Wilkes-Barre Sunday Independent

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BILL TO END WPA WOULD HALVE AID TO NEEDY
A Paper For The Home
SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
LEASED WIRE TELEGRAPH REPORT TO S A. M. SUNDAY
THE WEATHER
Fair and warmsr Sunday: Showeri
Sunday night; Monday
fair and cooler.
FIFTY-TWO PAGES
Th*   Onl7   Sunday   NtwapapM CoTering  tba   Wyoming   Talley
WILKES-BARRE, PA., SUNDAY, MAY 9, 1937
Kntered   at   Wllliea-BBrr*.   Pa., Aa   Second   Claaa   Mall   Matter
PRICE TEN CENTS
GREATER DIRIGIBLES FOR GERMANY TO RISE FROM HINDENBURG'S PYRE
DISMISS FEAR OF STRIKES
District President Kosik Con¬ fident Difficulty Can Be Quickly  Eliminated
3,500 MEN OUT HERE
Recalls Similar Trouble On
8-Hour Day; Local 1616
May   Agree   Today
Feari that a current laclc of specific interpretation of provisions of the anthracite industry's new 35-hour work week may bring a wave of colliery strikes through¬ out Luzerne and Lackawanna coun¬ ties were dismissed last night by Michael J. Kosik, president of Dis¬ trict 1, United Mine Workers of America.
Admitting that approximately 3,D00 Luzerne county mine work¬ ers were on strike last night in support of newly arisen grievances, Preaident Kosik declared the sit¬ uation Is not an alarming one and will be "straightened out with a littl* time." df He recalled that the advent nf 'the eight-hour dAy. i^l-ltlS brought wilh it paralleling clrcumgtanccs. all of which were eventually ad¬ justed with satisfaction to both employees and operators and add¬ ed that the current seven-hour work day system will require some¬ what the same kind of adjustment.
Kosik said that "most of the cost companies in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties already have reached understandings with their employees on matters responsible for current strikes and no trouble is expected from this quarter pend¬ ing the reaching of permanent underatandtngs between the opera¬ tors and United Mine Workers."
Chief bone of contention involves the starting hour for night shift workers at collieries here. Under the eight-hour work day night shift workers entered the mines at 3:30 oclock. which was the day shift quilting hour. Under the ahortcned work week the day shift leaves the mines one hour earlier, at 2:30 oclock. Night shift worlc- ern were quick to demand that thry He permitted to start their 'trick'' an hour earlier but in several in* ."lances were opposed by com¬ panies, who declared they needed this extra hour to clear the mines of loaded cars of coal.
4,100 ^^alked Out
During the past week a total of! 4,200 men employed in Luzerne county mines struck In support of the "hour earlier" demand of night shift employees. Eight hundred of the strikers, employed at the Ewen eolliery of the Pittston Compan.v, returned to work after one day's idleness with the decision to start the night shift at 2:30 oclock sub¬ ject to any change that might later rome when the matter is thrashed oul by operators and the union.
Sixteen hundred employeea of the Prospect   and   Henry   collieries   of the  Lehigh  Valley  Coal  Company, 'Continued   on   Page   A-10)
\Rich Film Stars To Strike To Aid Poorer Colleagues
Vote 99' c To Risk Contracts; Guild Demands Im¬ provement For $19 A Week 'Bit' IMayers; Schedule Tieup For Monday Night
Where The Burned Hindenburg Lies Outside Hangar At Lakehurst
Hollywood, May 8 (UP)—Film actors and actresses, whose weekly salary checks in some cases are written in four figures, will strike tomorrow night unless producers grant demands of some of their colleagues who sometimes get only one day's work a week at J5 a week, Aubrey Blair, secretary of the Screen Actors' Guild, predicted to¬ night.
A strike vote has been taken among the topflight cinema per¬ formers at the homes ot James Cagney, Fredric March and Chester Morris Blair said, and 99 per cent of the ballots  favor a walkout.
"We are within 2.5 votes of authorizing a strike of stars and feature players," Blair said. "I pre¬ dict that these votes will be picked up tomorrow night. Not a studio will open Monday unless producers grant the Guild demands before them." '
.Many Oet $19 Per Month
The Guild is seeking higher wages for the low paid players and sole representation in bargain¬ ing for them. It seeks to abolish the $3.20 daily wages for extras and   to   guarantee   $25   a   day   for
"bit" players. A "bit" player is one who speaks from one to 100 lines in a picture.
Blair said that the studio figures showed that 33 out of each 1,000 actors received not more than $19 a monlh.
"Stars with quarter of a milliorf dollar contracts are laying them on the line for the sake of the $5 a day actor," Blair said, "We are determined to better the lot of the poorer paid actors."
Blair said that the stars "are still coming along fine with the pro¬ ducers in the negotiations," He emphasized that the guild, by tak¬ ing the strike vote, merely was preparing for action in case negoti¬ ations do not result in fulfillment of the Guild demands.
If a strike is called, it will affect 8,600 actresses and actors, includ¬ ing 1,200 senior members who earn more than $250 a week. The seniors are the only ones entitled to vote and the Guild constitution requires that 75 percent approve a strike. Among the senior members who have been active in the strike movement are Robert Montgomery, (Continued On Page A-10)
Ji PLANS GIVEN TO HELP TRAFFIC
One Would Use Trolley Right
Of Way; Other To Turn
Union  Street  Aside
ACTION PROMISED
Better transportation facilities through Luzerne borough lo the country districts on the West Side were predicted last night by the State Highway Department, which has two plans under consideration to eliminate the bottle-neck known as Buckingham avenue which leads to Main street of that i>orough.
The plans are in complete vari¬ ance with the project first planned in 1929, which provided for a by¬ pass that would have completely eliminated Main street, Luzerne, as the principal artery of transporta¬ tion to the country districts. The plans then called for a bridge from Union street, below Buckingham avenue, across Toby's creek to thc present right-of-way of the Har¬ vey's Lake line of the Wilkes¬ Barre Railroad Corporation. Thc tracks were to be relocated and the foundation used for the new roadway.
The estimated cost of property damages at that lime was more than $160,000, the greater part ot this amount being applied to the relocation of the tracks. The cost of the bridge was fixed at ap¬ proximately $40,000.
Two Plana Considered
The first plan of the State High- (Continued  on Page A-181
ON SUNOAY SALES
Acts Tamed But Midnight
Means  Nothing;  Back-
Doors    Wide   Open
So close to the end of its fliarht and safety, the great dirigible Hindenburg, pride of the world's onl.y fonri of commercial transportation which, previous to Thursday, never had a single fatality, lieg wrecked on the bleak
ftatland of New Jersey. While sightseers are barred frc«n the entire reservation, the extra cordon of guards seen from thig aerial view remains constantly on duty around the wreck of the ship.  Additional pictures on page B-12
ENGLISH PAPERS BANNED IN ITALY
POLICE ON DUTY
Only Snooping Aviator Above Sees Loving Pose Of Edward And Wally
Mont, France, May 8, (UP)—The Duke of Windsor and Mrs. Wallis Simpson appeared in an affection¬ ate pose on the terrace of Cande castle today but were seen only by an aviator, swooping low over thc castle.
The duke had his arm around Mrs. Simpson's waist. When thc flier, from the nearby French mili¬ tary base, came over, the duke put a newspaper over his head.
The pilot was soundly repri¬ manded by his base chief when he returned to Tours.
Mrs. Smipson spent much of the day inside the caatU, trying on hats brought by Paris milliners. The duke and Herman L. Rogers, an old-time friend, meanwhile played golf,
Winston Churchill's »on, Ran¬ dolph, was a guest at the castle.
Charles E. Bedaux, owner of the chateau, waa away. Before leav¬ ing, he said he would be back in Ihree weeks. Since he undoubtedly will attend the wedding of the duke ,»nd Mrs, Slinpson, his return pr«- »umably  would  coincldt  with  the
approximate date of the wedding, which would make it in early June,
.May Buy Caatle
Bedaux, who is said to be nego¬ tiating for the sale of the chateau to the duke, was understood to be asking 30,000,000 francs, although he paid only 1,000,000 for it. How¬ ever, he has Invested large sums in improvements and additions.
There were indications that the duke, in the isolated castle, might watch by television the coronation of his brother, who occupies thc exalted place which Edward vol¬ untarily relinquished.
The television apparatus, if en¬ gineers can reproduce the scene at such a distance from London, would be set up in the caatle's century-old kitchen, now converted into an American (rill room and bar.
The duke has asked whether tele¬ vision arrangements can be made. Otherwise, he and the other castle guegla will sit In the comfortable bar and listen to the broadcut of tht ceremony.
Wilkes-Barre's    crusade    against Sunday   selling   and   risque   burles¬ que  shows  gol  underway   at  mid¬ night,  with   police   patrolling vari¬ ous    sections    of    thc    community where infractions of the law were previously reported.   However, beer gardens   and   other   establishments continued   lo  sell   long  after  mid- I night   had   passed.     Front   doors , were locked in most instances, but j patrons found easy access by using j rear entrances.
i     The    "Bowery    District,"    along Pennsylvania    avenue,    seemed    to forget that a crusade against sell¬ ing  on   Sunday  was  in  effect,   al- 1 though   police   were   in   evidence along   the   thoroughfare,     A   floor I show    at    one    establishment    got ! underway   at   12:02   oclock,   while another,   down   the   street,   opened 20   minutes   later.     Doors   of   one beer garden  were   open  wide,   hut j those  of the  second closed  at  the I stroke of twelve, [ iVoises   Kvldenre
A clanking of the cash register and uproarious tumult of patrons In a business house of lower Penn¬ sylvania avenue, as the clock near¬ cd the one oclock mark, attested to the fact that business was going on as usual. In addition, a floor show was in progress. Whether il was a strip-tease or fan-dance per¬ formance could not be learned. Two uniformed policemen were on the outside, but curtains were drawn   closely.
Proprietors of establishments along South Main street closed promptly at the stroke of midnight. Patrons were ushered to the front doors and drinking bars clamped tight. While a few people lingered, apparently there was no Sunday selling. Ruling of thc Liquor Con¬ trol Board, against the practice, was being enforced. Here, too, officers of the law were on the job. A second-story drinking parlor on East Market street closed the front door shortly after the dead¬ line but "regular" customers had no difficulty. The rear door like¬ wise proved to be an accommoda¬ tion at thia place.
Show*  Tamed  Down Floor shows lacked usual thrills, many of the  ni,?ht  clubs  sttaging "Amateur Nite" programs and thc like. Female  performers, in estab¬ lishments      visited,     were      fully clothed,   Aa   a   patron   in   one   ex¬ plained, "The girls have enough on to make a trip to the North Pole." Songs like "My Ma" and similar tunes replaced risque numbers that previously held sway. Most of the clube told patrons that the police (Continued  on  Page  A-10)
Mussolini Aroused By Anti-
Fascist Comments From
Qreat   Britain
WILL SPEAK TODAY
Congress Leaders Ready To Support Outlay For Relief
Will Confer With Roosevelt On Billion And A Half
Measure; Claim Municipalities Most In Need
Cannot Pay Half Of Project Costs
NAVY WILL FIGHT HEAVY EXPiT OF
Rome. May 8. (UP)—The strain in relations between Italy and Great Britain was tightened today when the government banned the distribution in this country of all British newspapers except thc Dally Mail, Evening News and Sun¬ day Observer and recalled all Ital¬ ian newspaper correspondents from London,
The correspondents were recalled on the ground that the British press has been conducting an anti- Fascist campaign.
Exceptions were made in the case of three newspapers because they had been favorable to Fas¬ cism.
The order climaxed ncariy two years of growing resentment against Britain's attitude towards Italy, starling with the application of league sanctions during thc Ethiopian war and fanned into flame by sneering references in the British press about Italy's new empire.
It coincided with the start of a two-day celebration of the flrst an¬ niversary of the empire's founding, proclaimed by Premier Benito Mussolini from the balcony of Venice Palace on May 9, 1936, Mussolini announced thc annexa¬ tion of Ethiopia, with King Victor Emmanuel as new emperor.
Every public building in Italy was covered with flags, as were most private homes,
Mussolini was expected to deliver (Continued On Page A-10)
Washington, May 8, (UP)—The Works Progress Administration re¬ plied to congressional efforts to curtail its funds or turn relief back to the states by asserting tonight that a return to direct relief would cut by half the aid given ncariy 2,000,000 needy families,
A bill to abolish Administrator Harry L. Hopkins' work-relief agency and distribute $850,000,000 among the states has been intro¬ duced by Sen, William H, King, D., Utah, and is supported by Sen, Josiah W. Bailey, D., N, C
offers of PWA money under a new stipulation that it be spent to em¬ ploy men from the relief rolls is finding no takers because there are not enough such workers capable of the specialized jobs in heavy construction.
LIMB 0' SATAN By BERT McFALL
You've never met an angel Uke this "Limb o' Satan." Angel Murdock, child of the slums, is an entirely new kind of heroine. Watch her romp her way into the hearts of the grown-ups around her, upset completely the staid routine of grim old Aunt Sarah's home, and guide the love affair of her two favor¬ ite adults.
Befin the story toda^
(HI  Pace B-8
Ready To Support President
Washington, May 8. (UPi Ad¬ ministration leaders in the House agreed tonight to meet next week with President Roosevelt before making a partisan battle to defend the   President's   $1,500,000,000  worli
WPA ftfflciaU said the measure ' ''^''^f program, would reduce relief from an aver- j House leaders indicated that if age of $53 a family per monlh in | the President stands by his relief WPA wages to not more than $30 appropriation request they will a month, which was the all-time j fight the threatened $500,000,000 high ot direct relief, reached in j (Continued on Page A-10) January, 1935, when federal and i local governments pooled funds j /* under FERA. |
Local Funds Insufficient j
They saw the end of work relict in either the King measure or thc proposal ot Sen. James F. Byrnes, D., S. C, to cut the administra¬ tion's proposed $1,500,000,000 work I relief appropriation to $1,000,000,000 | and require that local govern¬ ments pay half the cost of WPA projects,
"The difficulty there," Hopkins said, "is that you would be asking 60 percent from places where they need it most and where they can¬ not put up the money."
WPA officials admitted that $850,000,000 spent at a direct relief level would care for perhaps 2,- 500,000 families, whereas WPA now has 2,050,000 on its rolls.
A reduction to $1,000,000,000, which Hopkins said would cut WPA rolls to 'ess than 1,000,000 if part is designated for Resettlement Administration and works projects other than WPA, will be sought by Rep. Clifton A. Woodrum, D., Va„ when the House appropriations sub¬ committee which he heads con¬ siders the relief appropriation next week.
Officials said the King bill to abolish WPA would permit the states to spend less for relief be¬ cause federal funds would be suf¬ ficient, at the smaller cost of direct relief, to care for many families already being provided for by state and local government.
Skilled Workers Off Rolle
Those favoring a reduction of the proposed relief appropriation argued that useful projecta for WPA are becoming scarce as skilled workers leave WPA for private em¬ ployments.
Public Works Adtninistrator Haroid  L.  lotaes  a»mplellned  tiurt
Oppose Liberalization Sug¬ gested  After  Explosion Of  Hindenburg  Gas
TO DETERMINE SUPPLY
Graf Zeppelin
Lands Safely
Friedrich,shafen, Germany, May 8. (UP)-The Graf Zeppelin, only surviving dirigible in pa.s- senger service, landed here lale today on Its regular trans- Atlantic run from South Amer¬ ica, and It.s passengers and crew were horrified lo learn of the disaster to the Hindenburg.
The news had been kept from them while the Graf Zeppelin was over the Atlantic, although Commander Hans von Schiller and the officers were advised by radio shortly atter the acci¬ dent occurred.
The crew was not informed until thc dirigible reached the French coast. When the airship landed here, von Schiller assem¬ bled the 23 passengers after they passed through the cus¬ toms and informed them of the tragedy.   All were  shocked.
The Graf Zeppelin was greet¬ ed by a crowd of local resi¬ dents and Zeppelin workers. Von Schiller said he had com¬ municated with Dr. Hugo Eckc- ner in Cherbourg to tell him that the Graf Zeppelin had ar¬ rived safely.
Delay   Return   (night
Berlin, May 8. (UP)—The dirigible Graf Zeppelin may not start on its scheduled return flight to South America next Tuesday, It was indicated today.
The Essener National Zeitung. organ of Hermann Wilhelm Goering, Minister of Aviation, suggested that it might be held indeflnitely until reconstructed for  use  of helium  iras.
Washington, May ». (UP)-Naval authorities in the Senate indicated tonight that despite the Hinden¬ burg disaster they would fight against permitting large amounts of helium gas to be exported, un¬ less domestic supplies prove to be "inexhaustible,"
Sen. David I. Walsh, D., Mass., chairman of the Senate Naval Af¬ fairs Committee, asked the Navy Department to determine the ex¬ tent of this country's supply of the non-inflammable gas,
Walsh's attitude presaged a pos¬ sible sharp controversy over the proposal to relax present restric¬ tions On export of liellum. The Hindenburg disaster, it was in¬ dicated, was cau.sed by explosion ot the highly-inflammable hydro- (Continued   on   Page   A-10)
ACCIDENT STUDY IS UNUSUAL
Complete Pictures Eliminate
Differences   Of   Stories
Of Expert Witnesses
SABOTAGE DISCOUNTED
Boards  To  Open   Hearing
Monday With Wealth Of
Material   Available
Lrttehurst, N. J.. May 8 (UP)— Ctovernment experts promised to¬ night that an historic contribution to aeronautical science ot the fu¬ ture would be a memorial to de¬ struction of the German dirigible Hindenburg with a loss of 35 lives.
Simultaneous investigations by the Navy and by the Department of Commerce, co-operating with German and other United States representatives, indicated that in¬ formation of utmost importance would be contributed to the science of operating lighter-than-air craft "Never in history has a lightcr- than-alr craft accident occurred under comparable circumstances," said CoL Harold Hartney, technical advisoP' ot tfae Senate Air Safety Committee and advisor to the Com¬ merce Board of Inquiry. He had in mind the number of trained airship officers, both aboard the ship and at the naval station here, whose direct, first-hand testimony will be available,
"The results of the investigation should be of greatest value to avia¬ tion in the future," he said. "Our principal purpose will be to deter¬ mine how such accidents can be avoided—what structural improve¬ ments can be made in dirigibles and what must be done to avoid a recurrence of the Hindenburg dis¬ aster.
Complete  Picture* Available
Public hearings at which Dr. Hugo Eckener. world-famous com¬ mander of dirigibles, probably will testify, will begin on Monday at the Lakehurst naval air station under circumstances which authori¬ ties said were unprecedented in the history of past airship dis¬ asters.
A most serious hlow to the In¬ vestigation—as well as to aircraft Industry as a whole were tho deaths of Capt. Ernst Lehman and Radio Operator William Speck, both of whom were extremely; popular with the Hindenburg crew.
Deaths in hospitals of Lehman, Speck and a passenger, Erich Knoecher of Zeunenorda, Germany, raised the death toll to 35. In ad¬ dition several others, including Capt, Max Pruss, commander ot the Hindenburg, were in a serious condition.
Despite the loss of Lehman's testimony and the inability of Pruss to testify at once, the two inquiry boards will have at their command a wealth of material which they believe will throw light on the cause of the disaster, defi¬ nitely settle suggestions that (Continued   on   Page   A-10)
Heroism Of U. S. Navy Ground Crew After Deadly Blast Is Extolled
Lakehurst, May 8—When he was. called a hero of the Hindenburg! disaster, when he was praised for i keeping the death toll so low, a! hardboilcd American naval petty j officer got sore and said:   - i
"I   didn't   do   anything   but   give ! my men orders and they went in. , Don't you dare write a single word about mel"
He  was Chief Boatswain's Mate Frederick    J,    Tobin,    who    com¬ manded  the  ground  crew  of  fifty navy men and 100 civilians, ".Stand .Fast"
Some of the ground crew were knocked off their feet by the ex¬ plosion, but they scrambled up and joined their fellows in a mad dash for safety. Tobin didn't run. And above the bedlam he bellowed:—
"Navy men stand fasti"
Thus he rallied the sailors, and as the Hindenburg smashed blaz¬ ing to the ground, he started to¬ ward her on the double.
"Come on!" he yelled. "We've got to get those people out!" Spectators Gasp
And tbs spectators gasped as the navy men followed Tobin to what seemed certain death in th* flaming wreck.
Tobin led some of his mm inta the blazing control room, and they, carried out three badly burned men.
Fifty feet from the burning fuel tanks, the.v found another man and dragged him into safety.
One man was sitting on tk< ground Idly slapping at trfe flr» burning his clothes, and the sallori beat out the flames and carrlea him out of danger.
Faces Blistered
The faces and arms of the navy men were blistered. The flre singed off the eyebrows of some. But ttoey, kept at it until there was no living thing in the wreckage or the dan¬ ger zone about it. It was a wonder that none was seriously hurt, Hm spectators said.
One of the navy heroes waa Julius Malak, who survived both the Shenandoah and Macon disas¬ ters and got almost as sore aa Tobin at the idea of having Ma name in the papers,
"It wasn't nothing," hs said. "I thought how I got away with It mi the Shenandoah and the Macon aad so I just thought, 'Boy, I owe sosne- body a chance to live. Thagr gmve ma a chance whan I wbs ia Kb* ¦amt tu."