The Bluffton news. [volume], January 29, 1942, Image 1

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DEFENSE
BONDS
STAMPS
VOLUME NO. LXVI_________
TIRE RATIONING
COMMITTEE ALSO
TO HANDLE SUGAR
Board to be Given Charge of
Other Commodities Which
May be Restricted
Sugar Ration May be 12 Ounces
Per Person Weekly To
Ration “Camelback”
Not only tires and tubes—but
sugar for the family table, “Camel
back” for retreading worn tires and
other commodities which may be re
stricted during the emergency will
be handled by Bluffton’s rationing
board.
The local committee which was
organized as a tire rationing board
early this month has received word
to drop the word “tire” from its
official title and henceforth will be
known as the Bluffton Rationing
beard. Members are C. G. Coburn,
Gilbert Fett and Ralph Dunifon.
Announcement was made Tuesday
to the effect that the board will take
over distribution of sugar in about
three weeks. Rationing of “camel
back” will come in about two weeks,
it is estimated.
Consumer Cards Soon
Supplies of consumer rationing
cards for distribution of sugar are
expected about February 15, but the
exact date when sugar rationing will
start depends on arrival of the
cards.
Just what the sugar ration will
be has not been determined de
finitely, although indications are that
it will be three-fourths pound a
week per person.
Rationing of “camelback” rubber
strips used in recapping and re
treading tires will present a new
problem to the average motorist
who, unable to obtain new tires has
resorted to this method of prolong
ing the life of the rubber on his
automobile.
Recapping Jobs Flood Shops
Tire shops, however, engaged in
retreading and recapping have al
ready encountered such a flood of
orders that sufficient rubber stock
even for these operations is becom
ing increasingly difficult to obtain.
Although there is as yet no ra
tioning of retreaded or recapped
tires, these are virtually impossible
for many motorists to obtain be
cause of the large volume of pre
vious orders to be filled and the
small rubber stocks available.
There has not been any indication
as to what regulations will be issued
in regard to the rationing of “camel
back”.
Bluffton Boy Is
Marines Aspirant
Laverne Huber, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Waldo Huber of Route two,
has been accepted at the Lima sta
tion for possible enlistment in the
United States Marine corps, it was
announced the first of the week.
He has been transferred to the
Marine Corps headquarters at Cleve
land for the final physical examina
tions and possible enlistment. If
successful he will be enlisted in the
famous “Leatherneck Corps” and
transferred to the Marine Corps Re
cruiting Depot at San Diego, Calif.,
for the basic training period.
Upon completion of the final basic
training, all marines are assigned to
duty on land, at sea, or in the air
at some home station or abroad.
Missionary To Talk
At Legion Meeting
Rev. Walter Schutz, missionary to
Sierra Leone, West Africa, now on
furlough at his home near Pandora,
will address the meeting of the
American Legion to be held at the
Legion hall Monday night at 7:30
o’clock, it was announced by Mil
len Geiger, commander of the Bluff
ton post.
Schutz returned to this country on
the liner Acadia which carried sur
vivors of the sunken American
freighter Lehigh. He will describe
experiences on the boat and his mis
sionary activities. He will bring
pelts and hides of wild animals he
shot in the African jungles and tell
of hunting experiences.
The public is invited.
TO GATHER PAPER
Members of the Bluffton college Y.
W. C. A. organization will gather old
papers and magazines during the lat
ter part of March and first of April.
Shortage Of Auto
Use Tax Stamps
Is Relieved Here
TN addition to wartime short
age of tires, sugar and what
not, a new shortage developed
Monday when motorists apply
ing at the postoffice to purchase
federal auto use tax stamps
found the supply exhausted.
The last of the original allot
ment of 700 stamps was sold
Monday morning.
A new supply of 200 additional
stamps arrived Wednesday morn
ing it was announced by post
master Ed Reichenbach. This,
however, is expected to be in
sufficient as it is estimated that
1,200 stamps will be required to
supply motorists here.
The new stamps must be dis
played on all cars beginning the
first of next month.
SEEK VOLUNTEERS
HERE FOR CIVILIAN
DEFENSE ACTIVITY
Systematic Canvass of Com
munity to be Made by
Defense Council
Group Prepares to Handle Sit
uations Arising During
Present Emergency
First call for volunteers to work to
ward the prevention of disaster and to
handle war emergencies in the com
munity will be made this week by the
Bluffton Civilian Defense organization
it was annuonced the first of the week
by Clair B. Fett, executive director of
the council and commander of the Al
len county American Legion organi
zation.
Plans for the Civilian Defense coun
cil have been prepared by the Amer
ican Legion executive committee,
headed by Fett, working in collabora
tion with Mayor W. A. Howe, who
serves as general chairman of the or
ganization.
Systematic Drive
A systematic canvass of the entire
community will be made Thursday
afternoon in the drive for volunteers
with members of the Boy Scouts as
sisting in the campaign. An enroll
blank will be left at every home call
ing for information necessary to place
the volunteer in the work most suited
to his interests and aptitudes.
Listing of skills, interests, availa
bility, abilities and other datta are
called for oh the information blank.
All volunteers for the defense organ
ization are asked to mail the blanks
to the mayor or to bring them to eith
er drug store or the mayor’s office.
Volunteer Now!
Volunteers are requested to provide
the information as soon as possible
due to the desire to have all prepara
(Continued on page 4)
Real Estate Deals
Omer Welty has purchased the 14
acre tract known as the Mrs. Bar
bara Augsburger farm one mile
south of Bluffton on the Dixie high
way. The place is occupied by Ray
mond Marshall.
The Jonathan J. Basinger farm
one-half mile east of the Beechtree
school near Pandora consisting of 80
acres was purchased by Harvey
Steiner of Buffalo. Consideration
9,600. The place was owned by N.
N. Basinger of Orange township.
A. D. Meyers, tenant, will remain
on the place for the coming year.
The Marian Tschiegg farm of 65
acres in Richland township six miles
southwest of Bluffton was bought by
Roy Stewart at executor’s sale, Sat
urday. Consideration $8,700. The
sale, a public auction, was held on
the premises with J. L. Gratz auc
tioneer. Stewart, purchaser of the
tract, resides on an adjoining farm.
Emory Basinger who occupies the
Marian Tschiegg farm recently pur
chased the Shafer farm southwest
of Rockport and will move in the
spring.
The A. S. Faze property on South
Main street was sold for $3,600 to
M. B. Johnson residing on the Gross
ly farm in Orange township. John
son will hold a sale on Feb. 5 and
occupy the property later in the
month.
Bicycles Remember Them? Well
They’re Back Again For Duration
Second Attempt Will Be Made To
Rails In Main Street
Salvage
And Also Remember You Can't
Be Too Choicy About a
Used Bike, Either
No Rationing of Bike Tires,
But You May Have to Talk
Fast to Get ’Em
Bicycles—all but forgotten by the
adult generation—are coming back
at a rate which may see them large-
ly replacing automobiles on the high
ways if the trend continues thru the
current year.
Although now mid-winter, usually
the low point for bicycles, sales are
reported booming and local dealers
report the market for used bicycles
is practically swept bare of every
thing in any way desirable.
So scarce have used bicycles be
(Continued on page 8)
Council Grants Permission to
Sylvania Contractor at
Meeting Monday
Work of Removing Rails Starts
Next Week Town to Get
Half Sale Price
Permit to salvage rails of the
abandoned Western Ohio interurban
line running the length of Bluffton’s
Main street was granted by the town
council at its meeting Monday night
to Charles Bourbina, of Sylvania,
dealer in scrap iron and steel.
Bourbina, who informed the coun
cil that he was equipped to remove
the concrete-embedded rails will be
gin operations next week.
When removed, they will be sold
as second-hand rails instead of scrap
steel, thereby commanding a higher
market price. Half of the proceeds
from sale of the rails will go to the
town while Bourbina will retain the
other half for his work.
$24 Ton Present Market
According to Bourbina, second
hand rails such as these are bring
ing a market price of around $24
per ton. Should he prove successful
in removing the rails, the town
would receive as its share of the
project $2,400, based on an estimated
200 tons of rails in the street.
Bourbina was one of the bidders
when the council contracted for re
moval of the rails to the Solomon
Iron and Metal Co. of Fostoria in
November of 1940 for $14 per ton.
Unusual difficulties encountered in
the attempt to cut the concrete
trough in preparation for the re
moval of the rails at that time
caused the Solomon Co. to abandon
the project. Pneumatic air hammers
used by the firm had little effect on
the hard concrete as a crew of six
men worked for two days with little
success at the south end of the line
on Main street.
Work Stopped
A two ton motor driven drop ham
mer was then secured and placed on
the job and after an hour’s work it
was apparent that the cement would
have to be cut on both sides of the
rail making a cut of 18 inches. Since
both of these developments were out
side the provisions of the contract
the work was ordered stopped.
In commenting on the removal
work here, S. Solomon, president of
the removal firm, stated that in all
of his experience this was the hard
est concrete he ever had encountered.
The council then released Solomon
from his contract obligations after
assurance was given that the street
would be repaired at the expense of
the company.
Births
The following births at the Bluff
ton hospital:
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Neuenschwan
der, Lima, a boy, Monday.
Mr. and Mrs. Don Patterson, twin
girls, Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Walderman Spaeth,
Jenera, a boy, Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Samsall, Co
lumbus Grove, a boy, Thursday.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ludwig of
Lima are the parents of a baby girl,
Nancy Lou, born Friday. Mrs. Lud
wig was rhe former Miss Wava
Worthington.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Mafiley
Thompson of Toledo, a boy, Sunday
night at the Toledo Grant hospital.
DAVID
BELIEVED HELD BY
JAPS AS PRISONER
Air Corps Lieutenant on Wake
Island with Marine
Garrison
Parents Receive Notice from
Marine Headquarters and
Letter from Son
Lieutenant David ■K:iewer, 25, for
merly of Bluffton, v i.o enlisted for
service in the air force of the U. S.
Marine corps, is believed to be a
prisoner of war in the hands of the
Japanese, according to word received
from his parents, Rev. and Mrs. P.
A. KI iewer, of 'Albany, Oregon.
Rev. Kliewer until fast spring was
pastor of the Ebenezer Mennonite
church two miles west of Bluffton.
In a letter addressed to friends
here, Rev. Kliewer ‘said that word
(Continued on page 8)
DAYLIGHT SAVING
TIME TO CAUSE
SCHEDULE SHIFT
Federal Law Requires Resi
dents to Move Clocks
Ahead One Hour Feb. 9
Bluffton Schools, Businesses,
Churches Study .ig Sched
ule Adjustments
Adjustments in h^hedules in an
ticipation of the nW daylight sav
ing law which goes into effect Feb.
9, are being studied this week in
Bluffton by schools, business firms,
industries ^torches *4 other agen
cies in the community.
Bluffton residents will move their
clocks ahead one hour when the en
tire nation goes on daylight saving
time, effective Monday morning,
February 9, at 2 o’clock.
Some business firms and indus
tries of the town indicated that
they plan to observe the new day
light savings time with little or no
adjustment in schedules.
Schools to Shift
Bluffton public schools and Bluff
ton college will likely make a shift
in the opening and closing hours of
school, it was stated by officials of
both institutions the first of the
week.
A shift in schedule will be neces
sary in the public schools because of
the hazards involved in inadequate
visibility with the moved up sched
ule, it was stated by A. J. B. Longs
dorf, superintendent. In addition
there is the added cost of operating
all of the schools longer in the dark
of early morning, Dr. L. L. Ram
seyer, president of Bluffton college,
(Continued on page 8)
With The Sick
Mrs. Dwight Zimmerly, the former
Juanita Wiess, is convalescing at
Bluffton hospital following an oper
ation which she underwent Saturday.
Mrs. N. N. Basinger of Orange
township, a patient in Bluffton hos
pital for the past month, is much
improved.
Arden Baker who underwent an
operation for appendicitis at Bluffton
hospital nearly two weeks ago is
convalescing at his home on West
Kibler street.
Mrs. N. W. Cunningham who has
been in Bluffton hospital for the past
ten days with a fractured left hip
as the result of a fall was removed
to Lima Memorial hospital Monday
for observation.
Mrs. J. H. Tschantz is confined to
her home on East Kibler street be
cause of illness.
C. W. Roethlisberger who was
critically ill at his.home on South
Jackson street, Saturday, is some
what improved.
Noah Danner of Beaverdam is im
proving at Lima Memorial hospital
where he recently underwent an op
eration.
Miss Ella Reichenbach is improv
ing at Bluffton hospital following an
operation.
Mickey, five-year-old son of Mrs.
Menno Badertscher of Poplar street,
suffered a painful injury this week
when his hand waa caught in the
wringer of the washing machine.
Several stitches were necessary to
close the wound.
TON
A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE ESTS OF BLUFFTON AND VICINITY
BLUFFTON, OHIO, THURSDAY, JAN 29, 1942
Half of its January allotment of
four tires for passenger cars has
been issued by the Bluffton tire ra
tioning board, it was announced the
first of the week. With the issuing
of permits for purchase of two new
tires were also allotted two of the
three new tubes marked for distri
bution here.
This does not include tires for
commercial trucks, several of which
also have been allotted by the local
rationing committee.
Numerous Residents Have Al
ready Filed Returns or
Made Payments
Lower Exemptions and Higher
Wages Expected to Cause
Double Returns
With numerous Bluffton district
residents already having filed income
tax returns, the annual rush to make
reports and payments has started
this year earlier than usual, it was
stated by Bluffton postal officials the
first of the week.
Although the deadline date for fil
ing returns is March 15, inquiries
for the income tax blanks and infor
mation have been made throughout
December and January and continue
in increasing numbers.
Deputy Collectors Here
For the convenience of the resi
dents of the community deputy col
lectors will be at the Bluffton post
office to assist in making out the
returns on the following Mondays:
Feb. 2, 16, 23 and March 2.
Residents are requested to have all
financial data at hand and to have
the income tax blanks as well filled
out as possible before they confer
with the deputy collectors. Portions
Of the blank concerning which there
is doubt may be left vacant until the
matter can be settled at the con
ference.
Tax blanks may be obtained at the
post office or the Citizens National
Bank. Farmers are required to fill
out a special blank which also may
be obtained at either place.
Exemptions
All wage earners are required to
file a return if their income is $750
or over and they are single or mar
ried but not living with husband or
wife. Returns also must be filed by
married persons living with husband
or wife whose combined gross income
is $1,500.
Returns for the calendar year 1941
must be filed not later than March
15, 1942, with the Collector of In
ternal Revenue for the district in
which you reside or have your prin
cipal place of business. Bluffton is
in the Toledo district.
A penalty of not more than $10,
000 or imprisonment for not more
than one year, or both, is imposed by
statute for willful failure to make
return on time, and, in addition, five
to 25 per cent of the amount of the
tax.
Due to lower personal exemption
and to higher wages in 1941, it is
expected that at least twice as many
Bluffton residents will file income tax
reports as compared to previous
years.
Municipal Plant
May Add Turbine
Addition of a second turbine at
Bluffton’s municipal light and power
plant was viewed as a possibility
with announcement that John Swish
er, superintendent of the plant was
in Denver, Colorado, inspecting a
turbine operating in that city.
Need of an additional unit to meet
Bluffton’s growing demand for power
has been discussed informally both
by the town council and the board
of public affairs.
While the present unit is sufficient
to take care of all present require
ments, there is not sufficient equip
ment in reserve to continue the pres
ent output of the plant in event of
an emergency caused by a shutdown
of the turbine unit now in opera
tion, it was stated.
The present turbine, a 750 KW
unit, has been in operation since the
fall of 1940. Two Skinner Uni-flow
engines displaced by the turbine have
been held for emergency use since
that time.
Committee Here Rations Half
Its January Tire Allotment
Rush Now Under Way To Obtain Income
Tax Blanks At Post Office And Bank
Mrs. Paul Studler of South Jackson
street has returned from Washington,
D. C., where she spent three weeks
visiting her son Col. Rene Studler and
Mrs. Studler.
The rationing committee is limited
to twenty-five per cent of the quota
for each week’s allotment. Any Jan
uary quotas not assigned during this
month are automatically cancelled
and cannot be carried into next
month.
Although the February quota of
tires has been cut, generally, mem
bers of the committee said that the
local quota, because of its small size,
will remain unchanged, according to
information available the first of the
week.
Student Recital
Grade school pupils of Mrs. H. P.
Mann and Prof. Sidney Hauenstein
in the Bluffton college department of
music will be presented in a student
recital in the College chapel, Friday
night at 7:30 o’clock.
ABOLISH AAA FOR
DURATION OF WAR
DECLARE FARMERS
Stand of Organization Reversed
From Last Year On Farm
Subsidies
Farm Institute Resolutions op
pose Ceiling on Agricul
tural Prices
Abolition of the Federal AAA pro
gram for the duration of the war
and diversion of the funds into Na
tional Defense channels were urged
in resolutions drafted during Bluff
ton’s annual two-day Farmers In
stitute held last Friday and Sat
urday.
This stand of the institute re
versed the resolution approved by
organization in its meeting a year
ago when it urged continuance of
agricultural subsidies through the
AAA program.
Favor WPA Elimination
The institute also favored the
elimination of the WPA and similar
federal aid and relief programs for
the duration of the war. With ref
erence to the proposed ceiling on
agriculture the organization opposed
such action unless a similar limita
tion be placed on the wages of
labor.
Complete text of the resolutions
appears on page 2 of this issue of
the Bluffton News.
Meetings of the institute embraced
comprehensive discussions of modern
farm community problems as well
as offering a variety of entertain
ing features. Speakers were pro
vided by the agricultural department
at Ohio State university under the
state aid program.
Excellent and informative ad
dresses were given by Ralph White
of Richwood Mrs. Everett Nolan,
of Hanover, and J. IL Warner, Allen
county agricultural agent uf Lima.
New Officers
New officers of the men’s institute
organization include: Edgar Herr,
president Jesse Anderson, vice
pi esident Chris Gratz, secretary
treasurer Harry Barnes, Carl Mc
Cafferty, Clyde W’arren, J.-C. Dep
pler, executive committee.
Women’s institute officers were
elected as follows: Mrs. Raymond
Stratton, president Mrs. Harry
Anderson, vice president Mrs. Wil
liam Althaus, secretary-treasurer
Mrs. Earl Matter, Mrs. Quinten
Burkholder, Mrs. Carl McCafferty,
Mrs. Mel Long, resolutions com
mittee.
Bluffton Officer
Leaves For Coast
Ensign Wade Lape, officer of the
United States Navy Air Corps, will
leave Bluffton Thursday noon for
San Francisco, California, where he
has been assigned duty on the heavy
cruiser the U. S. S. Louisville.
Lape, the son of Mr. and Mrs. E.
S. Lape of Grove street, is here on
a 10-day furlough after receiving his
officer’s commission at the naval air
training station in Pensacola, Fla.
The Bluffton officer will fly scout
ing planes from the naval cruiser in
patrol duty. The vessel has a 10,
000 mile cruising range and loca
tion of assignments is not known,
Lape said.
Give the gift that signi
fies America is not to be
caught napping.
DEFENSE
BONDS
STAMPS
NUMBER 40
NAME BOARDS FOR
SELECTIVE SERVICE
REGISTRATION DAY
Volunteers to Staff Registration
Places in Richland and
Jackson Twps.
Bluffton, Beaverdam and La
fayette are Included in
Township Area
Volunteer registrars were named
the first of the week to serve in the
Richland and Jackson township dis
tricts of Allen county on February 16
when men between the ages of 20 and
44 will register for possible military’
service.
Personnel of the various registra
tion boards was named by Forrest
Steinman, member of .Allen countv
draft board Nd. 3 who is in charge of
registration in this part of the county.
Ihcluded in the Richland and Jack
so-.i township areas are the munici
palities of Bluffton, Beaverdam and
Lafayette.
May Register Early
Those who cannot register on Mon
day, February 16, may do so on Sat
urday, Feb. 14 or Sunday, Feb. 15 at
offices 'of the county board, 201 Na
tional Bank building, Lima, between
the hours of noon and 6 p. m.
On Monday, Feb. 16, designated
places of registration in the two town
ships will be open from 7 a. m. to 9
p. m.
Places of registration and members
of the boards follow:
Bluffton corporation—High school
library.
A. J. B. Longsdorf, chairman Mrs.
Joyce Steinman, G. R. Bogart, Mrs.
A. L. Daymon, Edgar Chamberlain,
Mrs. Helen Worthington, Mrs. Delbert
McGinnis, D. R. Trippiehorn.
Richland North—Township room,
townhall, Bluffton.
Elmer Lauby, chairman Mrs. Ed
win Niswander, Albert Winkler, Mrs.
Howard Stager, Melvin Zimmerly,
Mrs. Albert Augsburger, Quinten
Burkholder.
Beaverdam & Richland South—The
Beaverdam .town hall.
Stanley Vertner, chairman Ruth
Durkee, Arthur Bowers, Francis Mar
shall, Mrs. Leo Nelson, Mrs. Willard
Jennings.
Jackson Township & Lafayette—
Lafayette town hall.
Wilbur Boyd, chairman Mrs. Eda
Hall, Howard Fisher, Mrs. Chas. Con
tris, Jr., Ralph Eversole, Mrs. Jacob
Watt.
Beaverdam Elevator
Program Saturday
Annual entertainment and pro
gram sponsored by the Farmers Ele
vator company of Beaverdam will be
held at Beaverdam high school gym
nasium, Saturday night at 8 o’clock,
it is announced by I. M. Jennings,
elevator manager.
Miss Harriet Criblez, Bluffton high
school instructor, will appear on the
program recounting highlights of a
summer in Europe two years ago
just before the outbreak of the pres
ent World War. Flute numbers will
be played by Robert Marshall and
several reels of motion pictures will
be presented by the school.
All proceeds from admission fees
will be turned over to the Beaver
dam schools, it was announced by
Jennings.
Bixel Motor Sales
Opens New Location
Removal of the Bixel Motor Sales
from North Main and Elm streets
to Cherry street at the location form
erly occupied by the Mumma garage
was announced by Clayton Bixel.
The Bixel company will open in its
new location next Monday morning.
The place has been extensively re
modeled and enlarged to provide fa
cilities for auto servicing and repair
ing.
In New Locations
M. B. Johnson of Union township
who recently purchased the A. S.
Faze property on South Main street
will vacate the Gressly farm and
move to town the last of this month.
Herman Bosse of near Jenera will
move on the Gressly farm vacated
by Johnson.
Paul Faze who occupies the A. S.
Faze property purchased by John
son will move on the Sol Huber farm
southeast of Bluffton which he re
cently purchased.
George Huber who occupies the
Sol Huber farm will move on the
Hilty farm on the Lincoln highway
near New Stark which he recently
purchased.