The Mexia Daily News from Mexia, Texas • Page 1

i J. i. i DalluM, Annual flower show at armory Wednesday 2 'til 9 Serving The People Of The Established As A Newspaper In 1872 All Rich 78 7 Coca Cola up duPont 173 Vi off 3 4: Eastman 139 off '2; Exxon 97 off Gen Elec Great 13 7 up 'p; Penney off I 1 Safeway 35 "a off VOLUME 74 NUMHKK ill MfcXIA, TEXAS TUESDAY, Af RIL It, Member Al' ntitl NEA III CKNTS PAGES freeze or thaw: that is Nixon decision By EDMONDJLeBRETON Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) President Nixon has won House approval of legislation continuing his price-control authority, and administration sources say he may use it to impose a new freeze. That report came Monday, after the House passed, 293 to 114, a bill giving Nixon essentially what he asked: extension of his economic control powers for a year with minimum restrictions on his discretion. The administration sources said Nixon has been presented recommendations ranging from a freeze, to tightening of the present largely voluntary controls, to a free market system without controls.

The President's decision should come "very quickly," the sources added. Treasury Secretary George P. Shultz has come around to the view that, in the present economic climate, controls must be tightened, the sources said. In the past, Shultz has opposed economic controls and said that he wanted to see them phased out. The administration moved to the largely voluntary Phase 3 control system on Jan.

11. Many economists outside the administration said this gave a big psychological boost for price increases. Organized labor has said Nixon should tighten controls now. adding that labor unions will be forced to seek large wage settlements unless strong action is taken on the price front. Nixon's authority over economic controls is due to expire April 30.

The final measure extending his authority will be shaped in conference with the Senate. But that body also rejected congressional price ceilings when it approved the one-year extension, so the conference cannot write them in. The Senate bill provides for rent controls in metropolitan areas when vacancies in low and moderate cost housing fall below 5.5 percent. A freeze at existing levels was proposed in the House, but it lost, 263 to 139. The House also tossed out proposals for a rollback to the levels of March 16; a rollback to Jan.

10, the last day of Phase 2, and for an extension of only 60 days. The House outcome strung Democratic leaders there, who had worked in vain for a compromise. Republican ranks held virtually intact, but many Democrats voted with the Republicans 97 on the proposal for a ceiling at current levels. "We have not heard the end of these issues," Chairman Wright Patman, D- of the House Banking Committee, said after the final vote. "When the consumer price index is released in a few days, it will clearly indicate just how wrong these actions were here today." The Labor Department is scheduled to release Friday its report on consumer prices during March.

It is expected to show another sharp increase in the cost of living. City Beat By Bob Wright SHORT DROUTH M.H. BROWN, the County Agent who gets around to see what's happening, dropped by ye olde News office to proclaim what most already a short drouth," Mitch said after carefully scrutinizing the sky and draining the rain from his hat brim. In the meantime, the question uppermost in everyone's minds- when does it stop, or when does the next drouth WOMAN SOFTBALLERS PLANNING SEASON Players are needed for this year's women's Softball team. Peggy DOLEN, spokesman for the group, sez "anyone interested in getting lots of exercise 'and having lots of fun, come' to the Little Teague Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m." Manager of the team this year will be Ralph ELLIOTT.

ROARK BACK IN TEXAS Airman Joe G. ROARK, son of the Otis L. Roarks of Mexia, is being assigned to Bergstrom Air Force Base, for duty with a unit of the Tacitcal Air Command, following his graduation from Keesler AFB in Mississippi. Roark has been taking the U.S. Air Force's aerospace control and warning systems specialist course, con- Mexia Chamber committees meet Two committee meetings are scheduled for this week at the Mexia Chamber of Commerce.

Wednesday at 2:45 p.m., Chairman Don Moore's Business and Industrial Committee is to meet. The Stale School and Education Committee, whose chairman is the Rev. W.B. Hammond, meets Thursday afternoon at 4, The Governmental Affairs Committee, which was to meet Monday afternoon, postponed its meeting. ducted by the Air Training Command.

Roark, a 1964 graduate from Mexia High, has completed a year of duty in Vietnam Mexia Commission to canvass votes Election results are to be canvassed and bonds approved for Mexia's two new commissioners-elect at tonight's meeting of the City Commission. Commissioners are to meet at 7 o'clock in City Hall. Also on the agenda for this evening's meeting are a report from the Planning and Zoning Commission, a City financial report, the City Manager's report, approval of a deed for the Mexia Independent School District, plans for the swimming pool operation this summer and further action on the reimbursement contract of Fort Parker Mobile Estates. Calvary Baptist revival underway Calvary Baptist Church began its spring revival Sunday with almost a full house in attendance. The Rev.

James McKee, pastor of the Emmanuel Baptist Church of Corsicana, is evangelist and Gene Johnson of Mexia's First Baptist Church is leading the singing. Services are being held each morning this week at 10 and each evening at 7:30. Services will continue through Saturday night. A nursery is provided for both services. Special emphasis is being placed upon attendance by the Junior and Youth departments of the church.

The Rev. J. Roland Spears, pastor of the church, invites the public to attend and to share in the great things that God is going to do this week at Calvary. Complete TV Supplement Each Week Military base shutdowns will land some economic 'whammys' By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Leaders of two Texas cities forecast some hard times ahead for their communities, but immediately started talking of "pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps," following the Pentagon's announcement of the closing down of two large military bases. The bases affected are Laredo Air Force Base in the border city of South Texas, and Ft.

Wolters, an Army helicopter flight training center at Mineral Wells in North Central Texas. The two bases and their huge payrolls provide healthy economic boosts to the two cities. The announcement of the closing down of the bases between now and 1976 was made by the Pentagon Monday. The elimination of the Texas bases is part of military cutbacks that include the shutting down of more than 200 military bases throughout the United States. Other military installations in Texas affected by the reduction are the Defense Language Institute's Vietnamese language school in El Paso and the English Language Training School at Lackland AFB in San Antonio.

Pentagon officials said Kelly AFB in San Antonio will lose 1,075 civilian jobs during the next three but will absorb military personnel from Goodfellow AFB in San Angelo. The heaviest impact will be in Laredo where the base has an authorized strength of 2,100 military and 520 civilian jobs. It will be closed down by Sept. 30. "It will be a terrible blow to everybody in the city," said Laredo Mayor J.C.

Martin, Jr. Martin said the city was "economically dependent on the base." Laredo AFB spokesman said the base's operating budget last year was $36.75 million including $5 million paid in civilian wages. "We must take immediate plans to pull ourselves up by our bootstrups," Martin said. Ft. Wolters has an authorized strength of 691 military personnel and 569 civilians.

The helicopter flight training program will be shifted to Ft. Rucker, with 57 military and 11 civilians moving from Mineral Wells to Alabama. The office of Sen. John Tower, said that 1,443 civilians jobs and 1,352 military jobs will be eliminated in Texas between now and 1976. Sen.

Lloyd Bentsen, said he will do "what I can to try to moderate the effects" of the closing of the military installations. He added that he did not think "Texas was hurt nearly as much as other areas of the country." Bentsen and Tower have scheduled a meeting with Secretary of Defense Elliot Richradson Tuesday in Washington. One Texas installation will benefit from the closing of another in Kansas. The Air Force announced il will relocate the 47th Tactical Air Lift Squadron from Forbes Air Force Base to Dyess Air Force Base near Abilene. its strength by military and 81 civilian positions.

Eyeing clean-up Several cities have entered some friendly, but serious competition, toward efforts of civic beautification, clean-up and industrial development projects. The cities involved are Mexia, Corsicana, Ennis and Waxahachie. The Corsicana Chamber of Commerce suggested the contest. Plans are already underway for the competition. Al a preliminary planning session, Ihose in photo (left to right) are Jim Ramsey, Manager of the Mexia Chamber of Commerce; Lin Warthan, chairman of the Corsicana Chamber of Commerce's Community Improvement Committee Jack McKay, Ennis Chamber of Commerce Manager, and Ed Secginiller, Wuxahuchie City Manager.

(Corsicana Daily Sun Photo) Mexia Chamber directors hear clean-up project plans Plans for the clean-up campaign and plans to move the Western Union facilities from the Mexia Chamber of Commerce office were among items discussed at the monthly board of directors meeting, held in the Chamber conference room Monday. The Western Union headquarters will be moved from the of to the bus station late this month. Directors had decided on the move at a prior meeting. Jim Ramsey, Manager of the Chamber of Commerce, reviewed the February financial statement before launching into plans for the clean-up drive here. The Civic Improvement Committee and the of have decided to concentrate efforts in the drive on approaches into the City.

A survey is to be conducted as a preliminary State School singing group plans sweep through 5 states The Sunshine Singers of the Mexia State School will be heard all the way from Texas to North Carolina during a two- week tour that will start on July 16. The popular singing group, accompanied by Chaplain and Mrs. W.B. Hammond, and Chaplain and Mrs. Charles Hartsfield, will travel by bus to Lake Junaluska Assembly, Incorporated, the World Methosist Center of the United Melodist Church, at Lake Junaluska, N.C.

Robert M. Piuer of Atlanta, Georgia, executive director of the Southeastern Methodist Ageency for the Retarded, Incorporated, of the United Methodist Church, is making arrangements for the tour which will include concerts in a number of large Methodist churches. Rev. Hammond, director of the Sunshine Singers, staled that they will present gt churches in Mwugomery and Birmingham, Alabama; Vicksburg, Mississippi; Atlanta, Georgia and Nashville, Tennessee. They will also be present at Scarret College in Nashville.

This is Ihe longest trip undertaken by Ihe Sunshine Singers, who have been presented in churches, schools, colleges and before civic and service organizations throughout the state of Texas and in neighboring states and Mexico. Primarily the group presents programs of a religious nature, but often intermingle these with popular selections when appearing before service organizations and educational institutions. Two hundred boys and girls of the Mexia State School make up the Sunshine Singers but only 25 to 35 go on each of the frequent trips. All of the singers, however, get to make trips from time to lirne to the actual clean-up efforts. A chart then will be on display in the Chamber office, pin-pointing where the most work needs to be done.

The City has offered to lend assistance in the clean-up projects. Ramsey said that efforts in conducting the labor survey had begun. The Mexia Daily News is running a form to determine what type of labor force may be secured for an industry to locate here. Pete Hughes, chairman of the observance of Industrial Week, reported on thai phase of Chamber work. He said nine local and area industries participated in Ihe observance.

The lop poster in the Industrial Week student poster contest was submitted by Rachel Riddle, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Riddle. Ramsey told directors that there is work to be done in repairing the Chamber building, and that progress is being made in lhat area, as far as securing someone to do the work is concerned. Chamber President Jack Forrest welcomed Mrs.

Jimmie Porter as a newly- appointed director to the board. In addition to Ramsey. Hughes, Forrest and Mrs. Porter, other directors attending were Bennie Alewine, John Sims Slubbs, Mrs. Violctte Cartwright, Harold Nussbaum, Lester 1 Horstmann, Bill Goswick, R.Q.

Sims, Ur. Bill Pittman and Bob Wright. Mexia police investigate 2-truck 'fender-bender' A "fender-bender" occurred Monday in the 200 block of Kast Commerce Street, but thi! two-vehicle collision caused no injuries, according to an investigating Mexia police officer. Involved were two Mexiaites, Delia Lockhart Thomas, who was attempting to back her 19(11 GMC pickup truck from a parking place; and Jessie Isaac Liles, driving his 1909 Ford pickup truck east on Commerce. Decreasing cloudiness tonight and Wednesday.

Low tonight about 51. High Wednesday near 78..