The Courier News from Blytheville, Arkansas • Page 12

TWELVE BLYTHEVILLE (ARK.) COURIER NEWg WEDNESDAY, MARCH it 1954 Wouse Resumes Housing Debate; Opinion Split on Low-Rent Effects By CHARLES F. BARRETT WASHINGTON (AP) The House plunges back into the public housing controversy today with opinion divided on whether action so far would block new low-rent projects. has contracted. Veteran House members gave contradictory interpretations on feat point yesterday after the House almost completed consideration of a bill providing TC8 to run the housing agency, Atomic Energy Commission, Veterans Administration, Tennessee Valley Authority and other independent agencies during the coming fiscal year. There was no argument that the House so far had rejected President Eisenhower's plea for authority to build 35,000 new low-rent housing units each year for the next four years.

The debate was whether the government under the House bill still could build 35,000 units next year Alone. Here is how the unmual situation developed: The Republican-controlled House Appropriations Committee recommended that only 20,000 units be built in the fiscal year starting July 1, only 15,000 units the following year, and that the program be dropped completely after that. During floor action yesterday, Rep. Howard W. Smith (D-Va) protested that this provision was general legislation to an appropriations forbidden tinder House rules.

His point was and that section was i knocked out of the bill without a rote. Chairman Taber (R-NY) of the Appropriations Committee and Rep. Thomas (D-Ala), senior Democrat on a subcommittee which wrote the bill, said this killed any authority for starting new units. But House Republican Leader Halleck Wolcott (R-Ind) (R-Mich) and Chairman of the Banking Committee disputed this. The banking group deals with housing generally.

They contended 1952 and 1953 housing laws still apply and they insisted these statutes authorize 35,000 new units next fiscal year, units for which the government al- They said they had letters from the comptroller general and housing administrator to support their position. But Thomas told the House the only way the units could be built would be for someone to sue the government to force compliance with contracts, and even then he said he didn't think they could win. BESS PROCTOR Continued from Page 5 would be a prettier sight." THE PUBLIC relations program of the National Automobile Associ- available at no cost whatsoever to any organization for the appearance of Bess to help in initiating the organization of local groups and to coordinate local activities with sufficient continuing support for sustained programs. What better and cheaper deal would anybody 'ask? The initiation of the organization of local traffic safety groups has been most successful when it has been activated by the leadership of interested individuals or influential groups. Osceola has many organizations who are all civic-minded but they are missing out on one of the most vital problems of our time when they fail to include highway safety in their planned programs for the year.

The reason for Bess being in Osceola last week was to bring to the conference the importance of traffic safety. She is safety chairman of the Forrest City District of Women's Federated Clubs and Strike Idleness Hits Low Point WASHINGTON (ft) Strike Idleness In February was at its lowest point for the month in more than ive years. The Bureau of Labor statistics Rported today 350 February strikes tovolved 100,000 workers and caused man days of idelness. This compared with 400 strikes hi January Involving 150,000 workers iand one million man days of idle- Hat Ah Alert 8BOUL (IP) Seoul was under a nd alert-hostile aircraft in area today for 10 minutes. A brief Air Ibrce announcement said a single unidentified aircraft had been lighted on radar screens near the demilitarised zone.

it was quite fitting that she be in Osceola on the heels of attending the White House Conference on Highway safety. Even more recently she attended the Southern Safety Conference in Louisville, prior to her visit here. Therefore, she is filled with new ideas straight from the men and women over the United States who have the know-how to put this problem on the level. In 1929, Bess was sent to Louisville as page for the State of Arkansas at the National American Legion Auxiliary and Bess was given the privilege at the Convention to escort the newly elected national Legion Commander, O. L.

Bodenhamer of Arkansas, up on the platform. "A lot has taken place in those 25 years," Bess added. BESS IS a native Arkansan, having lived all of her life in Little Eock, until she married. In 1921, they came to Blytheville to make their home. Highway 61 had just been opened up from St.

Louis to Memphis. Coming over that highway as a young matron, Bess would never have believed then that the highway would ever play an important role in her life. Bess met her husband, the late Howard Proctor, who at the time was with the 153rd Infantry and was being mustered out from Camp Pike in Little Rock. Bess' mother was very generous with her home during World War I and on Sundays and holidays her house was thrown open to soldiers who were away from home, Howard was one of the fortunate ones who came to spend an afternoon or to eat a big holiday meal with Bess' family. "No romance during those days," Bess said.

"We just all got together and had fun, but when the boys began to thin out after their discharges, Howard stayed on and got a Job with the Federal Revenue Department." Then their friendship turned into something better after 10 months of courtship the two were married. Howard had assignments In Tulsa and Oklahoma City where they lived after they came back from a honeymoon. Their first daughter, Bettye, was born and later came another, Roberta Ann. Bess was asked to join a bridge club when she first came to Blytheville and made some life long friends from that medium, but Bess was born to be a career woman and sometimes on bridge club day. she would forget to go.

She became interested in the Blythe- women and children. She served four years as chair man for the Arkansas Federation of Woman's Clubs. In 1990, Bess became assistant traffic safety director of the Arkansas Highway Department. Her Job was going out into the field, helping to promote a state safety organization. She organized community safety councils in 38 counties and was the only woman asked to be on a panel discussion.

In 1951, she attended the Safety Congress in Chicago and while there, was selected as "Woman of the Week" and appeared on Don McNeil's Breakfast Club. He presented Bess with a plaque. That was the year Bess was president of the Women's Chamber of Commerce which Is affiliated with the United States Chamber of Commerce. There are only five such chambers in the United States and Little Rock is among the five. Bess served two years as chairman of the women's division of the Democratic Party Organization.

Bess has done so much and has been associated with so many state offices, she had to scratch that pretty head of hers to think of them all. her close friends throughout the 33 years since she first set foot on Blytheville soil. Just to mention a few art Mrs Edgar Borum, Mr. and Mrs. O.

McCutchen, and friendship she and the Mrs. beautiful John ville time Women's it met in Club and at that the Glencoe Hotel. Her interest in the American Red Cross and the American Legion Auxiliary kept her too busy to master the game of bridge so she gave up the idea of playing cards with the other organizations. SHE SERVED as Red Cross roll call chairman. In 1934, she was elected state president of the American Legion Auxiliary and in 1935 was elected National Committee Woman for the state of Arkan- 5.

Howard died in 1936 but she finished out her term aftd then moved to Little Rock, where she has lived ever since. For seven years, Bess served as director of the Woman's Division of the Arkansas Labor Department. This was before the Wagoner Act had been passed and the Idea of the department was to interest women groups to help better the working conditions In the state, for It's Here! IKIERNATIONAL Jlewesf. eosiest-tO'drm pickup in the lowest-priced "NIW FICKUF PIIFORMANCEI" 'IXTRA-IASY STIERINOr "NIW ftUY IN THI LOWIST. MICID FlILOr "NEW QUIET COMFORTl- INTERNATIONAL ONE HUNDRED pickup.

616-foot body. 115-inch wheel. 104 hp. Economy Silver Diamond engina. (tows I AIM Oraier on rtw 60," doily NIC if.M.fW by IHTWNATKJNM Tradt DELTA IMPLEMENTS, INC "Sir vict Holds Our BlythtvilU, Ark.

Phone 6863 INTERNATIONAL TRUCKS RIGHT NOW she is working on speech for the annual banquet Apr. 2 for the Business Women's Social Club in Little Rock, when she Is to be toastmistress. She is a member of the Business "and Professional Women's Club, President of Little Rock Public Forum, a member of the Women's City Club, public relations Director, member of the First Methodist Church of Little Rock. I don't'believe I ever knew anybody who has as many irons in the fire and never gives a one of them a chance to cool off, Bess' hobby is history and genealogy and. when she is introduced to someone with an unusual name, she beats it down to the library in Little Rock and checks up on who their grandpa was.

Twice the library locked up for the day with Bess buried deep in books. The librarian had to come back and let her out when she finally realized what had happened. She is, among everything else, a member of Arkansas Historical Society and Pulaski County Historical Society and she has never been bored or lonesome in her life. I'd say she hasn't had time. Her friends in Mississippi County are prouo! of her many worth-while achievements and are sorry shej doesn't claim this as her home) any longer, but Bess has a tender feeling for those "who have been Edrington' have shared.

She is a close friend of Miss Cora Lee Coleman, who was in Blytheville for so many years and I dare her to come back anc look me up; I know she has a good story to write about and I'd like to have that honor. DURING HER tenure of office as Fifth District President of the American Legion Auxiliary, Bess organized more new units in Eastern Arkansas than had ever been organized during any other president's regime. Following her term of office as district president, Bess held various state committee state parliamentarian. She also served as second, and later first, vice president, before being elected to the office of state president at the convention held in the summer of 1934 in Eureka Springs. In the early fall, the department sent her to represent; Arkansas at the national convention in Miami, Fla.

Later that year she represented Arkansas at the meeting held at the National Headquarters in Indianapolis, Ind. It was at this meeting that she heard the State of Arkansas she loved so dearly, referred to several times as "the most bookless state in the Union." Them was fightin' words to a native daughter and sitting there with all the Indiana Hoosiers talking that way, Bess changed into her fighting clothes and when she got back from that convention she started a campaign for a library. It was during her term of office that through the combined efforts of the American Legion, the American Legion Auxiliary and with the cooperation, of other civic groups that a state-wide program for the establishment of county libraries was initiated. The huge success of the program from the establishment of community libraries resulted in the enactment of legislation creating the first Arkansas Library Commission, HON. MARION Futrell, then governor of Arkansas, appointed Bess to serve as a member of that first Library commission.

As a member of the first Library commission, Bess had a part in setting up the facilities for the operation of the state-wide program and in the selection of a person to serve as director. Getting Bess' dander up at that Indianapolis convention was contributing factor in Arkansas of in the realization one of the finest library programs In the Nation. The library here In Osceola as well as Blytheville are good examples of the fruits of Bess' careful planning In the beginning for her crusade to put Arkansas where it today In the library field. The next time Bess went to Indianapolis (1935) to serve as National committee woman from Arkansas, she was ready and willing for anybody above the Mason-Dixon line to use the name of Arkansas as an example. The work Bess has done in PTA and Red Cross would fill this newspaper from the front page to the last.

If I were writing about ptoplt who have done more for the state of Arkansas than any other living person because she is still doing Bess Proctor would go down in Arkansas history as the greatest woman in the state. Bess is still a member of the Blytheville Woman's Club and hopes to be, she said, Gabriel blows his trumpet." "Pssst! What happened to the hot water?" This would never happen in a home with an automatic Gas water- heater. Its recovery is so much you actually luxuriate in hot water. Yet it costs less to buy, install and use. Come in and talk to us about the right size for your home.

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