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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 1944)
JiCNDAY. 'MAY 151544 ConsumerDirectorslTeIls of German Defense Make Statement Give Position in Regard to the Strike Situation in the Public Power Districts TO THE PEOPLE OF NEBRASKA: There have been sr. many false end misleading statements mnde re garding the labor situation of Con sumers District, that the directors desire to set the record clear by the following lecital of events: Prior to the acquisition of the irivate power companies, many of the private companies had contracts of various kinds with various labor unions. Some of these contracts were tarried to conclusion, some others were renegotiated, but with refer ence to only particular division? of the district. The district has never had a general contract with organiz ed labor applying tc all the divis ions of the district. Since early in 1542, the inter national Brotherhood of Electrical Yorkers have, from time to time, presented contracts on behalf of six separate unions to the district. The district has, from time to time, dur ing the last two years, held confer ences with labor organizers, made various counter-proposals, and held numerous meetings with represen tatives of organized labor with ref erence to a proposed lauor contract. The union domancs over the last two years have included substantial ly the following points: (1) They have demanded a union fchop that is, a clause which says that every employee of the district within the operating classifications xaust belong to the union. He may be hired as a non-union man, but he must join if he continues to nold his job. (2) The unions have demanded the privilege of being the exclusive bar gaining agents for all of the em ployees of the district within the operating classifications and have objected to agreements which would permit employees individually to talk to the management. (3) The unions have demanded arbitration clauses which would have required all points of dispute to be submitted to arbitration, whioh means that the artitter actually runs the district. (4) The union have asked for clauses that no man should be pro moted, demoted, or transferred with out the approval of the business agent of the union. (5) The unions have demanded clauses that the management of the district would talk only with the representatives of the union regard ing wages, hours and working con ditions of the employees. (6) Lastly, the union have, of course, sought higher wages. Time and lime again, over the per iod of these negotiations, the man agement have patiently explained that the district is a public agency and a governmental subdivision of the State of Nebraska: that the pro perty of the district is owned by the people of Nebraska; that the direc tors are public officials elected by the voters of the State w ith an oath and bond on file with the Secretary of State to perform their duties. Time and again, they have ex plained that because of these cir cumstances the directors could not, if they would, grant to any organi zation, whether a labor anion or otherwise, the exclusive privilege of speaking for all the employees. The board's position is that any citizen of the State has a right to be em ployed by the district and he has that right because he is a citizen and he is a member of a labor un ion or any other organization. Time and again, it has been ex- llained that for these reasons a t'nion shop, exclusive bargaining privileges and broad rights of arbi tration simply could not be vested in a labor union. In the present negotiations, it is true that the unions have offered to forego, temporarily, their demands for these things, but only on the condition that the management agree to a maintenance of membership clause which provides that every member of the union must continue to pay his union dues throughout the life of the contract oi be fired from his Job. The directors regard this clause in the same light as the others. It would be an agreement on behalf of a public body and an arm of the State to maintain a purely private or ganization, namely, a labor union. The directors are extremely svm lathetic to the legitimate desires of the employees to receive the maxi mum wage which the district can afford to pay. Wages have been re peatedly raised during the last two jears. The average amount of money which the average employee of the district is now receiving is more than Columbia, Mo., May 13. (UP) -Germany's main defense systems in the west actually exist and should not be considered "a myth like Hit ler's secret weapons," Ralph E. He'nzen, former United Press direc tor for France, said last night at th" University of Missouri's 35th annual jounalism week. Heinzen. who arrivel in the Unit ed States recently after 13 months internment at Baden Baden. Ger many, said he personally had seen portions of two of Germany's three main defense systems. The Atlantic wall is backed up l.y the so-called Eeicherau line, running from Dun--Ker.ue southward, and by 9. third ;arrier, the Siegfried line, stretch ing a'ong the east bank of the Rhine fiom the seacoast to Switzerland. Heinzen said he saw a part ot the Atlantic wall two months ago at Eahriiz cn his way to Lisbon for lepatriation. "Even at that point." lie said, "so far south and so near the Spanish border that an allied invasion would stem highly unlikely, German pre cautions are so serious that I cau a wtde belt of anti-invasion defen ses." "I saw signs in French and Ger man warning that the beaches were heavily mined; I saw sharply point ed, cement-imbedded steel extend ing just beiow the surface far into the Atlantic; I saw guu bunkers whose crossed fire covered every foot of every cove." To Reunite Families As a special feature of Mothers day in this part fo the west, the Home Service section of the Ameri can Red Cress is arranging to have mothers that have relatives in the Schick Geii'-ral hospital at Clinton, Iowa, e given the opportunity of visiting th; hospital. The Red Cross is rreparel to see that room and board is arranged without cost to those who wish to take advantage of thr opportunity. Locally those who may de?ire to make the trip are asked to get m touch with L. A. Caldwell, Home Service chairman, at least by Wed nesday, so lhat the necessary steps may be arraned for the get together. Ghandi "Silent' Poona. India, May 9. (UP) Mo handas K. Ghandi received the press yesterday for the first time since his release from British political intrmcnt last Saturday but it was the aged "Mahatma's 'silent Mon day ' and he confined the interview to a courteous exchange of smiles. Through his secretary, he invited correspondents to visit him every "iilent Monday" and collected five rupees apiece for relief work among India's untouchables. Dinner Guests at Omaha Mr. and Mrs. Glen Terryberry and son, Rollin. and Mrs. Elizabeth Engelkemeier were Sunday dinner quests at tho Howard Fullerton home in Cm ah a. 20 per cent higher than it was at the time of Pearl Harbor. The direc tors are still willing to continue to laise wages as they have been con sistently doing, but the objection of the union is that the raises are giv . n to the employees without consul tation with the union and that the union is not receiving credit for the benefits the employees are receiving. The directors will recognize the union as the representative of its members, and are willing to agree to not deal with any other union, bat they will not recognize it as the Lole representative of sores cf em ployees who do not belong to it or want to belong to it. Neither will they give the union a throttle hold on the employees of the district, by vhich they must continue to remain in the union and be subject to union jurisdiction in order to hold their jobs. The issue, very simply put, as w e see it, is whether the unions are go ing tc run the district, or whether the directors elected under the stat ute are going to perform their duty of running it. We do not believe that issue is the subject of a great deal of compromsie unless public officials are to ignominously surrender their jworm duty under the pressure of an organization controlled outside of Nebraska. The wage raises given in the past, the wage raises promised for the future are conclusive evidence of ihe directors' fairness toward labor, and their desire to help labor. Jet us not obscure the real issue in this controvert' by talking about wages, when the issue is ot quite different character. The Directors of Consumers Public Power Dlst. THE Receives Civilian Award Arnold R. Johnson, of this city, employed in the Seventh Transporta tion Zone, as inspector for the U. S army at the Lincoln Steel Works, has received the ' Ribbon Civilian Award" for his services. The award was conferred and the citation given in the following let ter from the commanding officer of the Seventh Transportation Zone: "Mr. Arnold R. Johnson, U. S. Army Inspector, Lincoln Steel Works, Lincoln, Nebraska. 1. As commanding officer of the Seventh Transporttation Zone, it affords me extraordinary pleasure to present to you the "Ribbon Civil ian Award." 2. The award is made in conform ity with War Department directive as a rtsult of your employment by the War Department for a period in excess of six months. 3. The record that you have estab lished while an employe of the Sev enth Transportation Zone is one worthy of admiration, and your ef forts have contributed materially to the successful prosecution of the war effort. 4. It is my sincere desire that you w'll continue to dc your best for the var effort, and that your atten tion to duty. Your willingness to ac cept responsibility, your aid tc com panions, jour loyalty to the Com manding Officer, ant' the examples that you have set otherwise, will be an incentive to others to aspire to a similar award. 5. Allow me to extend to you my congratulations. Harry G. Williams Colonel TC, Zone Trans. Officer " To Have Amputation The many ftie?;ds of M. G. Chun-hill, long time resident of Cass county, will regret tc learn that Mr. Churchill is to undergo the amputa tion of a foot, injured over a year ago in a fall from itie roof of a house. Mr. Churchill is at the Uni versity hospital and receiving treat Mont that will build him up for the amputation. Have Interesting Meeting The Credit Women's Breakfast club had their meeting on Monday at noon at the Hotel Plattsmouth, with an attendance of eight of the eleven members present. The club Members enjoyed their routine busi ness and Mrs. Louis Ward Egenberg er was the leader of the meeting, choosing as her subject for discus sion "Credit Authorization Under War Time Regulation." Mrs. Frances Thomsen of Nebras ka City, who is the secretary of this district association, is expecting to attend the national convention of ihe Credit Women's clubs at Mil waukee the coming week. Mrs. Thom sen will serve as a representative of the local club. Holds Court District Judge W. A. Robertson was at Papillion on Tuesday to hold a f.ession cf the district court and in Monday was at Nebraska City to look after the court work in Otoe county. This weekly visit of the dist rict jadge to the two counties of the district enable the legislation to be kert up in good shape Shows Improvement Mrs. Donald W illiams, who is at the St. Catherine's hospital at Oma ha, recovering from an operation of Saturday, is reported as doing nicely. Mr. Williams was up Monday even ing to visit with the wife for a few hours. George Ade Better Brook, Ind., May 9. (UP) George Ade, 78-year-old author of "Fables in Slang" and other humorous works, was reported slightly improv ed today after a short attack last Friday. His physician said, however, it was too early to tell whether the improvement would continue. Undergoes Operation Mrs. Donald Williams was oper ated on at the St. Catherine's hos pital at Omaha on Saturday, and at the last reports Is doing as well as possible under the circumstances. Mr. Williams was at the hospital during the operation. Visits at Sterling Louis Baumgart was a visitor at Sterling, Nebraska, going to that place to visit with his daughter, Anna May Eaumgart, and also with a brother that resides at that place. ft nHHHnHn.:H:nnn:nnnH:!HH:HH:HL:::HH::"::nn;n:":Hn:::i i I" 22 In Review -- - i n s ttpi TIia 9 fififl JOUfcN AL, PLATTSHOTTTH, tmnum Plane American air fleet struck thejallied commands have predicted will second stunning blow at Berlin in 21 ( freeze Germany out of the war. hours and hit Brunswisk today .after , NfcXt win t o,ne an Anglo-American battling through massed German invasion of western Euiope and a fighters which tried all the tactics in the book, including ramming the U. S. bombers. One thousand heavy bombers es corted by an equal number of fight ers smashed through the blazing nazi defense shield to drop 2,000 tons of explosives through clouds over Berlin, maintaining the pitch of the pre-invasion bombardment on the first day of its fourth week. Other big forces of allied planes shuttled across the channel to ham mer at defense-, of western Europe. Ey noon, some 2,500 sorties had been flown, raising the total for 48 hours to around 11,500. Scores of German fighters swarmed against the reserve American forma tion sweeping against Berlin for the second straight day. Abandoning caution and the hoarding of planes for the invasion, the nazi fighters barreled through the American for mations ignoring the rain of steel from the big bombers and their es corts. Advanced Allied Headquarters, K:.ndy, Ceylon, May 9. (UP) The Japanese invasion of India showed signs of breaking under allied blows today as British armored forces crashed through the enemy positions around Kohinia ar.d RAF and Ameri can bombers raked their seige lines south of Ii.iphal with bombs and gunfire. Simultaneously, it was disclosed that British "chindit" raiders were striking with definite effect over hundreds of square miles of Japanese-held territory in northern cen tral Burma, cutting the enemy lines of communications between Myitky ina and southern Burma. The hard hitting Chindits in two weeks of whirlwind attacks were re vealed to have cut the Mandalay Myitkyina railway at ten separate points in the vicinity of Indaw, and to have severed the alternate Bhaino Yitkyina highway. The Japanese were reported completely bewilder ed by the Chindits slashing tactics and offered only spasmodic resis tance. London, May . (UP) Up tc 1.000 Flying Fortresses and Libera tors, one of the most, powerful day light air fleets yet. hurled against occupied western Europe, carried the pre-invasion aerial offeneve into its twenty-third day w.'th shattering raids cn seven airdromes and three railway yards in France, Belgium aud Luxembourg today. Escorted by an equal number of fighters, the huge force cf 4-engined bombers Epread fire and destruction through ten more of the key objectives serv ing and protecting Germany's anti- invasion defenses along the channel coast. Other allied bombers ad fighters streamed out from Britain in an al most continuous procession begin ning at dawn to strew a carpet of explosives across the western invas ion gateway to Adolph Hitler's in ner fortresses. London, May 11. (UP) Ameri can Liberators bombed three rail centers in France today to spear head a non-stop assault by more than 1,700 allied plane on vital cogs of the German defenses along and be hind the French invasion coast. Lt. General Jas. H. Doolittle sent his U. S. Sth Air Force heavy bomb ers back into action, after a one-day layoff, to join in the shuttle bomb ardment of nazi installations across the Straits of Dover. Up to 25G Liberators were escort ed by twice as many Lightnings. Mustangs and Thunderbolts in the three-way smash at unidentified German transport hubs in France. The 25th straight day of the pre- invasion bombardment of western Europe followed attacks in force by British night bombers which cut a trunk railway behind the invasion coast at four points while the Royal Air Force was striking from Italy at Budapest, Hungary. Camp Fire The Netal: group met" at Janice's home. We worked on our Mother's day gifts. Saturday we had practice for the Grand Council -fire. Scribe: Jeanette Rhylander Allied Headquarters, Naples. May t.12.UPj, The aliled Fifth and Eighth armies began a general of fensive against Germany's vaunted j Gustav line :n Italy at 11 o'clock last I night, a special communique an - ' hcunced today, in an all-out attempt 5" to break a il'.s -month stalemate and capture Rome. The offensive was believed the first of the coordinated blows fron ine west, so bin, ana east wnicn tue red army offensive from the east. A heavy artillery barrage reminis cent of that which cracked Ger- many's Alamein line in Egypt in the;cf the river full of 1M2 opened the new Italian offensive, w:th the main assault be ing directed against enemy posi tions between Cassino and the Tyr rhenian sea covering the shortest n:ute to Rome. Allied Headquarters. Naples, May lu. (UP) Allied armies, driving to ward Rome in a do-or-die offensive to crush the Germans in Italy, have routed the enemy fiom his outer strongholds, captured at least three tuwns, and five hills and engaged the main defenses of the Gustav iiue, it was announced today. Heavy fighting is raging all along the 25-mile main front from the mountains above Cassino to the Tyr rhenian sea. a communique, reported, wilh the Geimans resisting fiercely lrom long-prepared defenses and, in some sectors counterattacking in a desperate effort to bar the gtteway to Rome, 7 5 miles away. (A London broadcast sa'd the al lied fcives in some places had ad vanced two to three miles, but in ethers had been checked. The Ger .man DNB agency, estimating that four to five divisons 60,000 to 75, t 00 men had been thrown into the attack, acknowledged that the allies had made "some unconnected breach es in the forefield." J (DNB also said that five more allied divisions were being retained behind the main front for a possible new landing along the Italian coast, perhaps north of the Anzio beach head.) Americans of the Fifth Army und er Lt. Gen. Mark W. Clark repulsed two counterattacks and pushed on through the mountains around Castlefprte north of the Garigliano river to capture four hills overlook ing the seacoast end of the main sup ply line between Cassino and the Tyrrhenian sea. French troops of the Fifth army capture! the crest of nearby 2, 500 foot Monte Faito despite stiff resis tance and moved on against neigh boring heights. The French also re pulsed a violent counter attack yes terday afternoon Swept up in the American advance were the towns-of San Sebastino, Ventosa, and Ceracoli on an arc ex tending west and south of the Ger man stronghold of Castleforte, the nearest only a quarter mile away. Late reports said the Americans were fcttacking Castleforte itself from the southeast. The Americans were supported by tanks in the capture of Ceracoli, which lies southwest of Castleforte. Some 200 German prisoners were taken in the first 15 hours of the offensive cn the Fifth army front. On the Eighth army front, allied forces threw one or more bridges across the Rapidp river below Cas sino in the face of heavy enemy ar tillery fire and sent tanks and anti tank guns across to the west bank. Gc-rman troops were driven from the allies steadily built up their their outposts on the west bank as Lridgehead and drove on to engage the main defenses of the Gustav line in one of its strongest sectors. London, May 13. (UP) Big forces of allied bombers and fight ers flew against western Europe to day reported American fleets over northwest Germany after British night raiders dropped some 2,000 tons of explosives oin the crippled rail network behind the nazi anti- invasion wall. Coastal reports indicated U. S. Flyir.g Fortresses and Liberators were in action again after their smash yesterday at the source of the synthetic fuel for the German machine in Czechoslovakia, one of the most important and bitterly con tested operations of the war The nazi radio warning system reported bomber formations over Eehleswig-IIoltein while single al lied planes ranged over western and southern Germany. More than 500 Dritish heavy bombers carried the pre-invasicn bombardment of west- ern Europe into its 27th straight day with a powerful assault on which the main weight was concentrated jon the key Belgium rail Junction at I-ouvain and Hasselt. Water Experts In Favor Of Army Missouri River Plan . i Lincoln where they visited many Support Contention for a NmejroSllts of il!Um . ur lal .ity Foot Channel of the River Between Sioux Citv aud Month l , Washing; on May 12. (U) Water experts from the Missouri valley were on record today with expres sions of satisfaction with the army plan to develop the Mis souri river with a nine-foot channel between Sioux City and the mouth i John D. Forsyth, a director of the Missouri Vallev association, told a senate commerce committee holding hearings on the Missouri river pro ject that " there's plenty of water in the basin far all purposes naviga tion ,iiriga:ion. and reclamation." He said the army engineer plan the ?o-called "Pick Pian," was drawn up with all the needs of the valley considered. Since flood control is one of the most serious problems in the valley, he said, "we want the army to keep jurisdiction over these pro jects. We find when there are two cr more bureaus with their fingers in the pie someone gets flooded out "That's why v. e in our associa tion favor the army control." Sn. Burton K. Wheeler, D., Mont., interrupted to say "We'll have no bill on these projects until we have some protection in law for irriga tion." Sen. Bennett Champ Clark, D.. Mo., told "Wheeler lie would debate "that point on the senate floor" as long as Wheeler would. Harry Trustin. Omaha enginec. and city commissioner, and Leo E Eozell, president, Omaha Chamber of Commerce, told the committee "This nine-foot channel will put the Mis souri river cities on a broad gauge rauroau. isov: we are still on a nar "should, in fact support the 9-foot Trustin said the Pick plan was conserve the greatest piacticable amount of water within the basin to be used for all purposes, includ ing irrigation, power and naviga tion. Irrigationists who fear they will lose a large amount of water because of downstream navigation projects "should, in fact suport the nine-foot channel project and other Pick plan projects," he declared, because they would add a total of 40,000.000 acre feet f stciage water within the basin above Sioux City as hold-over storage and to regulate the flow during excess run-rff." Others who testified in favor of the channel were Mayor Forrest Ol son of Sioux City, and W. H. Mer rictt, of the Sioux City Chamber of Commerce. Jov. Fcrrest C. DonneJl of Missouri sent a telegram to the committee favoring the project Those who testified for the pro- pect, with the O'Mahoney amend ment protecting the upper basin states in their priority rights over water, were governor John Moses of North Dakota and Earl Bower, of the Big Horn water users associa tion of Wyoming. U. S. Britain And Russia In Warning Notify Hungary, Rumania, Bul garia and Finland That Adher ance to Nazi Will Make Harsh Terms Wasliingion, May 12. (UP) The United States, Great Britain and Soviet Russia today in a joint declaration warned the four axis satellites. Hungary, Romania, Bul garia and Finland that the longer they continue, in the war against the allies the more disastrous w ill be the consequences to them and the' more rigorous will be the terms vhich will be imposed upon them. The declaration hinted that the terms for the satellites might be less than "unconditional surrender" if they got out of the war now. All of the allies have been putting tre mendous pressure upon the satellites to stop aiding the axis cause. The declaiation asserted that the axis satellites were contributing ma terially to the strength of the Ger man war machine and said lhat it was possible for them to shorten the war, "diminish their own ultimate sacrifices and contribute to the al lied victory," by ceasing their col laborating with Germany immed iately. They keep fighting Yon heep buying BOfJDS PAGE THKS LaPlatte School Notes Vacation, time has come at last! Wednesday, 4ay 10. was the last tiay we heal studies. Thursday w:is 'Viu-ak day " for the Eighth grade pupils. The teachers took them to The ann-.-.al picric v. as luld on i Friday. Many people of the com- .iimity wee able to attend and all seemingly had a good time. Lela Edmonds, Johnny and Marliu il.iddick, aud Albert and Beverly Tay- hi- had perfect the lant month attendance during of school. During this frame period. County Superin tendent G. W. Dudley and Minnie Etta Frazil- were visitors. The Eighth Grade Promotional exercis's will be held in Papillion, Wednesday evening, May 17. Certi ficates will be awarded to Cail Iske, Fred Hyda Farnum Taylor, Rich ard Liddick Gilbert Edmonds, and Alma M arc-hand. Dora Trively and Neil Lancaster. Teachers Funeral of Erstine A. King Tuis morning at the chapel of the Caldwell ftfieral home, 7th and Ouk streets, was held a short funeral service for Erstine A. King, veter an newspaper man, attended bv a large group cf the friends from the Masonic Home. Dr. II. G. McClusky, pastor of the First Presbyterian church, conducted the service. At the close of the service, the body was 1aken by the Caldwell funeral home ta Pacific Junction, Ic va. going from there to the old home community at Plattsburg, Masonic lodge. The two daughters, Mrs. Dan Benton of Pritchard, Ala., arid Miss Ciara King of Hutchison, Kansas, will be at the i nterment services. Banish the Fly It will sr.on be fly time and the control of the fly menace is oiir? of the first public health measures that should be applied to every com munity as ihis season approaches, aecorrl;ng to Dr. C. A. Selby, State Health Director. "Thousands of children and adults t-ie each year from fly-bourne diseas es suth as tjpboid fever, tubercu losis, cholera, and intestinal diseases. These fallow the trail of the common housefly. "The most effective way to con trol this menace is to prevent breed ing. One fly during her lifetime of several months, lays from 6o0 to 1,000 eggs. Breeding places like iith, manure piles and garbage must be destroyed in order to banish the fly. "Houseflies sr. Kept from contact with food and drink, and from utensils used for preparing and serving food. Flies should be- kept from privy vaults by having these the approved sanitary t3pe. This avoids infections being picked up Ly flies anil carried to humans thru contact witn food and drink. "Be sure that doors, windows and porches are screened. Trade only at shops where food is screened from flies. Eat at public eating places where flies are eliminated from dining rocm and kitchen. Keep the home free from flies. "This is a public health measure of the greatest importance in the control of commnunicable direase." Extend Child Care Aid Washington, May VI. (UP) President Roosevelt has approved he extension of the period of as sistance for child care facilities at Plattsmouth. Nebr., from Dec. 31. 1!43 to Dec. 31, 1944 Federal Works Administrator Major General Philip 15. Fleming was informed today. The extension, recommended by the State Department of Public In struction and the U. S. Dff:ee of Education, was granted on grounds that a increasing number of mothers ,-oing into industry has increased the need for the project which pro vides before and after schoo care Tor ISO children. The approved plans would increase the enrollment to 200 and include a war nursery for 30 pre-school chil dren. WILL DESTROY ENEMY With the Fifth Army in Italy, May 12. (UP) Lt. Gen. Mark Clark sent his Fifth army into action with the assurance that "we can and will destroy the German armies," it was revealed today. i A special order of the day toy Clark was read to the Fifth army, iroops at 4 P. M. yesterday. He told them that the enemy knows allied forces will eventually overrun him from two directions."