Evening star. [volume], February 09, 1947, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Weather Forecast
Sunny, continued cold and windy with
high in middle 20s today. Clear, not so
cold tomorrow.
Temperatures yesterday: High, 30, at
12:01 a.m.; low, 14, at 10 p.m.
(Full Report on Pase A-2.)
United States Weather Bureau Report.
Home Delivery
The Evening and Sunday Star is
delivered by carrier in the city and
suburbs at 90c per month when 4
Sundays; $1.00 per month when 5
Sundays.
Telephone NA. 5000.
An Associated Press Newspaper
No. 2,184—No. 57,535
WASHINGTON, D., C„ FEBRUARY 9, 1947 -136 PAGES. ★
anaSi ten cents, ajggy
• *
1 1
Industries Not Liable for Claims
Before Last June 10, Picard Holds
_ *—■
Damages Refused
Pottery Workers
By Federal Judge
(Text of Decision on Page A-6.)
By the Associated Press
DETROIT, Feb. 8.—The mo
mentous Mount Clemens Pot
tery Go. case was thrown out of
a Federal Court today, but the
$4,800,000,000 portal - to - portal
pay battle still continued.
Federal Judge Frank A. Picard,
ruling against portal time for the
pottery workers, dismissed the Mt.
Clemens case with a denial of
damages.
Industry hailed the verdict.
But the immediate reaction of CIO
labor, mainly responsible for the
avalanche of portal-suits across the
Nation, was that the fight wouldn’t
stop here.
Ahead also was a likely final de
termination from the Supreme
Court, itself responsible for the Fed
eral court’s attention to the portal
theory in the Mt. Clemens dispute.
Porta! Time Held Trifling.
Judge Picard held the pottery
workers’ portal time was too trifling
for damages.
The court said further industry
should not be held liable for portal
claims prior to last June 10. That
was the day the Supreme Court set
forth the portal theory in the Mt.
Clemens case.
The National Association of Man
ufacturers, through President Earl
Bunting, said Judge Picard’s verdict
presumably meant the “vast major
ity” ox portal suits “no longer have
any standing.”
At the same time, Mr. Bunting
called on Congress for clarification
of the Fair Labor Standards Act to
avoid further confusion.
CIO Holds Its Ground.
On the other hand, the CIO’s
United Auto Workers Union, which
alone iVas filed nearly $1,000,000,000
in portal suits, held its ground.
Union Attorney Maurice Sugar said
the auto union would not withdraw
any 9! its suits.
Mr.' Sugar said Judge Picard’s
decision "wouldn’t necessarily apply
to other cases.” He also called at
tention- to the likelihood of a
Supreme Court test.
There was no immediate comment
from the automobile industry’s “big
three”—General Motors, Ford and
Chrysler—from whom more than a
half billion dollars in portal suits
has been asked.
The Government, in entering the
Mt. Clemens case, said the suit
would be carried to the Supreme
Court no matter what Judge Picard
ruled.
Attorney Edward Lamb, who
brought the Mt. Clemens suit orig
inally, warned industry the issue
was not settled. He said the Mt.
Clemens case was not a “truly por
tal-to-portal case” in view of “limit
ing facts.”
Decision Called Far-Reaching.
The Mt. Clemens case, Mr. Lamb
said, was not comparable in the por
tal theory with instances in steel,
autos and other industry.
Today’s court decision was de
scribed as "far-reaching” by Frank
E. Cooper, a pottery company attor
ney. He said it “clearly points out”
that last June’s Supreme Court
verdict “furnishes no basis for the
many fantastic claims” by labor in
portal suits.
“Judge Picard’s decision makes it
plain,” Mr. Cooper added, “that the
judgment of the Supreme Court did
not hold what some people were led
to think had been decided.”
Judge Picard held that workers
(See PORTAL PAY, Page A-7.)
Picard Releases
Ruling to Press
In His Office
Explains He Wanted
To Help Reporters
Keep 'Facts Straight'
By the Associated Press
DETROIT, Feb. 8. — Federal
Judge. Frank A. Picard's 7,500
word decision in the Mount
Clemens Pottery Co. case was
handgd down today at an un
usual press conference in his
private chambers.
Nearly a score of newspaper re
porters and photographers, including
one woman, crowded into the office
to hear the lengthy verdict. The
setting was in sharp contrast to
the austere courtroom where the
case was heard.
Newsmen had been alerted in mid
morning by a court attache’s an
nouncement that Judge Picard
would hold a special press confer
ence at 12:30 pm.
Reporters Throng Corridor.
Reporters thronged the corridor
near the judge’s office well in ad
vance of that hour.
Then the judge came out and said
the meeting would be postponed an
hour, since stenographers had not
finished typing copies of the decision
for all the reporters.
An hour later, the reporters and
photographers were admitted to the
judge’s anteroom, where he posed
for pictures and bantered with
newsmen.
Judge Picard joked with the re
porters and showed them two anony
mous letters pertaining to the case
that he had received today. Their
contents were off the record, but
the court agreed they were far from
complimentary.
Then the judge became serious as
(See PICARD, Page A-8.)
10-Degree Low Forecast Here;
Cold Wave May Last 4 Days
Southern Vegetable,
Citrus and Tobacco
Crops Imperiled
A cold wave continued to grip
Washington and the Atlantic
Coast States last night and the
weather foreca'ster predicted a
low of 10 degrees for the city and
5 degrees for the surrounding
suburbs for today. At 1 a.m.,
the temperature had dropped
to 11.
The intense cold posed a new
threat to Southern vegetable, citrus
and tobacco crops, and inflicted a
financial loss on Washington thea
ter, hotel, restaurant and filling sta
tion operators.
Downtown theater owners esti
mated their attendance last night
was off 35 per cent of normal for
a Saturday night. At some neigh
borhood shows it was said crowds
were about 20 per cent smaller than
usual.
Hotel managers and restaurant
operators said they thought patron
age was down about 10 per cent.
The few filling station operators
who remained open were convinced
most drivers were home by the fire.
They said business was at a stand
still and most of them were ready
to lock up and go home by 9 o’clock.
Many were glad of the chance to
rest, having put in extra hours
Bus Hits Woman, 82,
As High Fur Collar
Obstructs Her View
A high fur collar raised for
protection against the cold pre
vented Etta May Andre, 82, of
124 E street S.E., from seeing
a Capital Transit bus which
struck her last night as she
stepped into the street from be
tween two parked automobiles
in front of her home, police re
ported.
Her condition was reported as
critical in Casualty Hospital
from a possible skull fracture.
Police said Henry Williams, 36,
of 1243 Owens place N.E., was
driving the bus.
______a——
thawing out frozen radiators in the
mid-week cold wave.
Cab companies reported their
drivers were rushed more than usual
on Saturday night—another indica
tion that pleasure cars were being
kept off the streets. Capital Transit
officials said they were sure business
was below normal, but could give
no indication of how much.
Florida vegetable and citrus grow
ers were warned to expect low tem
peratures of 17 to 38 degrees this
morning, according to the .Associ
ated Press. An unexpected freeze
(See WEATHER, Page A-5.)
Industrial Shutdowns
In British Coal Crisis
Are Threat to Cabinet
Attorney General Fears
Blow Will End Idea of
'Socialism in Our Time'
By the Associated Press
LONDON, Feb. 8.—Britain pre
pared tonight for a major in
dustrial shutdown amid warn
ings by a labor spokesman that
the coal crisis threatened an e»d
to the Labor government and
“socialism in our time.”
While Emanuel Shinwell, fuel
minister, declared “complete disas
ter” awaited Britain if industry and
the public failed to carry out his
sweeping conservation measures,
almost chaotic conditions were re
ported among industries in the huge
industrial belts about London, Man
chester and Birmingham, where
4,000,000 will be thrown out of work
beginning at midnight Sunday.
Police were called a second time
today to Shoreditch, a London su
burb, to quiet crowds besieging a
coal store. About 100 persons surged
around the store gates with hand
carts. , »
Friday night a similar crowd tried
to force its way into the coal piles,
but fled when a police radio car
arrived.
Mr. Shinwell’s order halting elec
tric power to industry and the
biggest export-producing areas of
England and cutting off current
from domestic users — including
homes, theaters, stores, offices and
restaurants—for five hours daily,
sent puzzled factory managers into
hurried conferences. Their worry
was to find some way, if possible, to
minimize the effect of the power
blackout.
Grave Political Crisis.
There were harried conferences
in Whitehall, where the government
offices are concentrated, as officials
tussled with their gravest crisis
since the Labor government came
to power.
Prime Minister Attlee promised a
statement to Parliament Monday,
and many political forecasters said
the Conservatice chieftain, Winston
Churchill, might pick that day as
the time to pelt the government
with his long-threatened motion of
censure.
Sir Hartley Shawcross, Attorney
General, speaking in Lancashire,
center of Great Britain’s giant cot
ton industry which will -be closed,
solemnly declared:
“Certainly if we don’t succeed in
overcoming this situation and im
proving coal production the Labor
government will fail and there will
be an end to any idea of Socialism
in our time.”
“The whole situation is just as
(See COAL, Page A-8.)
Michigan Republicans
Still See Vandenberg
i, ,..
As Possible Nominee
Senator's Statement
Says He Doesn't Wish
To Be Candidate in '48
By Associated Press
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Feb.
8.—While appreciative of the
“compliment,” Senator Vanden
berg, Republican, of Michigan
emphasized to newsmen today
that he was not a candidate for
the Republican presidential
nomination.
“I am not a candidate for the
Republican presidential nomina
tion,” he said. “I don’t expect to
be and I have no wish to be, but
a man would be entirely numb if
he were insensible to the compli
ment the suggestion implies.”
Later, leaders at the Michigan
Spring Republican State convention,
‘sidetracked a resolution Indorsing
:the Senator for President. There
were reports, however, the leader
ship intended to keep the Michigan
delegation tied sub rosa for Senator
Vandenberg and place him in posi
tion for. presidential maneuvering.
The Vandenberg statement re
garding the presidential question
preceded his address to the conven
tion in which he made his first
speech on domestic issues in two
years.
Is Not Switch of Interest.
He emphasized to newsmen that
his return to the domestic stage
after long attention to foreign af
fairs did not mean a switch of inter
est.
“I can’t be the senior Senator
from Michigan and president of the
Senate and continue intimate day
to-day labor with the peace mission,”
Senator Vandenberg said. “A man
in my position is not needed on
routine matters, but at the major
points and I’ll still be there at the
major points.”
There was a movement afoot to
elect Senator Vandenberg chairman
of the Michigan delegation at the
1948 Republican National Conven
tion, a move which would increase
the Senator’s strategic position.
Normally, the State’s Governor
would be the chairman.
Senator Vandenberg declared in
his address that international peace
is not likely unless America can
achieve domestic peace.
Hits Labor-Management Strife.
“It is sheer suicide,” he asserted,
“for labor and capital to ever be
at each other’s throats; and it is
wanton neglect of the public welfare,
including the true welfare of every
man who toils, to longer ignore the
need for rational progress in the law
respepting labor-management rela
tionship.”
Suggesting the need for “some
(See VANDENBERG, Page A-8.I
Girl, 14, Slays Father in Auto,
Wrecking Car, Killing Boy, 13
By the Associated Press
ST. LOUIS, Feb. 8.—J. Vincent
Reardon, 58, prominent St. Louis
businessman, and 13-year-old
Michael A. d’Arcy were dead to
night as a result of a series of
tragic circumstances involving
Mr. Reardon’s 14 - year - old
daughter, Mary.
Mr. Reardon was shot through;
the head early today as he was
driving home with the two ’teen
agers who had been thwarted in an
attempt to run away together. The
shot caused Mr. Reardon to lose
control of the car and it plunged
into a ditch beside a county road,
young D’Arcy receiving injuries
from which he died late today. Mr.
Reardon was dead on arrival at a
hospital. The girl suffered lacera
tions.
St. Louis County Coroner Arnold
J. Willmann quoted the girl as say
ing she shot her father with a .25
caliber German Mauser automatic
pistol which young D’Arcy had
brought along.
“I couldn’t go back home' be
cause I knew my parents would put
me in a girls’ school. I used to go
there and I didn’t like it,” the
coroner quoted Mary as saying.
No charges have been filed against
her.
The coroner and other officers
gave this account of the tragedy:
About 8 o'clock last night, Mary
(See SHOOTING, Page A-4.)
(
Congress to Push
For Legislation
To Back Ruling
By the Associated Press
Members of Congress expressed
determination last night to nail
down by law Federal Judge
Frank A. Picard’s decision that
employers should not be liable
for portal pay claims arising be
fore last June 10, date of the Su
preme Court ruling.
Advocates of legislation to outlaw
the portal suits praised Judge
Picard’s finding but noted that it
might be upset by a higher court
on appeal.
For that reason, and also to re
move any question about its applic
ability to other suits totalling nearly
$5,000,000,000, they determined to
proceed with legislation already in
the committee stage in both Senate
and House.
House Majority Leader Halleck
predicted a bill to deal with the
problem will be one of the first
things the Republicans put through
the House.
Hearings Near fend.
Chairman Michener of the House
Judiciary Committee saitPa subcom
mittee probably will complete its
hearings tomorrow and report to the
full committee next week. He com
mented that the Picard decision
“should have a wholesome and prac
tical effect.”
Chairman Wiley of the Senate
Judiciary Committee noted that the
Picard ruling “is simply a decision
on the facts in this particular case”
and declared Congress “should re
define its position in no uncertain
terms on the general issue.”
A subcommittee of the Senate
group already has completed hear
ings. Its chairman, Senator Don
nell, Republican, of Missouri said
more work remains to be done and
its recommendations probably will
not be ready until February 17 or
later. Senator Donnell declined to
comment on the Mount Clemens
case.
Reaction of other Congress mem
bers included:
Representative Fellows, Republi
can, of Maine: “The decision shows
more clearly the need for some con
structive, clarifying congressional
action.”
Continued Study Urged.
Representative Keating, Republi
can, of New York: “Judge Picard’s
opinion dismissing the Mount
Clemens case does not, in my opin
ion, eliminate the necessity for con
tinued consideration by Congress of
the serious problems highlighted by
this litigation. We must continue
our study of proposed remedial leg
1 islation which will, on the one hand,
. remove the threat of bankruptcy
and stagnation in production lrom
I industry — particularly small busi
ness—and, on the other hand, will
not deprive the wording hian of any
of his legitimate rights or emascu
late any laws enacted for his
benefit.”
Chairman Hartley of the House
Labor Committee: “It would seem
to me that this dumps the question
back into the lap of the Labor Com
mittee. It * * * still leaves the ne
cessity for amending the Wage
Hour Act to define the work week.
Once that is done, then portal-to
portal pay will be where it should
be—a question of collective bargain
ing.”
Representative Case, Republican,
of South Dakota: “K the June 10
date is firm, then there is no need
for amending judicial legislation.
But if that date is not firm and is
overthrown by review, then we will
have to go ahead with measures now
under consideration.”
Representative Landis, Republi
can, of Indiana: “We should have
legislation anyway to nail it down.”
Lesinski Predicts Legislation.
Representative Lesinski, Demo
crat, of Michigan: “I doubt whether
the decision will head off legisla
tion. Most Republicans seem to
h ve their minds made up and I
do not believe that anything can
stop them. Personally, I see no
need for a bill, the matter of portal
pay is a contractual issue to be set
tled by collective bargaining.”
Senator Danger, Republican, of
North Dakota: “This decision is not
a precedent in view of the Supreme
Court ruling. When the facts war
rant it, portal-to-portal pay should
be paid. Where the evidence shows
men actually did extra work they
should be fully compensated. Ap
parently the judge found the doc
trine of de minimus applied here
and if he did so conscientiously no
one can quarrel with his opinion.”
Senator Moore, Republican, of
Oklahoma: “It looks like a slap in
the face at an effort to collect for
time they never contracted for at
all. I’m happy to hear of it.”
Arlington Youth Dies
After Sledding Accident
An injury received while sledding
near his home in Arlington, Va., last
night led to the death, two hours
later, of 18-year-old Lawrence Pad
dock, 2318 North Jackson street.
The youth was thrown from his
sled into a ditch on Lorcum lane
near North Twenty-third street.
Returning to his home, he com
plained of feeling nauseated and a
private physician, Dr. Leroy Dunn,
was summoned. Dr. Dunn recom
mended immediate hospital treat
ment, but the youth died en route
to Georgetown Hospital.
Radio Programs, Pg. C-8
Complete Index, Pg. A*2 I
■
■
Fort Dix M.P. Admits
He May Be Murderer
Of Los Angeles Girl
Signs Statement Telling
Of 'Blank Spells' After
Evening With 'Dahlia'
By the Associated Press
FORT DIX, N. J., Feb. 8.—The
Army’s criminal investigation
division tonight announced it
was holding Cor pi. Joseph
Dumais on a charge of suspicion
of murder after he signed a
statement saying “it was pos
sible” he committed the mutila
tion slaying of attractive Eliza
beth Short (the Black Dahlia) in
Los Angeles.
No request has been received
from Los Angeles police to hold
Dumais on any charge, the Army
said.
Announcement that Dumais had
signed the statement was made by
Capt. William H. Florence, head of
the criminal investigation depart
ment through Maj. Cornelius T.
Morris, post public relations officer.
Maj. Morris said Dumais 29-year
old former combat infantryman who
has been serving as a military po
liceman signed a statement which
included a 50-page document
scrawled in his own longhand and a
lengthy series of questions and
answers bearing directly upon the
slaying.
Dumais initials tacn rage.
The two papers were combined
into a single statement to which
Maj. Morris said Dumais affixed his
signature after initialing each page.
Dumais stated, Maj. Morris said,
that he was with the slain girl
January 10 five days before her
body was found in California. The
soldier insisted throughout that his
mind “blanked out” while drinking
with the girl and that he remem
bered nothing until he found him
self in New York’s Pennsylvania
Station some time later.
Maj. Morris said records at Fort
Dix showed definitely that Dumais
was at the Army installation on
January 10, 11 and 12. Then there
was a lapse of four days, during
which time there w'as ho trace of
Dumais. But on January 17 the
records again show Dumais at the
fort.
Had Blood on Clothing.
The Claremont (N. H.) soldier
had been questioned for almost a
week following his apprehension on
an embezzlement charge.
Dumais’ statement, Maj. Morris
said, declared he had known Miss
Short since 1942 and had several
dates with her.
When arrested last Monday on
the charge of embezzling several
hundred dollars entrusted to his
care while he was on duty at a
Fort Dix gate, Dumais told Capt.
Florence of his connection with
Miss Short, Maj. Morris said.
There were clippings of the case
in his pocket and bloodstains on
his trousers. Analysis showed, Maj.
Morris said, that the blood was
“possibly AB type.” the same type
of blood Miss Short had.
Maj. Morris said the Dumais
statement told how he had "blank
spells” in previous dealings with
women when he had been drink
ing heavily.
Admits Becoming Brutal.
The statement included a remark
by the soldier that when with a
girl and drinking, his "craving and
passion became uncontrollable.” He
said he became “rough and brutal.”
Maj. Morris released the following
questions and answers to which he
said Da mats signed his signature:
“Question—‘Is it possible, while
being with Betty and drinking that
you could have gotten into one of
(See SOLDIER, A-8.)
Representative Gerlach
Reported Improving
Physicians at the Bethesda Naval
Hospital reported last night that
the condition of Representative Ger
lach, Democrat of Pennsylvania,
was improving.
The 61-year-old House member
was taken to the hospital early yes
terday after suffering a heart at
tack. His condition at that time
was described as “serious.**
France Plans New Cut
Of 5% in All Prices
By tho Associated Press
PARIS, Feb. 8. —France’s war
against inflation went into its sec
ond stage tonight when Premier
Paul Ramadier announced in a
broadcast to the nation a second
5 per cent cut in all prices and fees,
effective “during the course of the
coming week.”
The first such price cut was de
creed by the government during the
administration of Interim Premier
Leon Blum little more than a month
ago.
Justice Laws Wants
Veterans'War Record
Produced at Trials
Jurist Declares Many
Crimes Are Result
Of Combat Shocks
If there’s a chance a crime
committed by a veteran can be
traced to his war experiences,
Chief Justice Bolitha J. Laws of
District Court wants a psychi
atrist to examine the veteran be
fore he comes up for trial.
The importance of getting the war
record, Justice Laws told The Star
yesterday, was underlined recently
when a young veteran nearly went
to the electric chair for first degree
murder because his war experiences
were not brought to the court’s at
tention.
Justice Laws believes the United
States Attorney should be responsi
ble for getting the war record of
every veteran facing trial.
If there is any indication that the
veteran is a "victim” of the war,
Justice Laws added, the United
States Attorney should see that the
man is given an expert psychiatric
examination before he comes up for
trial.
many crimes Laid 10 anocus.
“I am thoroughly convinced,” he
said, “that a number of crimes com
mitted by veterans are a result of
shocks to their system because of
the war.
"In wartime, a man is taught to
seize, kill, assault, burn and de
stroy. If he did a good job, he was
a hero. Now for the same act, he is
sentenced to prison.
“While many can adjust them
selves overnight, others cannot. We
should not wake up to find we have
drastically punished heroes for
acts brought on by their war ex
periences.”
Justice Laws told the story of
the young veteran with no previous
criminal record who was brought
into court on a first-degree mur
der charge. After the trial started,
the defense counsel said the man
had been in the war and had
"blacked out” at the time of the
shooting. It was a general type of
defense and neither side introduced
a psychiatrist.
The prosecution brought out that
when the man came home from the
war, he went back to his wife.
rsee LAWS, Page A-4.)
Father of Three'Slain
By Bandit Trying to
Seize Store Receipts
Gunman Runs Away
After Unsuccessful
Grab for Money
A 48-year-old father of three
children was shot and killed by
a bandit outside a Northeast gro
cery last night, but was able to
save the day’s store receipts
which he was carrying to his
waiting car.
Milton Elsworth Lowe, 1526 Neal
street N.E., was pronounced dead at
Gallinger Hospital of a bullet wound
in the throat 15 minutes after the
shooting.
According to police, the man be
lieved to be his assailant, had spenl
two hours before the shootiilg in the
grocery, a Gfant Food Store at 3924
Minnesota avenue N.E. They said
this man spent the time negotiating
for a food concession.
Money Placed in Bag.
Witnesses gave police this version
of the events leading up to the
shooting:
Mr. Lowe was in the habt of driv
ing his brother-in-law, James S.
Funk, to the store on Saturday
nights and picking up the day’s re
ceipts. Mr. Funk who lives at 1530
Neal street N.E. is manager of the
store, where Mr. Lowe worked be
fore taking a more recent job as
carpenter at National Airport.
After spending several hours in
the store, Mr. Lowe started to leave
the store alone. The manager had
counted the receipts and put the
checks and cash in a small bag
which Mr. Lowe was carrying. Mr.
Lowe’s car was parked outside the
store.
A lew seconds alter Mr. Lowe
left the store, to get into his car
Mr. Funk heard a muffled sound
which seemed to be a shot and ran
outside.
He found Mr. Lowe lying on the
sidewalk. The bag of money was
discovered on the floor in the back
of the car. Police said Mr. Lowe
apparently had pitched the bag into
the car when he was attacked.
Mr. Funk said he saw a man run
ning down an alley beside the store
and across nearby railroad tracks.
In Mr. Lowe’s car, police found
a brown hat which Mr. Funk be
lieved was the one worn by the man
who had tried to sell the concession.
When police arrived they didn’t
wait for an ambulance but carried
the wounded man to Gallinger in
a scout car. He was dead by the
time the car reached the hospital.
Mr. Funk told police he had never
(See LOWE, Page A-4J
Baby Crawls From Crib
Dies of Cold in Yard
By the Associated Press
PRINCETON, 111., Feb. 8—The
frozen body of 15-month-old Kelly
Powers, son of Mr. and Mrs. Glenn
Powers, was found in the yard of his
home early today.
The baby apparently had left his
crib during the night and crawled
outdoors into the near-zero cold.
Edison's Famous Desk Opened,
Revealing Pills, Jokes and Notes
By th« Associate Pr«»
WEST ORANGE, N. J., Feb. 8.—
Thomas Alva Edison’s famous roll
top desk—sealed since his death
more than 15 years ago—was opened
today by his son and was found to
contain scientific materials, but
mostly the personal effects of Edi
son, the man.
There were stomach pills and
mouth wash, bills accumulated for
decades, jokes written in his own
hand, a book he never had time to
autograph for a young girl in Chi
cago, but nothing startling except
perhaps a small vial of uranium ni
trate.
His son, Charles Edison, former
New Jersey Governor and former
Secretary of the Navy, supervised the
unsealing and study of the desk. Be
side him was Mrs. Edison, widow of
the inventor.
Mr. Edison, with a big smile on his
face, at one point stopped reading a
penciled piece of note paper and
said "censored.” The note contained
a story his father had heard at one
time. Another piece of paper bore
the legend, “When down in the
mouth remember Jonah, he came out
all right.”
It was an impressive compilation
of Edisonia. Notebooks with the
half-printed scrawl of the inventor;
diagrams of something on which he
was working; a piece of goldenrod
rubber on which he was experiment
ing when he died; a box of ancient
cigars; maps of New Jersey, and—
as indicative of the fact that the
genius Edison was just as human as
the next man—a book of accounts
dated April, 1904, and still lying
in one of the cubbyholes.
There were two fountain pens
which Charles Edison opened to find
no sign of any message left behind
by his father. Two mediums had
said the pens would contain a mes
(See EDISON, Page A-3.)
Tax Cut Plans
Upset by Taft
Move for Delay
Ohioan Opposes Any
Stash Before July 1
Proposes Rebates
By the Associated Press
Senator Taft, Republican, of
Ohio tossed a monkey wrench
into plans of House Republicans
for a quick cutback in income
taxes with an announcement
yesterday that he will oppose
making any reduction effective
before July 1.
This would halve the $3,500,000,000
reduction which a 20 per cent cut
would make over a full calendar
year.
Senator Taft told a reporter that
while he remains convinced that
income taxes can be slashed a net
of. 20 per cent, he thinks individuals
ought to continue paying at the
present rate until the new Govern
ment fiscal year begins next July.
This would keep payroll with
holding taxes at their present level
for the first half of 1947. After July
1 they would drop by whatever per
centage Congress decides.
For persons who pay their full
year’s taxes in advance on March 15,
the Senator proposed rebates later
covering the last six months of the
year.
Conflicts With Knutson Plan.
This stand by Senator Taft, chair
man of the Senate Republican
Policy Committee and a member of
the Finance Committee, collided di
rectly with the announced intention
of Chairman Knutson of the House
Ways and Means Committee to
rush through a tax bill making re
ductions retroactive to January 1.
Mr. Knutson's committee has
ordered brief hearings beginning
February 19.
The hearings will be limited to
I Treasury and Internal Revenue
j officials, but Mr. Knutson invited all
persons “interested in the question
I of tax reduction” to file briefs with
! the committee outlining their argu
i ments.
In. explaining the decision to limit
the hearings, Mr. Knutson said that
his measure, calling for a 20 per
cent across-the-board slash, except
in the brackets above $300,000, is
retroactive to January 1 and added:
"To prolong the hearings in
definitely might make it necessary
to defer reductions on withholding
tax to May 1 or even later.”
Method Not Yet Decided,
j Senator Taft has not committed
j himself to any particular method of
attaining the overall 20 per cent cut.
I The Senator said he does not be
| lieve the Republican-controlled
| Congress can afford to increase the
| Government’s anticipated deficit of
$2,300,000,000 for the financial year
: ending June 30. A 20 per cent tax
! reduction, carried back to January
1, would pile an estimated $1,250,
000.000 or more on this deficit.
“By cutting the budget for the
year’s expenditures after July 1, we
are going to have some room to re
duce taxes,” Senator Taft said. “But
if we put in tax reductions before
then, we’ll merely be increasing the
deficit that the Government piles
up this year.”
In any event, Senator Taft added,
he does not look for any final action
by Congress until late in May or
June. He apparently foresaw the
possibility of a presidential veto
which might slow up, if not defeat,
tax reduction.
By that time, the Senator noted.
Congress will have cleared many
of the major appropriation bills
and will know more surely whether
expenditures will fall within reve
nues. *
Balanced Accounts Sought.
Senator Taft’s proposal for a de
layed tax slash seemed likely to
give new hope to House Republicans
who have been demanding that
some action be taken to balance
Government expenses with receipts
in the present financial year.
Chairman Taber of the House
Appropriations Committee contends
this can be accomplished if the
sale of war assets can be speeded
up to bring in an additional $1,000,
000,000 over the amount President
Truman has estimated.
Mr. Taber argues that revenues
will be $1,000,000,000 more than the
Treasury has calculated for the 12
months ending June 30. He holds
the rest of the deficit can be made
up by a cutback in appropriations
made by the last Congress.
Any such plan apparently would
go by the boards if income taxes
were cut as of January 1, so there
may be some strong support among
House members for Senator Taft s
proposal.
Philadelphia Bulletin Prints
First Sunday Edition
By th« Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 8.—Presses
rolled steadily tonight with the
first editions of the Sunday Bulle
tin, Philadelphia’s new Sunday
newspaper which has been “in the
works” little more than a week.
The Sunday Bulletin, published
by the Philadelphia Evening Bulle
tin, found ready sale at 12 cents a
copy. It contained 88 pages of news,
sports and classified advertising,
along with two magazine sections,
a book review sections and comics.
Publication of the Sunday edi
tion followed announcement by the
Evening bulletin on January 31
that it had bought the assets of
the suspended Philadelphia Record,
a morning newspaper, and the
Courier-Post of Camden, N. J. The >
three papers, owned by the Phil
adelphia Record Co., suspended
publication after being strikebound
nearly three months by the CIO
American Newspaper Guild.