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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (July 11, 1955)
EDITORIALS Furses I ATEST IN MOTIVATION The latest thing in motivation we have seen is the effort of three youngsters from St. Paul, Minnesota. They are mak ing a trip from St. Paul to New Orleans. There is some doubt about their arriv al because they are travelling in an old car on top of twenty-five oil drums. The oil drums serve as a sort of raft, and the car supplies the motive power, which is supposed to propel it. The raft is supposed to travel down the Mississippi River, all the way to New Orleans. The rear wheels of the old car work as a treadmill on a rear axel assemb ly, hitched to a 16-inch propeller. Fred Hallberg, David Rutford and Sam Gray think the treadmill-propeller-raft job will make the trip. No doubt the makers of the 1931 car being used by the St. Paul boys never en visioned it as a form of river-boat trans portation. A little American ingenuity, however, can solve even the most compli cated of problems. EATH TAKES THE' HOLIDAY L Instead of "Death taking a holiday" over the recent July 4th weekend, Death took over the holiday, taking a record number of victims as the holidays came to an end. According to unofficial tabulations, the 7S hour holiday recorded 402 traffic deaths. There, were an additional 221 drownings and 124 persons were killed in various other accidents; making a grand total of 747 violent deaths. The record for a similar three-day July 4th period was 3G6 traffic deaths, set in 1952, However, the traffic death toll recorded for any Fourth of July weekend was 491, set in the four-day holiday period of 1950, when the over-all toll of victims was 793. We agree heartily with the statement which Ned H. Dearborn, president of the National Safety Council, issued before the holiday ended: "This needless traffic toll is a tragic price tag on holiday fun. We appeal to every driver on the road to halt this toll right now by driving so alertly, so patiently, so skillfully that he prevents the one accident he can prevent the one he may cause." That advice is good for every day in the year not only for holiday driving. While many people become the innocent victims of the carelessness of others, many accidents are avoidable if proper care is exercised, at all times. "A" RESERVE PROGRAM ADOPTED Of vital interest to the country is adoption of the new reserve program, somewhat along the line asked by Presi dent Dwight D. Eisenhower. It is hard to understand the thinking of people who oppose an adequate train ed reserve for this country. It is hard to understand how so many people think that "their Willie" should not undergo training and should not do his part in preserving the country's security and exis tence as a free nation. The main fault with the program adopted is that it does not call for some service from every able-bodied American boy. Until that feature is made a part of our reserve program, the country will not have a completely democratic reserve pro gram as have many other countries. Each youth owes his country the same thing. It is wrong to draft some and ex empt others. It is wrong for some to Jbe sent to die, as a result, and other to give nothing. The selfish interests, the pacifists and the appeasers have too long denied the country a democratic, fair-to-all re serve forces program. The new program represents a step forward, but it is not the ultimate goal. It is still a disgrace for those without luck, THOUGHT FOR TODAY A philosopher is one who doubts. Montaigne The Plailsmouih Journal Official County and City Paper ESTABLISHED IN 1881 Published Semi-Weekly, Mondays "and Thursdays, at 410 Main Street, Plattsmouth, Cass County, Nebr. Three Times Winner Ak-Sar-Ben Plaques foi "OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE" 1949 1951 1952 "Honorable Mention" 1953 Presented Nebraska Press Association "GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD" . Firt in 1952 Second in 1951 and 1953 (In Cities Over 2,000 Population) RONALD R. FURSE, Editor and Publisher WM. L. MURDOCK News Editor SOPHIA M. WOLEVER.. Society Editor VERN WATERMAN Advertising Entered at the Tost Office at Plattsmouth, Nebraska as second class mail matter in accordance with the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. SUBSCRIPTION RATE: $3.50 per year in Cass and adjoining counties, $4.00 per year elsewhere, In advance, by mail outside the city of Platts mouth. By carrier in Plattsmouth; 20 cents for . two weeks. If you want to get a job done in a hur ry, give it to a busy man he'll probably turn it over to his secretary to do. These modern cars shift for themselves that's something some folks we knew won't do. This is the kind of weather we were wishing for last February. Wonder are usually impressed with other people, other clothes and other husbands? it Judging from the recent Fourth-of-July weekend, it seems that when you get a bit tired of life the best thing to do is to take your automobile out on the highway on a holiday. i See where a rich banker was sued by a girl for breach of promise and was award ed $10,000.00. Shortly after she was struck by a car and a judge awarded her eight bucks for six broken ribs. Nothing much to this story, but it might be a good idea not to play around with a woman's heart just kick her in the ribs. A local couple tells us they never have quarreld in public that's what they've got their home for. connections or opportunities, to be requir ed to sacrifice several years of time, per haps their lives, while others go on making money and living as usual without mak ing any sacrifice. a - t Down Memory Lane Fresh Flashes why it is that most women. yr YEARS AGO AiV Miss Mia U. Gering was elected pre sident of the Clark chapter of Delphiana it was announced as the ladies held their annual picnic on the Larsh farm east of Union . . . James W. Robertson, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Robertson was called for a physical examination for en trance to the U. S. Naval Academy . . . The last Civil War veteran in Plattsmouth, Abram Shellenbarger, ' died at the age of 94. . . Plattsmouth city council voted a 23.60 mills tax levy to raise $47,000 to op erate the city . . . Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Meisinger were honeymooning in northern Wisconsin . . . John P. Sattler was installed as president of the Sons of Herman Lodge . . . Earl Freeman, noted The Journ al's Weeping Water correspondent, was married Fourth of July, eight years ago; his sister was married to Cecil Nickles on the Fourth of July, two years ago, while another sister, Miss Elsie Freeman and Dale Tigner, were married on the Fourth of July 1935 at Rockport, Mo. Or YEARS AGO High school high horseshoe players in Plattsmouth, George Sayles, Ed Becker, Harley Burdick and "Wink" Sprecher, were downed when first warders, John Iverson and Homer Shrader defeated the best of them. Iverson secured eight ring ers, Shrader seven, George Sayles five, Harley Burdick four . . . Miss Viola Mae Breck and George Frank Meade were married . . . Pappio creek was in a flooding rampage . . . John Bajeck, well known local cigar maker, presented a box of his celebrated "Acorns" to Plattsmouth Fire Chief Oscar Sandin and Claude Smith for their skillful leadership in. winning a water fight contest . . . Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Boynton gave a party at their home cele brating the 18th birthday of Miss Marie Hutchinson. Washington Itamr- Go -Round ?y DREW PEARSON (Copyright, 1955, by the Bell Syndicate, Inc.) DREW PEARSON, SAYS : DEM OCRATS WORK WITH IKE TO UN BLOCK PUBLIC HOUSING JAM; REPUBLICANS DESERT IKE ON HOUSING; DEMOCRATIC LEADER MCCORMACK TIPS OFF WHITE HOUSE. Washington--The backstage jockey ing between the White House and Capitol Hill over public housing is one of the most interesting developments of this congres sional session. As usual it finds the Democrats try ing to pull the President's congressional chestnuts out of the fire. It even found Congressman John McCormack, of Mas sachusetts, Democratic leader of the House, phoning the office of Assistant Pre sident Sherman Adams asking him to switch at least one Republican vote inside the rules committee. What happened was chat the House rules committee split 6 to 6 for and against Ike's proposal that the government fi nance 35,000 units of public housing. This Avas much lower than the 135,000 figure passed by the Senate, but even so, Eisen hower's Republicans in the rules commit tee balked. Since the rules committee has life- x'j " 1 0 'That's Strang tl It yesterday." - and-death power to bottle up legislation, this tie vote meant that not only public housing but about $2,000,000,000 for FHA building construction loans was stopped cold in committee. Na turally this aroused a howl from the real-estate lobby which very much wants money for FHA but doesn't want even one of the public housing units recom ed by Ike. Gop-er Gibes Gop-er Among the GOP congressmen who opposed their chief in the White House were Leo Allen, of Illinois, former rules chair man; and Henry Latham of New York, who has been con sidered as a potential candidate for Mayor of New York or even governor. Since public housing is a hot issue in New York City, Latham's vote was a big sur prise. So also was Leo Alien's. 3- "Of course Leo will vote for public housing," Gibed his Re publican colleague, Clarence Brown of Ohio. "Leo's become a New Dealer. He gees down to the White House and comes back to vote the way they want him to." Brown's kidding uras partly aimed at keeping Allen from switching his vote. Brown used to be Bob Taft's campaign man ager, but, even so, voted against Taft's public housing bill. "I told Tan," he said, "By God, when you go socialistic, I'll vote"against you, even if I am pushing you for President." It was just before this dead lock occurred that alert John McCormack, who knows in ad vance how crucial votes are go ing to stack up, phoned the White House and tried to warn Sherman Adams what was hap pening. However, he could not get Adams on the phone. Later Mc Cormack called back, but still could not reach Adams. McCor mack was trying to save the President's own housing bill, but even so Adams never called him. However, one of Adam's assistants took the call and did get busy. Ever since then, the White House has been moving heaven and earth to change at least one Republican vote to unblock the housing bill inside the House rules committee. Russell Long- Bottles Sen. Russell Long, of Louisi ana, whose daddy, the late Kingfish, did more to build bridges and highways and to buck the big utilities in Louisi ana than any one man in years, continues to play ball with the public utilities. Efforts by Sen. Lyndon John son, before he became sick, plus the persuasion of many other Senators have failed to budg3 the young Senator from Louisi ana regarding Hells Canyon, the one remaining big dam site still unharnessed in the U. S. A. Long wants to hand it over to the Idaho Power Company. The other day Sen. Wayne Morse of Oregon, indefatigable battler for Hells Canyon as a public power project, cornered Russell Long and asked him why he refused to let Hells Can yon even get out of the Senate interior committee for a debate by all the senators. 'When two senators from one state are split on any matter," Replied Senator Long lamely, "Then I shall vote automatically against public works develop ment." "Just how sillv can von be. i Russell? Replied Morse. Liong- also stated that he had made a commitment to Senator Dworshak, Republican of Idaho. The senators from Idaho re present not the people of Idaho but the Idaho Power company," continued Morse. You are tak ing a stand against prorgess. At least, let me get the Hells Can yon project to the floor of the Senate. Let every senator vote on it. Don't bottle it up in com mittee." 'No," Replied Russel, My com mitment still stands." He referred to a commitment Long says he made not onlv to Dworshak, but to Senator Cor don, Oregon Republican, when Cordon was in the Senate. Cor don has now been rebuffed by the people of Oregon who elect ed Senator Neuberger partly be cause of Neuberger's strong stand for Hells Canyon in con trast to Cordon. Note: Russell has voted with the big utility companies at var ious other times, including the wouldn't work battle over Dixon-Yates. Mailbag A. L., Raliegh, N. C. Gordon Gray, the new Assistant Secre tar of Defense, though serving as a Democrat under Harry Truman, supported Eisenhower in the last election. His Winston-Salem newspapers came out for Eisenhower . . . W. L., Bridgeport, Conn. Former Sen. Bill Benton of Connecticut has never been a Republican. Though registered for a time as an independent, he voted for Democratic presidentail candi dates in every election from Al Smith on. He did contribute to the congressional campaign of Claire Boothe Luce in 1946. A Republican, Mrs. Luce was an old friend . . . G. F., New York City The chief members of Eisenhower's jrolfing cabinet are Gen, Lucius Clay, former U. S. commander in Germany, now head of Continental Can; Bill Robinson, former general manager of the New York Her ald Tribune, now president of Coca-Cola; Alton ones, head of Cities Service; Sidney Weinberg, head of the giant investment firm of Goldman, Sachs; and James Black, vice president of Republic Steel . . . T. S., Shaw nee, Okla. Bill Doenges, an alleged Democrat, has denied that he will pull an 'Ed Moore" and run as a Republican against Sen. Mike Monroney next year. However, among leading Demo crats, including Governor Gary of Oklahoma and Democratic national committee advisors in Washington. Doenges is still con sidered a "Trojan horse Demo crat." They don't trust him. This does not apply to his old friend, Sen. Bob Kerr, who used him as a stalking horse at the Democratic convention at Chicago in 1952. AIR-CONDITIONING In the metropolitan Washing ton area, the Federal Govern ment has 48,800,000 feet of office space, f this, about half, or .24, 200,000 suare feet are air-conditioned. These figures do not include the White House which has its own air-conditioning unit or the Capital, Senate and House Office buildings or Su preme Court building but these are all air-conditioned. ATOMIC SUB The atomic submarine Nauti lus plans soon to test her speed and stealth against the best of the anti-submarine forces on a shakedown cruise of thousands of miles. The purpose of the shakedown cruise, given all new craft, is to make the crewmen so familiar with each detail of op eration that they can carry out their duties virtually automati cally. A Classified Ad in The Journal costs as little as 35 cents !F3GW?WELL'LETf' GtizEzmjLA?" y 'm rivs hearte before i FmovTb? mMm'll IT -f .1 NVANJT TO HEA2 A NEW, J AV0AUM5 bkD O0 TOLP jf&3 I !rKrjQ 7-6cWTiJ3 0 riFT ' 6T0i ) whsu cams wove ) m Yr r. Vj TH56E N THE T j Z ' ' " 1 .1 1 ' 1 muni .AM.Uw.;t.t mi, ,i.,r , ..... , fciMjiauriiM.w.i Yy ,, (jy I "I O I ft Capitol News By Melvin Paul Statehouse Correspondent The Nebraska Press Association LINCOLN The State Board of Equalization this week was receiving replies to requests to county officials for more infor mation on what they had done about tax assessments this year. By law county boards only have to send in totals of valua tions of the various types of property. But the first day the state board met Gov. Victor Anderson, board chairman, con tended: "We'll have to have more than these lump figures. Let's ask the counties to -analyze what they've done so we'll know the reasons behind increases and decreases." So State Tax Commissioner Fred Herrington was detailed to write the county assessors for this information. Deadline for the answers is this weekend, to allow time for the board to call in any questionable counties and still get done by Aug. 2. That's the levy setting date call ed for by law. Ordinary practice has been for the board to call in any counties which seemed to be out of line either too low or too high. But Gov. Anderson contend ed that the board should have some concrete information up on which to base its calls be fore ordering any county in for a hearing. The rest of the five member board went along with the idea. Strengthen Administration Gov. Anderson was quick to point out the-fallacy in the pre sent tax setup the lack of per sonnel at the state level to do a proper job of administration. "We ought to have a biggei budget for the tax commission er's office so more men could be put on. If we expect this state board to do a good job, the tax commissioner's office ought to be able to run down these facts and information from the county. "Maybe we're falling down on the job of selling the Legisla ture on this need. Another $50, 000 would be peanuts in a $200 million budget. Yet what a dif ference it could make," said An derson. The governor explained, "I think everyone wants to pay his fair share of taxes. But we need something better at the top to make sure this happens." State Tax Commissioner Her rington estimated there ought to be 12 men in his office. At present he has four field men going from courthouse to court house helping assessors. There are two new men in the main office. One checks federal in come tax returns for data on the inventories of certain mer chants where their assessors suspect they have made a low state return." " The other man- is making a study of the comparison of sales prices on property with their as sessed valuation. This is used in seeing how the counties stack up against each other. Railroads The state board hiked the as sessments on1 the railroads of the state," adding $5 million in all for a grand total assessment for all the railroads of $147 mil lion. The average hike was 3.5 per cent with only one railroad getting a decrease. That was the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railroad whose earnings dropped enough that the valuation went down 11.5 per cent. The assessment of railroads came in for considerable scrut iny in the Legislature recently. It wTas charged that under pres ent laws the railroads pretty well set their own assessments. Tax Commissioner Herrington's office has been asked to make a study of this before the next session of the Legislature. Piggyback The railroads, who have tak en their lumps from the trucks in recent years, have found a way to hit back. The Union Pacific Railroad requested and received from the State Railroad Commission nermis- sion to institute "piggyback" THE PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA, SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL PAG FOUR Monday, July n, 1955 eri MTELEIGKA Check the correct phrase in each statement. -. , 1. Under the three-year Ford-UAV(CIO) agreement, workers would receive a percent-' age of their average weekly pay for (52) (26) weeks, if laid Payments (would) 2. unemployment benefits. 3. Payments would approximate (60) (80) per cent of a worker s average weekly wage. Steelworkers (do) (do not) intend to press for such an agreement this year. 4 5. Guaranteed annual at present exist in some industries. , A 55 (million) (billion) dollar fund will be set up for the program. It will go into effect (next June) (at once). Agreement (may not) (may) affect migrant labor market. Under new contract, workers will receive (double) (triple) time for holiday work. Agreement (may) (won't) affect other wage talks. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Count 10 for each "correct poor; 30-60, average; 70-80. a negotiator. " X Decoded -1 nonnft 9 s3oa s iou a service between Omaha and Kearney. At the public hearing on the application it developed they planned to perform the service for the Armour Packing Company. Here's how it works. The cus tomer will load a truck semi trailer full of fresh meats or packinghouse products (the on ly items included in the appli cation) and haul it to the Oma ha or South Omaha terminal. Here the semi-trailer will be placed on a railroad flat car and hauled to Kearney. There the semi-trailer can be taken off and hitched to a truck tractor and taken wherever needed. When it is empty, the railroad will haul it back to Omaha on a flat car. The total cost will be $120. " "The Railroad Commission em phasized that this was not tak-' ing business away from the truckers since Armour now hauls its own products by truck. But representatives of the Ne braska Motor Carriers Asscia tion in letters or protest filed with the Commission indicated they didn't like the looks of this new competition. Closed Unions The Nebraska Supreme Court in an important decision en joined the Union Pacific Rail- j road rrom entering into closed shop union -contracts - with a group .of .railroad unions. Al though the original suit was brought by a group of railroad employees, it was apparent the railroad would be happy with such a decision. The court up held the 1946 "right to work" amendment to the Nebraska constitution, forbidding: closed shop union contracts. In thei decision the judges held that forcing a person to join a union in order to have a job violated fundamental rights of individ uals carried in the Bill of Rights of the U. S. Constitution University Hospital The state fire marshals of fice got tough with the Univer sity of Nebraska for not making fire safety improvements at the Medical College and University Hospital campus at Omaha. Mentioned by officials was that a recent fire in a hospital nur sery might have cost the lives of 22 babies if the nurses hadn't removed them quickly. The Un iversity is being given 90 days in which to get some things done such as cutting new exit doors, flameproofing draperies and curtains in the hospital, and providing better exit facil ities on certain buildings. Another Bonanza Another $2 million in federal funds this, month became avail able to Nebraska's 93 counties fW&uL M off. (would not) supplement wage (does not) (does) choice A score of 0-20 is superior, and 90-100, you're Intelligram t "09 2 TtfKAi z -'qzi LETTER BOX The Journal welcomes lettftrc from readers for this column o: any subject. Your name must b signed to all articles intended for publication, however, by request. It can be omitted from the letter appearlnff in print. (Contents 6t not necessarily express the opin ions of this newspaper.) Editor, Plattsmouth Journal: The newspaper report on the celebration when the toll bridge across the Missouri River at Nebraska City became a free bridge points out the advantag es to-be gained by Nebraska" City. The merchants will gain much business since the unna tural barrier of a toll has been removed. The Iowa people will trade in Nebraska City and avoid the Iowa sales tax. Also more tourists will seek the free bridge and spend as they pass through town. Prosperous mer chants help make a prosperous community so Nebraska City should go ahead faster now. Is there any good reason why plans should not be made for a toll-free bridge across the Missouri at Plattsmouth? Plattsmouth merchants rea lize their disadvantage when they nav for toli-free dav.? to gain a little more trade. In or der to help Plattsmouth grov and prosper, it would seem proper for the City Council and the Chamber of Commerce to create a Free Bridge Commit tee to study the situation and suggest a plan of action. Yours truly George H. Tuttle theirs if they furnish $1 for each federal $1. But State En gineer . L. N. Ress wasn't too hopeful that much of it would be used. After all, there is about $3 million already in the kitty which the counties haven't used. Ress said he is at a loss to know why county boards don't take advantage of these funds especially in view of the cry from all over the state for road money. He said some county boards apparently still think high standards are required but this is not true. A resolution passed by the county board will turn the trick, bringing the tax payers $2 of road for only $1 of their money. I ' I MM t 11 tf'f 1 PACl