Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 1

DECATUR HERALD 80-No. 108 DECATUR, ILLINOIS, THURSDAY MAY 7, 1959. 48 PAGES -7 CENTS Steel Firms Talk Mutual Aid Pact House Group Told License Change Costly By O. T. Banton Of The Herald and Review Staff Springfield, May 6 Passage of a bill to lower passenger car license fees and revise truck licensing in Illinois would cost the state heavily in highway revenue, the House Motor Vehicle Committee was told today.

This could easily amount to 11 to 15 million dollars a year, it was testified by Robert Cronson, assistant secretary of state. Cronson listed these as the principal items in his total figure: 1. Passenger car license fee loss, $8,277,000. 2. Costs of staffing ports of entry, $3,000,000 to 000.

3. Added cost of registering about 125,000 of the larger trucks a ton-mile basis instead of merely under a license plate fee, $442,000. Ports of entry for taxing outof-state trucks would have to be established at the state border where 128 major highways enter the state, and at boarder points where 107 gravel roads (which trucks could use if not guarded) enter, Cronson estimated. His cost figures included 000 to $7,100,000 a year to man these, and additional funds would be needed, he said, to acquire land and construct and equip the port buildings. Administration Costs Experience of other states, Cronson reported, shows- that costs of administering a ton mile tax amount to an average of 20 per cent of the taxes collected.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Clyde L. Choate (D-Anna) and nearly 70 other House members, would force trucks to pay on a ton-mile basis for all mileage above 60,000 miles a year they travel on Illinois roads. Chief witness against the bill was William J. Noorlag, Chicago, general manager of the Central Motor Freight Assn.

Many of the large trucks--both for-hire and private fleet' units -Noorlag said, travel more than 60,000 miles a year. For the first 60,000 miles they would pay, under provisions of the bill, the same flat license fee they now pay. Noorlag said that the 23 million dollars year sponsors of the bill expect to produce in additional truck taxes is "an unrealistic figure." Ohio Fleets Move "When Ohio a few years ago enacted an axle-mile tax," he said, "25 of the largest Ohio truck firms moved their fleets to other states and registered them there. The Ohio Senate last week removed the axle-mile tax on out-of-state trucks, and the 11 million dollars it had produced now will have to be raised from additional taxes on Ohioregistered trucks." Noorlag. explained it is "very tedious and difficult" to keep daily mileage records of each truck.

The larger firms will do pretty good job, he said, but small operators will not, in many instances, and check on them would trying to be costly and virtually impossible. Representatives of shipping interests, livestock haulers and the Chicago Union Stockyards also testified against the bill. Taxing out-of-state trucks, it was argued, will divert some of the livestock to other markets. J. M.

Arnold, traffic manager for the Chicago Regional Port District, told the committee the ton-mile tax on out-of-state trucks would hurt development of the port handle the St. Lawrence SeaChicago is developing to diverting much of way business, this to the Milwaukee port. The committee will complete its hearings on the bill next Wednesday. Senate Passes Administrator Bill by 48 to 1 Springfield May 6 (Special) By a vote of 48 to 1 the Illinois Senate today passed the public administrator bill sponsored by Rep. Robert W.

McCarthy (D-Lincoln). A minor amendment sends the bill back to the House, where the measure was passed March 25 by a vote of 137 to 3. House acceptance of the amendment is regarded as assured, and the bill then will go to Gov. William G. Stratton for his signature.

Stratton two years ago vetoed a similar bill by McCarthy, and the House overrode the veto. The bill was killed when the Senate sustained the veto. The measure provides that, when a person dies in Illinois without leaving a will and whose only relatives live outside the state, those relatives be allowed to nominate an Illinois resident to act as administrator of the estate. At present all such estates are handled by public administrators, one appointed for each county by the governor. Atty.

George Drach of Springfield, made Senate Republican whip, the only talk on the bill today, speaking in favor of it. Two years ago Drach opposed the measure, which the Illinois Bar Assn. has supported on both occasions. "There have been two philosophies on this subject," Drach said. "One has held that the interests of relatives of persons dying in Illinois without a will and having no heirs in this state are better served by the estates being handled by a county official who is bonded and can be held accountable for his performance.

Other Course "The alternative course might well result in the relatives being solicited for the business by someone whose sole interest might be the charges he could make for handling the estate. "The other school of thought has held that many of these outof-state relatives would much prefer to nominate some lawyer or other person whom they know to be a friend of the family or in whose reputation they had confidence. The person they nominate would have to be approved by the county judge, which should insure some further protection." Drach indicated he probably was voicing the present views of Gov. Stratton when he said he is willing to see the plan proposed in the bill tried. Experience then would show, he said, whether it is superior to the present system.

Stratton had a bill introduced early in the session and which has passed the Senate, putting public administrators on a salaried basis, with a maximum of $20,000. That figure would apply only to Cook County, whose public administrator is said to have realized up to $100,000 a year from the office. A scandal in the handling of an estate there two years ago prompted McCarthy to introduce his bill in the 1957 session. The bill was handled today by Sen. James W.

Gray (D-East St. Louis). Gray last week agreed to hold the bill over, at Drach's request. ASIA PROTEST FORMING ON RED RULE IN TIBET Calcutta, India, May 6 (AP) Unofficial delegates from a number of Asian nations plan to meet here May 30-31 to rally Asian opinion against Communist Chinese repression in Tibet. Announcing plans for the meeting, Dr.

Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, a noted Indian historian, said today the delegates will try to work out a plan for India to help restore Tibet's right to control its own affairs. He said the question also should go before the United Nations. Two Emmy Awards Fred Astaire By Bob Thomas Of The Associated Press Hollywood, May 6 The old pro of the movies, Fred Astaire, scored an amazing sweep in the TV Academy awards tonight for his twice telecast "An Evening With Fred Astaire." The suave dancer collected the biggest number of Emmies in the academy's 11 years. The one-hour show, to which he devoted months of preparation, was named the best single program of the year and best special musical or variety show. Astaire was hailed the best single performer and half-dozen other awards went to other elements of the production.

Thus Astaire achieved in TV what he couldn't do in films. He never got an Oscar for his performances, only an honorarv, one. At the end of his many trips to the stage, he was emotionally overcome. It was a great night for the old pros. Jack Benny walked off with, two awards as best actor in a comedy.

series and for the best comedy series. Dinah Shore, repeat winner, was hailed the best actress in a musical series and her Sunday night show was tagged the best musical or variety series. Julie Harris, the gentle Kidnaped Baby Flown Home; Girl, 16, Held Dallas, May 6 (AP) Slight, button nosed Bettv Smithey went to jail and the infant she kidnaped while baby sitting was flown home to New Mexico today. Betty, 16, fugitive from a reformatory outside Albuquerque, faced a federal charge of taking 18-month-old Mitchell Johnson from his parents' home Monday morning. "I don't know why I did it -I just took him," the or(Picture on Back Page) phaned teen-ager told questioners.

Seemingly pleased at all the attention, Betty told of being confined as a runaway in New Mexico institutions and said she had been without a family home because both her parents are dead. "I've lived with my five sisters when I wasn't wandering," the girl said. Her efforts to give brighteyed Mitchell to strangers in 1 Dallas drugstore led to recovery of the baby, unharmed and healthy, this morning. Hitching a ride with a trucker near Alburquerque two days ago, Betty took the youngster to Woodward, then came here by bus Tuesday. The trucker gave her $14, she related, and she spent all but $1.50 to buy the baby milk and soup and pay for their lodging in small hotels.

An airline flew the toddler back to his relieved parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Johnson. They were to meet him in Albuquerque, 20 miles southwest of their home in the mountain village of Placitas, N.M. PLANS TOLD FOR OCEAN CRUISES FROM CHICAGO Chicago, May 6 (AP) An Italian steamship magnate told today of plans to start luxury cruise service between Chicago and Mediterranean ports.

Guido Grimaldi, president of Grimaldi iSosa Lines, said the service could be initiated if his line were granted passenger ship priority through the St. Lawrence Seaway locks so that a firm schedule could be maintained. His company, he said, would use a 570-foot 16-knot vessel carrying 1,000 tourist and 100 first class passengers. Grimaldi discussed the project with officials of the Chicago port. Go to Jack Benny Sweeps Fred Astaire (id Mary of "Little Alban," was selected best single performance actress.

Perry Mason did for the private eyes, mies for Raymond lead in a dramatic Barbara Hale as best actress. The gunslingers sented by "Maverick" Western and Dennis who plays the gimpy Moon of for the by an the honors with EmBurr as best series and supporting were repreas best Weaverdeputy Steel Chairman Dies New York, May 6 (AP) Myron C. Taylor, 85, former chairman of the U.S. Steel Corp. and former presidential representative to Pope Pius XII with the rank of ambassador, died today in his home.

Taylor was with U.S. Steel. for more than 30 years. After his retirement as board chairman at the age of 64.he served in various governmental assignments. But it was the assignment to the Vatican, with its resulting controversy, which gained Taylor the nation's widest attention.

Named to the post in 1939 by the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Taylor served for 10 years, acting also as President Harry S. Truman's personal representative to Pope Pius XII. There was widespread Protestant objection to 1 the new post but Taylor himself did not take part in the dispute. Ex-Area Man Promoted Springfield, May 6 (AP) Donald Calvin, formerly of Farmer City and Clinton, has been promoted from chief examiner to securities commissioner, the office of Secretary of State Charles F.

Carpentier announced today. TV Honors Marshall Dillon in "Gunsmoke" -was named best supporting actor in a dramatic series. Ann B. Davis scored a repeat as best supporting actress in a comedy series for her Schultzie on the Bob Cummings Show. One of Steve Allen's gang, Tom Poston, was named the best supporting actor in a comedy series.

Other repeaters were Edward R. Murrow, best news commentator; "What's My Line?" panel quiz, shows; "Omnibus," best service program, and "Playhouse 90," best dramatic series of an hour or longer. Except for one bad cut from the New York to Hollywood origination of the 90-minute telecast, the show ran rather smoothly. This despite the manning of facilities by supervisory staff during the strike of NBC technicians. Other major awards included: Best dramatic series (less than an hour) Alcoa Good Year Theater Best special dramatic Moon of Alban" Best performance by actor (musical or variety series)Perry Como Best leading actress (dramatic series)-Loretta Young Best leading actress (comedy series) Wyatt, "Father Knows Best" Iraqi Planes Force Italian Airliner Down Rome, May 6 (AP) The Italian Airline Alitalia said tonight one of its passenger liners had been forced down in Baghdad by Iraqi fighter planes while flying from Tehran to Athens.

The airline said it did not know the reasons for the Iraqi action. It asked the Italian Foreign Ministry to make an immediate protest and take diplomatic steps to have the plane released. The plane had left Tehran before dawn on a regularly scheduled passenger run with stops at Beirut, Athens and Rome. Alitalia said it was intercepted by fighters over the Khorramshahr area on the Iran-Iraq frontier at the Persian Gulf and forced to land at Baghdad. The plane is a DC6B with a crew of eight and 21 passengers aboard.

Alitalia said the captain of the plane cabled that he had been "forced to land, on the order of Iraqi authorities, for violation of Iraqi air space." Alitalia said it did not know what that meant. The airline has been flying over Iraq regularly with that country's permission. Half-Ton Steel Bridge Piling Falls On Boat, Kills Worker From Noble Lawrenceville, May 6 (Special) George Taylor, 46, of Noble was killed and Cecil Hout, 55, of near West Salem was injured around 10 a.m. today when a half-ton steel piling fell on their boat in the Embarrass River at a bridge construction site about one mile north of Lawrenceville where they were employed as construction workers. Mr.

Taylor's body was pinned to the river bottom for about 45 minutes before fellow workers could wire the body to the piling and bring it up from 10 feet of water. A spokesman for the Glenn H. Allen Construction Co. of Vincennes, said Taylor and Hout were approaching the piling in a motorboat. They were to attach a hook to the piling so it could be removed by a crane.

As they neared the upright piece of steel, it unaccountably "toppled like a tree," the spokesman said. The piling Would Share Profits in Case Of July Strike Jailers Locked Knox County Sam Burnett and ley peek out of a Up by jail guards John Conjail cell in Knoxville, where they were locked in by Ray Caughorn, who made his sev- U.S. Plan on Use of Space Backed in U.N. New York, May 6 (AP) A United Nations committee plan approved for getting the world starttoday a United States ed on international cooperation into peaceful use of outer space. The Soviet Union and four other nations boycotted the opening meeting of the committee.

The United States did not mention the boycott. But Britain and Sweden voiced regret and expressed hope the absent countries would join in the committee's work later. U.S. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge proposed to the 18- nation Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space that it set up two separate study groupsone on the scientific and the other on the legal aspects of the subject. There was no objection and the committee decided to meet again Thursday to hear the views of experts.

Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, deputy director of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, will be the first speaker. Lodge declared that in no field of endeavor is world coop eration more He said that if the nations of the world cooperate tremendous benefits can be expected in the fairly near future from earth satellites.

Among such benefits he listed long range weather forecasting, the improvement of radio communications, and far more accurate mapping of unexplored areas of the earth. As long-range possibilities he mentioned setting up of an astronomical telescope in outer space and space travel by man. Others who boycotted the meeting were Poland, Czechoslovakia, India and the United Arab Republic. NORTH AMERICAN AIR COMMANDER NAMED Washington, May 6 (AP) Gen. Laurence S.

Kuter today was named commander in chief of the North American Air Defense Command, effective July 31. President Eisenhower made the assignment after consultation with the Canadian government, which shares the command. Kuter, 54, will succeed Gen. Earle E. Partridge, who is retiring.

Kuter is commander in chief of the Pacific Air Forces with headquarters in Hawaii. A replacement for Kuter in that assignment will be announced later. Escape Artist enth jail break in a crime-filled 17 years. Caughorn took the only key to the cell with him. A locksmith freed the guards some two hours after the escape.

Sunny, Cooler DECATUR AND VICINITY: Mostly sunny and much cooler Thursday. Friday, considerable cloudiness and continued cool. High Thursday and Friday in upper 60s, low Thursday night in the 50s. WED. TEMPERATURES 7 a.m.

72 7 p.m. 73 Noon 79 11 p.m. 58 High 87 Low 71 Precipitation: none Today sunrise 5:53, sets 7.53 period ending 7 p.m. TEMPERATURES High Low Chicago 85 64 Denver 66 38 Detroit 88 54. Fort Worth 83 59 Los Angeles 80 55 Miami 80 69 Milwaukee 85 57 Minneapolis 53 42 New Orleans 86 68 New York 83 53 Omaha 60 46 Phoenix 90 57 St.

Louis 88 72 San Francisco 69 49 Seattle 66 39 Washington 84 55 Winnipeg 40 31 INDEX Radio-TV 14 Movies, Amusements Page 30 Bank Bandits Get $58,982 Ontario, May 6 (AP) Two polite, businesslike gunmen robbed a bank of $58,982 tonight after holding the manlager, his wife and his father captive all night. They cleaned out the vault of a Bank of America branch, drove off in the manager's automobile and then switched to their own car. The masked robbers forced manager Frank Colella to take them into the bank just before 9 a.m., locked 16 employes the Colellas in a storeroom and calmly waited for the time lock to open the vault. Colella, 42, his wife, Winifred, 42, and his father, E. R.

Colella, 66, had been the gunmen's prisoners since 8:45 p.m. Tuesday. The bandits gained entrance to Colella's home when one rapped on the door and said: "This is Sgt. Murphy of the police." The gunmen joined the Colellas in watching television and drinking coffee. At 11 p.m.

they ordered the family upstairs to bed. At 5 a.m. the robbers got the Colellas up and had them fix breakfast. Then all got into Colella's car and drove around until almost 9 a.m. New York, May 6 (AP) The steel industry disclosed today it is considering a mutual aid pact to share profits if only some steel firms are closed down by a July 1 strike.

R. Conrad Cooper, chief spokesman for U.S. Steel Corp. and the industry in current wage talks with the Steelworkers Union, said the industry is working on such a plan even though hoping never to have to use it. The possibility of partial rather than an industry wide union strike--if there is no new agreement when present contracts run out June 30-was raised by Iron Age, industry trade publication.

Relations between the union and companies, though still friendly, began to get a bit more edgy. The union contended the steel industry mutual plan tended to agitate strike talk. Negotiations starting today with Jones Laughlin Steel Corp. broke off in an argument over a common union contract for all plants. Sessions with Kaiser Steel Co.

similarly grew hot, but it was agreed to put misunderstandings aside and resume both sets of negotiations on a calmer note Thursday. Saying it would take a miracle to avert a July 1 walkout, Iron Age suggested union may try -conquer tacand tics by striking some companies to apply greater pressure on them while the rest of the industry is allowed to keep producing. But Cooper said the union always has operated on a no-contract no-work policy shutting down all companies at oncewhenever there has been a strike. NEW CABINET TAKES OFFICE IN JORDAN Amman, May 6 (AP) A new Jordan Cabinet was sworn in by King Hussein tonight. It was formed by Premier Hazza Majali to replace the government of Smir Rifai, who resigned as premier Tuesday: There had been speculation that with the change of government King Hussein might be getting ready to renew diplomatic relations with President Gamal 1 Abdel Nasser's United Arab Republic.

Jordan and the U. A. R. broke off relations last July after Nasser charged Hussein was stooge of the West and denounced Rifai. BING CROSBY BECOMES GRANDFATHER AGAIN Los Angeles, May 6 (AP) Phillip Crosby became a father today.

His wife, former showgirl Sandra Drummond, gave birth to a 5-pound 3-ounce daughter at Queen of Angeles Hospital. Phillip is one of Bing Crosby's twin sons. The other, Dennis, also became a father recently. His wife is former showgirl Pat Sheehan. worked loose from the shale river bottom, Allen added.

Mr. Taylor was struck by the piling when it toppled on the boat. Hout grabbed Taylor when the piling hit but was unable to hold his grip when he was carried under the water. Hout received leg gashes. A jury impaneled by Coroner Charles E.

Emmons returned a finding of accidental drowning in the case this afternoon. Funeral services for Mr. Taylor will be held at 2 p.m. (CDT) Friday at Easley Padgett Funeral Home, Noble, with burial in Crest Haven Cemetery, east of Olney. Mr.

Taylor is survived by his wife, Alberta; six daughters, Freda, Mary, Ruby, Sharon, Alberta and Sandra, all at home; one son, Charles L. also at home; his father, Closson Taylor, Noble; four brothers, Ray Dean Taylor, Olney, Thomas and Estes of Noble and Carl of Ashland; and one sister, Miss Cleone Taylor of Olney. Peace Treaty Urged Berlin, May 6 (AP) peace in Europe. Actress Suffers Stroke New York, May 6 (AP) Veteran actress Edna Best was reported today in critical condition following a stroke. Miss Best, 59, was admitted Tuesday night to Presbyterian Medical Center.

Representatives of East Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia declared jointly today that a peace treaty with all Germany is urgently necessary to insure Church Women Elect Chicago, May 6 (AP) Mrs. Donald McConnell of Quincy was elected president of the Illinois Fellowship of Congregational Christian Women today. A 1..