind on this (the water supply program.

He was apparently referring to signers of petitions w-hich sought to force a referendum on the new water rate ordinance, which increas es rates to pay for supply develop ments. The mayor told Finance Commissioner Don F. Davis that the maximum cost of exploring for water supplies would be about $10,000 and should be less, according to estimates of the Water Resources Board. This could be offset by savings in capital expenditures for reservoir construction, he pointed out. One benefit from a delay in reservoir work might be realization of federal plans for a flood control dam at Rea Bndge.

This would reduce the city's cost of a reservoir there. But the most urgent need for emergency supplies is tied in with the current drouth and its possible continuation, the mayor and Chastain emphasized. Chastain pointed out that even normal spring rains will not produce the usual flow from the Sanga mon River because the ground is so dry. Council discussion indicated that most of the exploration will be in the Argenta-Cisco area, believed to be the nearest location of the Mahomet River to Decatur. However, in answer to a ques tion from Davis, the mayor said he believes the'capacity of a well under the Consumers Ice Coal Company, 701 N.

Van Dyke should be tested. Water Resources Board sources have no record of this well, which. sup plies -water for making ice. Up to about 750,000 gallons a day have been pumped from the well. Another.

Decatur area the Decatur Sand and Gravel Company lake at the southwest edge of the city, is believed to have a capacity of about two million gallons a day. But Chastain said the city should look for at least four million gal Ions, and 10 million if possible. Water would' be pumped into the lake after it begins to fall below the dam, to keep the lake level as close to the top of the dam as possible. UNION IRON WORKS LOCAL ELECTS DEWEY TRIPP Dewey Tripp last night was elect ed president of Union Iron Works Local 896 ot the AhUJnited Automobile Workers Union. Other officers Murry Pierce, vice president; Wilbur Horve, financial and re cording secretary; John Sendsik, one-year Leslie Poling, two-year trustee; Phillip Meredith, three year trustee; Walter Metlock, sergeant-at-arms; Harry Kaminski, guide.

Named to the bargaining commit tee were Murry Pierce, Danny Fitz- patrick, Bill Iripp and Wilbur Horve. Miller Found Innocent on One Arson Charge Breckenridge, Tex. Jan. 12 (A?) Orville G. Miller, a young airman from Decatur, 111., was acquitted of arson on one indictment here tonight.

Miller, 19, jumped up grinning when the verdict was read, went over and thanked the jurors and then turned around and thanked the four lawyers the court had appointed for him. The jury took just 13 minutes to find the youth innocent of a charge that he set the $28,000 quality planing mill fire in Wichita Falls on March 7, 1953. Miller was stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base near Wichita Falls at that time. He still wore his blue Air Force uniform in court today. His parents, Mr.

and Mrs. Harley G. Miller, Decatur, 111., were not in the courtroom when the acquittal verdict came at 7:13 p.m. Mrs. Miller had testified earlier for her son, had listened to the prosecution's closing arguments and then had broken down and had to leave the courtroom.

The defense attorneys staked a ley part of their case on the testimony of E. C. Habetn, Wichita Falls insurance adjuster, who testified the fire might have been caused by a cigaret carelessly flipped bv a workman. He testified that he had listed the cause on the report he made to an insurance firm after investigating the blaze. Judge Floyd Jones said Miller would remain under bond on two other arson indictments he faces, at least for the present.

Bonds in three indictments against Miller totaled $20,000 and he has been in jail since his arrest in August, unable to make them. The other indictments charge ar son against him in two other fires in Wichita Falls. Two officers said Miller made the statement. It read, in part: "I spotted the wooden frame building so I decided it would make the best tire and create the most excitement." On the stand, Mrs. Miller said her son "had never been in any trouble and never presented any problems." W.J.

REDLICH ELECTED Trail Riders Nime Officers, Hear Rep. Preihs V. J. Redlich was elected president of the Trail Riders Association at the organization's annual dinner in Hotel Orlando last night. Harlan Prosser was named vice president and Mrs.

Bessie Flinn was re-elected secretary-treasurer. Named to the board of directors were Mrs. Z. P. Zarconi, Mrs.

Lulla Parrish, Glen Grant, W. M. Ar- buckle and H. E. Lindsley, the re tiring president.

The speaker was State Rep. Carl Preihs of Pana, who talked about his Queen's Ranch. CIVIC IMPROVEMENTS GROUP MEETS TODAY A meeting of the Association of Commerce civic improvements committee, originally planned for last Thursday, has been re-scheduled for 3 p.m. today in the A of ofhee. State's Attorney Kenneth E.

Evans, committee chairman, said the group will discuss ways of preserving and marking places of historical importance in Macon County. Wilbur H. Duncan, president of the Macon County Historical Society, and Supt. Lacy Chandler of the Park District have indicated they will participate in the discussion, Evans said. FORD FUND AIDE TO MEET WITH JMU FACULTY TODAY Harold T.

Christiansen, special consultant for the Fund for the Advancement of Education, established by the Ford Foundation, will be at Minikin University today. Dr. J. Walter Malone, Millikin president, said Christiansen will meet with faculty members who are lowship program. Stolen Arms Found Police yesterday learned that two artificial arms found in the 1500 block East Main Street had been stolen from a car parked on East Avenue near Wood Street Monday.

Randy Harlin, 7, of 1550 Wood at. round the arms in a cloth bag beneath some bushes while playing. Last night James E. Daughertv, 239 S. Union, a salesman for such items, claimed the arms when he went to police headquarters to report they had been stolen.

Fleming Named An information was filed in County Court yesterday charging Oliver W. Fleming, 53, of the Angle hotel, with obtaining merchandise under false pretenses. Lester H. Foltz, partner in the contracting firm of Christy and Foltz, and Cecil R. Gregory, cashier of the National Bank of Decatur, yesterday were elected to the bank's board ot directors.

I With their election, the board was expanded from eight to 10 members. Other officers and directors were re-elected in the annual meeting of shareholders. Foltz is president of the Com munity Chest board of directors and a director of the YMCA. He is a former chairman of the Association of Commerce water supply and construction industry committees and a former A ot director. In 1949 and 1950 Foltz was president of the Decatur Contractors Association and in 1933 he headed the Transportation Club of Decatur.

Gregory, a veteran member of the bank staff, has been cashier since 1948. He also is treasurer and a member of the advisory board of the Salvation Army. Bank officers're-elected are: S. J. Bradfield, president; L.

H. Gebhart, vice president; E. L. Major, vice president; W. A.

Derr, vice president and trust officer; C. R. Gregory, cashier; B. A. Hart, assistant cashier; F.

A. Stoewsand, assistant cashier: R. N. Burgess, assistant trust officer. Charles J.

Robinson was re-appointed to manage the bank's farm department with Frank Rolf as as sistant manager. M. E. Bailey was appointed manager ot urban property and Robert E. Richie, who joined the bank last November, was named auditor.

Directors re-elected to the board are: S. J. Bradfield, L. H. Gebhart, W.

A. Derr, K. H. Roby, W. H.

Hipsher, C. N. Weilepp, C. E. England, H.

M. Owen. Millikin Bank Meeting Recessed Stockholders of the Millikin tional Bank started their annual meeting yesterday but recessed for one -week. President fc. t.

Joynt said the meeting will reconvene Tuesday afternoon. Youths Held In Liquor Buying Warrants were issued yesterday charging two youths with the illegal purchase of liquor at the Lone Oak tavern, 175 S. 22nd bt. Fred R. Maier, 20, of 423 W.

King St. was jailed last night, charged with the actual purchase of two quarts ot beer. James A. Kennedy, 19, of 807 E. Lawrence who was driver of a car which struck 13 or 14 parked cars Sunday, is charged with abetting Maier.

by supplying the money to purchase the beer. Kennedy has been fined $55.40 for running a stop sign and is charged with six -other traffic of fenses addition. He is held in County jail. State's Attorney Kenneth E. Evans ordered the warrants issued vesterdav afternoon after conferring with Maier and Kennedy.

City License Inspector Otto Ku-jawa also attended the conference. Evans referred the case to the city for further investigation of the alleged sale ot liquor. Last night police and Kujawa went to the Lone Oak tavern, with Maier, who pointed out the attend ant he claims sold him the Mavor Robert E. Willis and Ku jawa are expected to continue their investigation of the liquor sale case today. $11,058 In Dimes Fund The March of Dimes total stood at $11,058.73 last night, Mrs.

John Kuhns, executive secretary of the Macon County chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, reported. Yesterday's contributions in cluded a $10.22 donation from the Berry School at. Oakley'. The Oakley Home Bureau sent $6.37. Mrs.

Kuhns said she has counted dona tions from 2, 1 1 0 letters to date. Charge Dismissed A charge of assault against Don Smith, 22, of 921 E. Mueller was dismissed by Justice Fred Hale on payment of costs of $13.20 by the complainant Norma Minms. tion last night went on record in favor of retaining Decatur's special charter school system. Council members took the action after hearing a discussion of the dif ferences between a special charter system and the community unit dis-' trict plan.

Speakers at the meeting in the- YMCA were D. Smith McGaughey, Decatur Board of Education attorney, and N. E. Hutson, legal adviser to Vernon L. Nickell, state super-- mtendent ot public instruction.

One of the main points taken up by the attorneys was the question increasing the membership of the present three-member board of edu-. cation without abandoning the spec- lal charter. They agreed that there appears to be no provision at present for increasing the board under the chart er. They said, however, that the in crease could be made through new permissive legislation. Sam Bishop, statistician in the office of the state superintendent of public instruction, and Robert B.

Ernest, Macen County superintendent of schools, were guests at the meeting. Paul Smallwood, secretary, announced that the Council on Education will discuss "Standards for School Buildings" in its next meeting Feb. 23. Business, Politics Seen Back of Dock Rackets Business and political interests, through "active or passive acceptance," are directly responsible for racketeer control of the New York waterfront, Rev. Fr.

John Corridan of New York declared last night in a talk before Te Deum members. Addressing Decatur chapter members in St. Patrick's hall, Father Corridan said rank and file union members have little or no voice in the union affairs controlling their lives. "Business interests want the ILA (International Longshoremen's Association) to win, and I doubt if John L. Lewis Teally gave the union $50,000 as announced," the priest who is an associate director of the Xavier School of Industrial Relations in New York, asserted.

He said the money probably was given to the ILA by business or political interests still fighting the movement to clean up the waterfront. The AFL has oudawed the ILA and set up a new longshoremen's union. Father Corridan has been a mem ber of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) since 1931 and active in aiding waterrront workers. More than 130 members of the Decatur Te Deum chapter attended the dinner meeting and heard rather torndan tell of his experiences with the waterfront situation which has attracted national attention because of alleged racketeer control. NEW 'REC CENTER FOR BOYS OPENS TODAY A new recreation center for boys of high school age will open at 6:45 p.

m. today in the Southeast School all purpose room. Russell Foval, recreation superintendent, said the center is intended for high school boys who live in the Johns Hill district. It will open trom to 9:15 p. m.

each Wed nesday for general recreation, in cluding basketball. F. J. Woo ten, Southeast School teacher, will supervise the $3,131 COLLECTED IN SALVATION ARMY KETTLES Salvation Army Christmas kettles collected a total of $3,131.68 dur ing the holidays, Brig. John T.

Row land reported yesterday. The figure fell $700 short of the previous year but was $100 more, than the 1951 Christmas season, he said." The Salvation Army used the money in its Christmas programs. Baskets were distributed to 507 fam ilies and 1,500 toys were given to children. Additional expenses in cluded oianges and candy for the Christmas party. BENSON AGAIN INVITED TO SPEAK IN DECATUR The Association of Commerce ag riculture committee has renewed its invitation to Secretary of Agriculture Ezra T.

Benson to speak at a public dinner here in' late February or early March. Chairman Walter W. McLaugh lin said he wrote to Benson yester day. An earlier invitation was put off with a reply that Benson could not make appointments very fat in ad vance. Lester H.

Foltz Schools Asked To Halt Sale Of Confections A request to abolish sale of candy in Decatur Public Schools was submitted yesterday to the Board of Education by the Macon County Medical Society. The request was contained in a resolution adopted bv the society convenhon Dec. 11. Physicians and dentists oppose confections and re fined free sugars on the basis ot their contnbution to tooth decav, poor appetites-and nutritional com plications. City schools spend tax money to maintain school health service and it is "inconsistent and wholly un justified" for school cafeterias maintain facilities for supplying confections to pupils, the resolution states.

Society members express their opinion that children are much bet ter otf, both physically and mentally, without such confections. Board members took no immediate action on the request yesterday but asked school officials to furnish more information about existing facilities for selling candy and carbon ated drinks in the schools. The subject will be discussed again at the regular February board meeting, they said. Candv is sold in high school and junior high school lunch lines and cafeterias. The Decatur High School student council operates candy and cola vending machines in the rec reation room.

Lee Pigott, DHS principal, said immediate removal of the machines from the recreation room might have a bad effect on the successful recrea tion program. Board members and school offi cials agreed it is not consistent to teach pupils facts of proper nutrition and at the same time provide facilities for them to buy candy in place of the government-sponsored balanced meals provided in cafeterias. Otto Keil. board tiresident. oues- tioned what the role of the school should be in such a matter.

He pressed his personal opinion that scnoois should not try to use force in discouraging the eating of candy. Educators should teach the nrin- ciples of health to pupils, he said, but voung peODle should be encmir. i aged to use their own judgment in seiecnng a proper diet. Other school officials noinn-d nnf- that school children can easily ob tain candy at nearby, stores and bring it to school to eat at lnuch time; Sales Regulated At Lakeview, St. Teresa Jui ui lima aic 3vJQ during lunch hours at St.

Teresa ahd Lakeview High Schools, officials said last night. Three candv vendino marliinoo are located in the St. Teresa canteen and are operation during the lunch hour. A cola vending machine is also open to students during the iuiii.ii jiuur. Candy and soft are operated for the last 20 minutes -C 1 11 or uie luncn nour at Lakeview High School, according to Supt.

K. V. Henhinser. Thev ar alcn tion at the close of afternoon class- es. Tbp f-'l i .1.

1 1 marline ii lucatea at the opposite end nf the. lill Vm IX i Villi Lljc cafeteria and opens after, students have eaten lunch, Henninger said. Proceeds from sale of candy go to The machi drinks is located in the high school lobby and income from it goes into uic year dook lund. Both schools maintain inm-h programs and offer milk for sale. The Macon Couniv Msrl I I'-wwas tUV-ICLV has made no request to officials ot "vo scnoois to discontinue candy sales.

This -is the shaft which marks It which marks the start of construction on the East Side interceptor sewer. Workmen started sinking the Longview Place Income Limits Revised Upward Income limits for entrance and continued occupancy in Longview Place housing project were increased yesterday by the Decatur Housing Authority. Director Paul Smalhvood said the eligibility rules were changed to keep the project's definition of a low income family in line with wage trends. The income limits were last ad justed on Sept. 5, 1951.

Smalhvood said that although there are few vacant units, the num ber of applications for housing dropped sharply because the income limits were too low. The new maximums on income for entrance to the project, with the old limits in parenthesis, are as fol lows: Two-member families $2,800 Three and four-member families $3,100 Families of five or more $3,300 The new maximums for con tinued occupancy, with the old limits in parentheses, are: Two-member families $3,400 Three or four-member families $3,800 Families of five or more $4,000 Rent maximums will go up with the increase in limits, Smalhvood said, but the rent interval will remain at $1 for each $55 of income. All families now living in the project will be eligible occupants under the new income limits, he said. Burl Parks Fined S67.20 Burl Parks, 24, Rural Route 6, yesterday was found guilty of speeding and fined $67.20 after a hearing before Justice Harry Sackriter. Arrested Dec.

26 Parks had taken a change of venue from the court of Justice Wayne Ellis to that of Justice Sackriter. Sheriff's deputies arrested Parks after a wild chase in which they said he travelled more than 80 miles an hour in an effort to escape. Parks and his brother, Clark "Cookie" Parks, 17, were arrested Dec. 29 in another brush with authorities. In that arrest Burl Parks was charged with disorderly conduct and Clark Parks with running a stop sign.

That hearing was continued before Justice Fred Hale yesterday pending further conferences of attorneys with Assistant State's Attorney David Jack. STAN0LIND CREDIT UNION ASSETS UP $20,000 Asserts of the Stanolind Credit Union increased $20,000 during 1953 to a new total of $150,957 and a four per cent dividend was declared for the year. The organization made 181 loans during the year, an increase of 29, for a total of $103,463 and an average of 571. Membership at the end ot the year was 298, an in crease of 24 oyer 1952. D.

Barnes was elected president, C. E. Bopp vice president, H. A. Nalefski treasurer and Mary I urlev secretary.

Elected to the board of directors for three-year terms were C. Bopp, J. L. Kerr, H. A.

Nalefski and D. V. Tarr. Named for a one-year term was R. S.

Johnson. The cost of hospital care in Decatur, now below the national average, will probably go up, according to Leon C. Pullen, administrator of Decatur and Macon Countv Hospi- Pullen spoke at the luncheon meeting of the Kiwanis Club yesterday in the Decatur Club. He reviewed the history and future plans for the hospital. ''Salaries of hospital employes are low now," he said.

"With new industry coming into the Decatur area we will have difficulty obtaining emplovcs at the present salarv The lowest level on the salary schedule for non-technical work is $105 a month for a 44-hour week job, he said. Registered nurses begin at $220 a month. An allowance of 5 per cent of the gross income must be made for bad debts, Pullen said. At present the hospital accounts show about $273,000 in the accounts receivable, representing about two months of business income, he added. The hospital is proud of its record of refusing no one admittance be Authorized Decatur City Lines bus drivers and mechanics yesterday rejected a 5-cent hourly pay increase otter and authorized a strike Union President Elmer R.

Walk er said no strike date was set and further negotiations with National City Lines, parent firm of the Decatur company, are scheduled for 2:30 p.m. tomorrow. Walker said the union is asking a 20-cent hourly increase. Union members went on strike Jan. 19 last year but returned to their jobs on Jan.

22. The settlement included a 10-cent hourly pay increase and retention of the paid turn-in time. Drivers and class mechanics now receive $1.45 hourly, and class A mechanics are paid $1.59. Walker said 39 union members unanimously rejected the 5-cent in crease in meetings yesterday The strike vote was 33 in favor, 2 against and 2 not voting, he said. There are 45 members in Local 859 of the AFL Amalgamated Association of Street, Electric Railway and Motor Coach Employes Union.

Five Arrested On Rape Charge Five Decatur youths were arrest ed by police last night charged with the statutory rape ot a Decatur girl, 14. -In jail were: Lawrence P. D. Pygott, 21, of 1037 E. Mueller Ave-, Raymond Lee Hunt, 17, of 668 Hillcrest Robert Lee Kincaid, 22, of 929 E.

Marietta Jack L. Shelton, 17, of 125 E. King Harold Mallernee, 22, of 409 S. Main St. A delinquency petition was filed in County Court yesterday after the girl had admitted misbehavior with the youths.

State's Attorney Kenneth E. Evans released the girl to her parents yesterday pending further court action. Traffic Arrests Dan K. Thomas, 2038 N. Union was fined $14 for running a stop sign at Edward Street and Grand Avenue.

house momentarily..