Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 1950)
The Plattsmouth Journal Official County and City Paper KST.r.T.T?nnn in issi I'nMisJid sAmi-wef kl Mnndii vs nnd Thurs days, nt JA!t-4in Main street, l'lattsmouth, Cass County, XfUrnska. RONALD R. FURSE Publisher FRANK II. SMITH Editor BERNARD A. WOOD Advertising Mgr. Helen E. Heinrich, News Editor fflBRASKfl y ihieM. lAssoaarion NATIONAL tDirottlAl ASSOOATXm SUBSCRIPTION RATE: $3.50 per year In Cass and adjoining counties, $4.00 per year elsewhere, in advance, by mail outside the city of Plattsmouth. By carrier in Platts mouth, 15 cents for two weeks. T.t1tpA ft th T'ostof fde at Plattsmouth.. N-i.rnka its st-cornl class mail matter In oc cur l;.ni- Willi tde A( t of Coligrtr.ss of March A THOUGHT FOR TODAY The people cannot see, but they can feel. James 1 Iirrinqlon EDITORIALS STREET WIDENING PROGRAM Results of the engineer's estimate of the costs in improving Main street in Platts mouth by reeurbing or widening the thor oughfare came as a most pleasant surprise to most of our business men. In fact, the estimated cost was less than half most of us had planned on paying if and when the project was completed. We know of nothing, unless it would be extensive modernization of business fronts, that would improve the appearance or bet ter the efficiency of the business district than the contemplated street widening program under consideration by the city faiers. Plattsmouth business district is a most uninviting sicrht to newcomers. Old timers, and a lot of the rest of us who traverse the streets day in and day out, have become accustomed to the ugliness of our buildings, store fronts, broken down curbs, loose wires strung between lamp posts, but don't think for a minute visitors don't notice it. The condition of the present will certainly fail to attract new businesses or encourage ex pansion. Our city has come a long way on the trail to recognition as one of Nebraska's finest and thriving cities during the past few years. Many improvements have been made, but much remains to be done. Not all -of it additional expense to the taxpayer ... as would be the widening project. frVe believe the small expenditure by each property owner necessary to widen our Main street would be a good invest ment in the future and be returned ten fold. We also believe that a big majority of the business people along the street are in fa vor of the improvement. Widening Main street and placing of a new electrolier system should be first on the docket for 1950. Keep improving. Keep watching Plattsmouth grow. WOOING LABOR UNIONS A good example of the effort both po litical parties put forth in the wooing of labor unions was seen in the recent coal strike. Although there was lots -of talk, little action was taken. President Truman played a strictly hands-off policy and let the courts handle the controversy although the nation stood in a serious position industrially as well as economically. With elections staring them in the face, not one Demo crat would take the chance of paying the supreme sacrifice in getting the miners back to the coal pits pronto. On the other hand, Republicans were playing their part in the game. Little was h e a r d from campaign headquarters although concentration of thinking of the non-union populace could be fanned to a fever pitch if deftly handled by Republi can copy writers. But the boys directing policy were afraid the gains made in the wide open spaces would be more than off set by union votes. So, with their eyes on the ballot boxes next November, both parties were unwill ing to prove their statesmanship and were totally blind to the increasing unemploy ment, shut downs in industry, closing of schools and institutions, suffering of indi viduals, all caused by the coal strike. Republicans are too busy waving the red flag. The Democrats are afraid they will lose their grip on the jack pot in Washington. f DEFINITIONS Socialism: If you have two cows, you keep one and give the other to your neigh bor. Communism: If you have two cows, you give both to the government: then maybe the government gives you back some milk. Soft-Pink Communism: If you have two cows, you're a capitalist. Imperialism: If you have two cows, you steal somebody's bull. Furse's Fresh Flashes Was just reading about this fellow back in Massachusetts that got up from the table where he was figuring his income tax, walked to the bathroom and cut his thront with a razor. Peace be with him. He must have been a mind reader. M Years ago most people used to make most of their clothes on spinning wheels. Nowadays, a lot of people lose their shirts cn them. International tangles haven't got a thing on the sleeve lining of our winter overcoat. -k -k See where the government is buying mow apples for the school lunch program. Government has even taken the joy out of bringing teacher an apple. -K A noted speaker says man's trouble is that he has never been able to master the art of living with himself.. That may be so, but the biggest trouble'comes when he tries to move out. -k A Plattsmouth man says he's just wait ing until those planes that fly faster than the speed of sound are available to the public. He thinks they would be just the thing when his wife starts to na'g at him. K Couple of buzzards soaring over the city the other day saw a jet plane go by. "That bird was surely in a hurry," said one. "You would be, too, if your tail was on fire," stated the other. Capitalism: If you have two cows, vou sell one and buy a bull. j .ev Jjeansm: it you nave two cows, the government shoots one cow; you milk the other, then throw part of the milk down the sink. Anarchism: If you have two cows, your neighbor shoots one and takes the other. Nazism : If you have two cows, the gov ernment shoots you and takes both cows. Fair Dealism : If you have two cows you i miiK tnem every otner aay; give miiK to everybody, build the cows an air-conditioned barn and feed them extra when they go dry. J Realism : If you have two cows, they're both dry. j Equitable Farm Loan Magazine - DOWN MEMORY LANE TEN YEARS AGO Edward Gradoville, Jr., student at St. John's Parochial schools, was winner of the championship honors in the Cass coun ty spelling contest held at court house; placed first in both written and oral. Ruth Finkle of Weeping Water was second . . . Misses Laura Meisinger and Marie Fitz gerald departed for a month's vacation on the west coast, guests of Mrs. Robert Win at El Monte, California . . . Farney's Cafe keglers defeated the Ladies Toggery team in the ladies bowling tourney . . . An nounce was made that Herman Meisinger of Mynard won a place in the high ten in the nationwide Iowealth hybrid corn sales contest, in which dealers from all agricul tural states participated . . . Residents find difficulty in traveling the dirt and graveled roads as melting snow brought softening and made the roads "bottomless." fc -C 20 YEARS AGO Lee Nickles and sister, Miss Etta, moved into city property on North Fifth street recently purchased from L. B. Rakow . . . Hinky-Dinky store was visited by robbers who forced the rear door and escaped with an assortment of goods taken from stock . . . The T. E. Olson family held unique record in educational work of the Plattsmouth city schools in that the sev enth member of the family, Miss Clara, was to be a member of the graduating class in the spring . . . R. Foster Patterson, high school principal and coach of the debating team, took his team, comprising Robert Livingston, Mary Swatek, Charles Nowa cek and Gerald Sperry to enter the dis trict tournament at Valley . . . New light contract was placed to make new road to bridge a scenic driveway and well lighted thoroughfare. (Copyright, 1949, By the Bell Syndicate, Inc.) DREW PEARSON SAYS: LACK OF COOPERATION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT IN CALIFOR NIA RESULTS IN MURDER OF KEY WITNESS AGAINST NARCOTICS GANG; RAMIFICATIONS OF CASE EXTEND TO EAST COAST. RE VEALING INTERSTATE NETWORK OF ORGANIZED CRIME. WASHINGTON. Abe Davidian, a narcotics runner, was found -lying on a couch in his mother's home in Fresno, Cal., last week, a bullet hole in his head. Behind his murder were ramifications extending to the New Jersey palisades, probably down to Miami, Fla., where a narcotics grand jury has been in session. In fact, Davidian's murder illustrates the amazing interstate network of organized crime. I was in Fresno in January when David ian and 15 others were indicted by the Laff of the Week fc 1 c c c c . oclcc ce c U CAPITOL NEWS THE PLATTSMCUTH, KEnnASiCA, SEIKI-WEEXLY JOURNAL Monday. March 6, 1950 PAGE THREE "I don't think it helped Gilmore mucH, moving him away; from the clock." federal government in an effort to break up a giant narcotics ring. At that time both Warren Olney of the California crime commission and George White, chief U. S. narcotics agent for the "west coast, were worried. They told me they were worried over the strange behavior of the office of California's Attorney General Fred Howser in declin ing to cooperate in this impor tant case. Here is the story of this sig nificant murder and the peculiar facts behind it. Four months ago Davidian was speeding up California's central valley near Bakersfield with one kilogram of heroin in his car. When the police gave chase, he drove so fast that, though he tossed the heroin out to get rid of the evidence, some of it flew into the back seat with such force that the police had to use a vacuum cleaner to pick it up. OFFERED TO TELL ON RING Shortly after his arrest, Da vidian came in to see Federal Narcotics Chief George White and offered to tell the story of a large-scale narcotics ring which die federal government had been trying to track down for months. He was willing to buy more heroin, this time using marked money and with federal offi cers and dictaphones planted within earshot. Federal officers were elated and immediately communicated with California's state narcotics chief, Walter Creightcn, who promised cooperation. But the next day WThite's fed?ral nar cotics deputies in Los Angeles talked to Creighton and found him huffy and uncooperative. Mike Riordan, California assist ant attorney general in charge of law enforcement in San Fran cisco, Creighton said, didn't want to cooperate with the U. S. government. Riordan wanted to prosecute Davidian immediately. To prosecute Davidian imme diately, however, would have spoiled any setup whereby he was to buy narcotics with marked money, so U. S. Narcotics Chief White went to Santa Barbara to see State Narcotics Chief Creigh ton personally. Creighton, he found, was nervous and temper amental. He declined to coop erate with the federal agents unless he got a letter from his chief, Riordan, in San Francis co. White immediately phoned Riordan, asked for a letter agreeing to postpone Davidian's prosecution. Davidian, it was explained, was the key witness by which the entire narcotics gang mieht be caught. SIGNIFICANT REQUEST Riordan promised a letter, but never sent it. Instead he sent a letter asking for a new count against Davidian, which, signifi contly, would make it impossible for him to be put on probation, once convicted. Riordan is the assistant of At torney General Fred Howser. So also is State Narcotics Chief Wal ter Creightcn. Neither the fed eral government nor Governor Warren have any power over them. By this time, federal agents knew that the head of the nar cotics ring was Joe Sica, the new Italian leader of the Los An geles underworld and the man who has been nudging Mickey Cohen down from his gangland throne. Sica trained in New Jersey with the Willie Moretti gang, wrhose headquarters are at Pali sades, just across the Hudson river from New York. Frankie Costello is one of Moretti's close friends and the godfather of his children. Sica has made vari ous trips between Los Angeles and New York, an obvious link between eastern and western mobs. Despite this background and j despite the pleas of U. S. nar cotics agents, the enforcement ! officers of California's Attorney , General Howser refused to co- 1 oDerate in, delaying prosecution of Davidian. "There was no explanation as to why the state bureau of nar- colics was so anxious to sabotage the federal case," Crime Com missioner Warren Olney said in a public statement. '"The state office did every thing it could," Olney continued, "to make Davidian unavailable to the federal grand jury. In stead of giving the usual coop eration," Olney continued, "they speeded the trial. This is the sort of thing that makes organ ized crime possible." Thanks to uncooperative state officials, therefore, Davidian went to an early trial and plead ed guilty. Bui Judge Warren Stockton of Bakersfield, anxious to cooperate, postponed sen tencing Davidian, thus giving the federal government time o indict Sica and 14 other mem bers of the narcotics ring. As they were picked up, mem bers of the ring tcld U. S. agents they knew exactly who was go ing to be arrested. Federal agents, incidentally, had let the state agents see their confiden tial files. It is also interesting that Crime Commissioner Olney announced that a phone call was traced from Sica's office to Robert Franklin in Fresno, one of Howser's campaign managers. "NO JURISDICTION" KILLS COOPERATION ' That ends chapter 1 of the story of the California narcotics ring. Chapter 2 began about two weeks ago when the U. S. attorney's office in Los Angeles got a tip that eastern gangsters were being imported to bump off Davidian. The FBI was notified. But Davidian was a narcotics wit ness for the treasury depart ment. He was not a justice de partment witness and, without consulting J. Edgar Hoover, the west coast FBI took no interest. A few weeks before this the FBI had been asked by the U. S. attorney in Los Angeles to help when another federal witness, Ralph Alien, wras almost beaten to death in Long Beach, Calif. Allen had been a witness before a federal grand jury against At torney General Howser, and shortly thereafter was pistol whipped to within an inch of his life. But when the FBI was asked i to hpln nrotent Allen as a wit- 'ness before a federal grand jury, the FBI replied that he was a witness in an income-tax case. This was under the treasury de partment, not the justice, so the FBI didn't cooperate. To protect him, Davidian was hidden in Arizona by U. S. nar cotics agents, but last week he returned to Los Angeles for ar raignment and slipped up to his mother's home in Fresno. There, lying on a couch with a bullet hole in his head, Davidian was found dead. Joe Sica and his 15 indicted colleagues were considered the biggest narcotics haul in the history of the United States. This was the first time the fed eral government got real in side information regarding the sources of heroin now flooding the U. S. A. But with no wit ness alive to testify against them, the case, against the Sica gang has now blown up higher than a kite. LINCOLN A freshman legis lator from Ord and the gover nor of Nebraska exchanged some heated words last week. Sen. Hugh Carson, in an ac cusation that Valley county farmers aren't getting a "fair deal" in the governor's highway program, bitterly attacked the appointment of Ben Sallows, Al liance, as business consultant in the state highway department. He charged that Sallows was campaigning for the governor's re-election, at taxpayer's ex pense. "Plain bunk." retorted th? chief executive," crankcase sludge and drivel from the pe troleum campanie's oily propa gandists." Peterson said attacks on his program have come mainly from the "powerful petroleum inter ests so overwhelmingly strong that they can and have broken governments the world a round ..." The governor said. "The pe troleum people have made sly, ' underhanded attacks on me for many months. I expect these to continue. The fact is they have already contacted individuals to run for governor against me." Carson was author of a bill in the last session which would have separated the irrigation bureau and the state highway department and placed a busi ness manager over the state en gineer. It drew 23 votes, a clear majority, on final consideration, but it was later discovered that 29 votes were needed, since it set up a new departmen.t On the , next vote, the bill received only 22 ayes. The subject of the contro versy Ben Sallows also got in to the act by calling Carson "out of order.'' He said he had j never discussed re-eiection pians with the governor. "My efforts," he said, "have been dedicated to roads." However. Sallows said, "I think Peterson's re-election is probably important in continu ing the needed road policy." Governor Peterson went ' to Washington last week to testify before the senate appropriation subcommittee on war depart men civil functions. He told the croun that congress must not try to balance the budget large ly at the expense of soil and wa ter conservation. The dams bunt by the army engineers are the foundation of all other benefits planned for the Missouri basin in the Pick-Sloan development plan, he said. "We have no objection to ac cept such a cut in our activities as the congress sees fit to apply evenly across the entire scope of governmental activity." the governor said, but he urged dis crimination in economy. . In Peterson's opinion, con tinued neglect of soil and water will lay the foundation for Am erica's "eventual and final bankruptcy." The backers of a petition to place the issue of legalized gambling on the November bal lot in Nebraska all but tossed in the towel last week. They are Dudley and Eugene Gray, brothers who own a hotel in Superior, Nebraska, and Glen Williams, who operates an "amusement" route in Nebraska and Kansas, and a liquor store in Superior. Dudlev. who is 27. told the United Press the petition cam paign was falling behind "part ly because slot machines are popping up all around." His brother, 25-year-old Eugene, elaborated: "Several times when we approached people with pe titions, they seemed to think that as long as Anderson (At torney General James H. Ander son) was going out, things were going to get lax. They thought there was no use signing them if things were going to turn around the other way." Anderson, who has resigned, effective March 1, to accept a position with an Omaha law firm, said that few recurrences of gambling had been reported to his office and these were immediately suppressed. Anderson's successor, C. S. Beck, said there will not be "the slightest relaxation in enforce ment of the anti-gambling law and people who say otherwise are liars!" The Grays said they had about 20,000 signers, less than half enough to get the issue on the ballot. r- . Reports from ether parts of the state showed two other pro posed referendums have fared even more poorly. Golden Rule Brings Popularity t' Hi Carnegie THERE "WAS a young boy back in Satanta, Kansas, who in the short time he lived learned a valuable lesson which his mother passes on to you and me. His name was James Eldon Conover. Jimmy Conover died suddenly just after he had completed his sophomore year in high school. He had lettered in football and track one year and in scholarship another year. He was active m basketball, the boy scouts, and had been president of his class. I am sure you will agree that Jimmy was headed for a useful and splendid life. But his Maker decided otherwise. The point I want to bring out in Jimmy's story is something his mother told me. When Jimmy was a small boy" he found it difficult to get along with the other children. lie couldn't under stand why the other boys didn't like him and he was extremely sensitive about it. But Jimmy was an inveterate reader, and he read books that opened his eyes to his own shortcomings. Many a boy might have just passed up what he read, but r.ot Jimmy. Jimmy was headed for better things. He took stock of himself and he began the practice of the golden rule; he treated the other fellows as he would want to be treated. He went further, and became interested in what the other fellows were interested It wasn't long before Jimmy was a much happier boy than he had been previously; it wasn't long before his friends were hanging around him. And if you want proof of this, just re-read paragraph two above. Un likcd boys don't receive the honors Jimmy received. Here is a quotation from a write-up in his home town paper after his death: "Jimmy was one of the most popular boys among all a? groups ever reared in Satanta. He was reared in the Catholic church." Jimmy's' mother and I have passed this storv on with the hope that it may help other boys who find it difficult to get along with their fellows. We know Jimmy would have wanted us to do this. The plan for a popular vote on the 1949 law permitting the four state teacher colleges to grant liberal art degrees ap parently died a-borning, ac cording to Frank Edgerton, Aurora banker. He said as far as he knew, no active campaign has been begun, although he still stands ready to serve as chairman of the drive if it ma terializes. At Lincoln. Louis B. Maupin said he has dropped his plan for a proposed constitutional am mendment to increase the sie of the legislature from its pre sent 43 members to 75-85, and members' salaries from $872 to $1500 a year. So many, other questions will be on the ballot, he said, the voters will be con fused. "We'd rather wait another two years." he said. Three questions are certain to be submitted to the voters next November. Farm organizations, truckers and oil interests already have secured the necessary number of petitioners to require popular vote on a 1949 law raising the state gas tax by one cent, and increasing the cost of motor ve hicle license fees. The legislature sponsored a proposed constitutional amend- ; ment. under which the stare j senators would be permitted to i set their own salaries and call I annual sessions if they wished. ! Sessions in even numbered i years would consider enly ap ; propriations and confirmation i of appointment by the governor. :The legislators' two-year terms would be increased to four years, and staggered so only half the j membership would be up for i election at once. Dale WThalen cf the secretary of state's office said July 6 is the deadline for filing petitions j for referendum vote. But he pointed out the form of the pe tition should be submitted con siderably ahead of that, so it can be checked. STATE HOUSE NAMES and NEWS of the WEEK Dr. E. A. Rogers, head of the tuberculosis survey division, said he expects Nebraska's two mo bile x-ray units to complete surveying the state by Sept. 1. i Labor Commissioner Donald P. ! Miller reported jobless Nebras ! kans received $484,2833 in unem ! ployment insurance payments i during January, the highest program began ten years ago. Use Journal Want Afis. Picadilly Weepers were the moustache and long, drooping whiskers worn by fashionable men of England in the 1860's. A classified Ad in The Journal costs as little as 35c. ACCOUNTING Income Tax Service Bookkeeping Systems Installed CECIL KARR Ph. 628? Donat Building TOY THE TIME a baby Is ten months old he will probably be on a three meals a day schedule. He w-ill also have developed a liking for variety in his food and can no longer be put off with a warmed-up bottle of formula. Since tbe staple foods In his diet are still quite restricted, it isn't too easy to provide appe tizing changes of menu. But it can be done, and certainly the result Is worth the time and ef fort. For It is this early cajoling of the appetite which leads to a genuine liking for food. And a baby who really likes to eat is rarely any trouble to feed. Let's begin with the staple foods that a toddler's meals should be made of. They are: milk, fruit juices, cereals, meat (beef, lamb, bacon, chicken, liver), non-oily fish, soup," vegetables (carrots, spinach, peas, asparagus, beets, potatoes), eggs, milk and gelatin puddings, rennet custard, graham crackers, whole-wheat bread or toast, zwie back, banana, cooked fruit. Since cereal is the standby solid food, begin early to vary it Cook It some days with hatf rnilk. other days with all water. The difference In taste is remarkable. Then, try not to serve the same cereal more than two days in succession. If you want to use up morning cereal at the evening meaL mix it with a lit tle sweetened apricot or prune pulp. Though most cereals are served without sweetening, the ev ening dish can be made a treat for jbaby by adding Y teaspoon of white clover honey. Rice with milk land honey gives a little change in itaxtuxe, ai well as taste, for the Sometimes It requires a care fully planned campaign to In troduce liver into the baby's di et. Begin with canned vegeta ble mixtures that contain enough chicken livers to ac quaint him with the liver taste. This can be mixed, at first, with milk and later white sauce, as further Inducements to licking the plate. When baby begins to show a liking for the flavor, try serving ground liver, creamed. Finally, liver loaf be comes a thrice-weekly item on baby's diet. Here is one moth er's recipe: Wash one slice of calf cr baby beef liver and plunge in boiling water. Remove skin and connecting tissue. Run through the grinder, using small blade. Grind, also, two pieces of zweiback. Add the beatea yolk of an egg and one tablespooa of milk. Combine ingredients well and bake in a custard cup set in water until the loaf is firm. This makes enough for several servings. Adding egg Is the simplest means of making familiar veg etables taste and feel different. The beaten yolk of an egg gives flavor to spinach and peas add while cooking. Or ha If -fill s custard cup with tomato, spin ach or pea pulp then drop the yolk of an egg on top, cover with milk and crumbs of toast r zweiback, and bake. Strained carrot can be set In lemon gela tin. You can think tip any number of new combinations 12 you will Just remember that baby likes attrac tive, varied meals as well as tha othjf rqembera tha family.