Wilkes-Barre Sunday Independent

              :v.iM4ii.ULIMIJBKyUlL'
MILLION DOLLARS COMING FOR STATE ROADS
A Paper For The Home
SUNDAY INDEPENDENT
LEASED WIRE TELEGRAPH REPORT TO 3 A. M. SUNDAY
THE WEATHER
Cloudy Sunday followed by rain; temperature  unchanged.
FORTY-EIGHT PAGES
Tht   Only   Sunds;   Newipapei CoTerlng  the  Wyoming  Vsllejr
WILKES-BARRE, PA., SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 1937
Xntcred   st   Wilkes-Barre,   Ps„ As   Second   CIsss   Mall   Matter
PRICE TEN CENTS
FORD STRIKE SETTLED AFTER
SITDOWNERS EVACUATE PLANT
SEN. MUNDY REVEALS PLAN FOR HIGHWAYS
I
Many Improvements Long In Demand Now Assured As State Funds Are Provided
TO BRING EMPLOYMENT
Officials    of    the    Pennsylvania State Department of Highways re¬ vealed last night that more  than s million dollars will be expended this  summer  in  the  maintenance and the construction of new high¬ ways in and near Luzerne County, The amount of money involved is the  largest  In  the  history  of Lu- | zerne county.   Plans of  the  State ] Highway Department in connection I with highways also were revealed . in an address delivered by Senator j Leo C. Mundy to executives of the Wyoming Valley Motor Club called i for the purpose  of discussing the , proposed by-pass at Luzerne bor- | ough.
At the present time the State ^ Highway Department is expending $330,370 on construction for gr«de crossing elimination on Route 115, which connects Stroudsburg tnd Wilkes-Barre, This is the largest amount involved In the road im¬ provements, followed closely by the road from Blakeslee to Bucks Township, costing $116,000 for 2.3 miles. Part of this work has been done and work will be resumed in a shoot while.
Of mors than average interest is the announcement that the high¬ way department Is soliciting bids for a new pave to replace the di¬ lapidated and forlorn River Road lhat runs from River street through Midvale lo Pittston. Close to three miles of this highway will be paved. This improvement has been awaited with .Tob-Ukc pa¬ tience by the general public for years. Its condition remained in¬ tolerable under two administra¬ tions of the state government. To  Pave   Park   Avenue
Another local improvement which will be carried out as soon as the present sewer work is finished is a new pave for Park avenue, which is gutted with  many holes.
Contracts already let by the State Highway Department calls for the present  program:
West Wyoming, Exeter and Ed¬ wardsville—.SllT.filO   for   5.5   miles.
Hollenback and Sugarloaf Town
False Teeth Ruin A Townsend Test
Idaho Falls, Idaho, April 3. (UP)—Rufus Pack's new set of false teeth—or the lack of them — was blamed tonight when officials of a Townsend test campaign learned the 72-year- old follower of the cause hadn't been able to spend his $200 in a  month.
Pack said he did his best but he had $60 left 30 days after the test started. If his new false teeth had arrived, he said, the teeth and steaks and chops might have done for the sum. Pack still believed in the cause.
City Treasury Is Unable To Meet Pay On Time
No Advance Checlis Saturday And None Monday
Until Noon; Await Last-Minute Taxes;
Controller Defends Statement
Chinese Dictator Recuperates
IS
Recess Until Today When Saturday Meeting Brings Refusal  To  Compromise
NO NEW 'FORMULA'
F
E
8
John Derbis Hangs Himself In Bedroom While Thought Retiring   For  The   Night
BLAME POOR HEALTH
Situation Is Clarified At G. M. Plants; Others Are Also Near End Of Trouble
GRAHAM SIGNS
While
Lansing, Mich., April 3 (UPi- Walter P. Chrysler and John L. Lewis resumed their strike ncgo- ciation conferences today, but re¬ cessed until tomorow after a three- hour meeting in which they refused I to compromise their positions on collecti)i« ,^biirgaining rights in Chrysler's  automotive  plants.
They met again In the high ceil-
inged    executive    office    of    Gov,
Frank  Murphy  and  discussed  the
union's  contention   that  it   be   the
his   wife   and   six   young ! sole   collective   agent   for   all   of
It appeared certain last night lhat the cily of Wilkes-Barre, for the first time in history, will be forced tomorrow lo delay a pay day. Due to the fact lhat there will not be sufficient money in the treasury to pay city employees until la.st-miiiule tax collections are turned over, the custom of starting to pay at the opening of City Hall at 9 a. m. will have lo be foregone. It is not considered possible to be¬ gin handing out checks until Mon¬ day at noon.
Mayor Charles N, Loveland, when first questioned yesterday, stated mo.st vehemently that "They will be paid on Monday." Questioned fur¬ ther, the mayor said he presumed pays would be given out at the usual lime, beginning at 0 a. m., as he had conversed with City Treas¬ urer Fred Goeringer jr. at noon yesterday and said he had not been Informed to the contrary. Not Knoiigh .Money
Mr. Goeringer last night was not so certain. He knew, he said, that there was not enough money in the finance department at the close of busines.s Saturday lo meet the pay¬ roll. He said also that collections of Friday and Saturday had totalled $17,000 which, added to the $11,100
I he  had  turned  over on  Thursday I would make about $28,000 available. However, the $17,000 will not be • turned over until Monday morning ! and  the  treasurer  added   that  he I did  not consider  it  good  business I for the city to begin handing out checks  when  the  money  was  not yet in its treasury.   As yet, the col¬ lections   of   Friday   and   Saturday still arc in his hands as  collector and   not   made   available   for  city usage.
Some time will be required even for the formal turning over of the money from the reasurer and, un¬ less the city intends to pay out money it does not yet possess, it will be impossible to start the pays at 9 a, m. It is estimated em¬ ployees will have to wait until noon.
Pay Habits Abandoned The seriously strained condition of the city treasury which is caus¬ ing Wilkes-Barre to lead a hand- to-mouth existence interspersed with steady borrowing, has forced several other old customs to be abandoned.
In the past, when pays were c(ue
Monday   morning,   it   always   was
possible for an employee to  draw his
money  the   previous  Saturdays  at
(Continaed oit Page A-10)
Hall Announces Settlement After Short Conference With Ford Company Men
FLY TO KANSAS CITY
Men March Out Of Plant Behind Band When Given Promise Of No Discharges
STAGE SNAKE DANCE
children   sat   together   in   anothei ' Chrysler's 67,000 auto workers,
"No new formula  has  presented
room, John Derbis, 39, a WPA worker, hanged himself last night in a bedroom at bis home at 111 Cleveland street, Hudson, An eight-year-old daughter, on her way to bed, discovered the body swaying from a light fixture in the ceiling. Death had occurred an hour previously, according to Deputy Coroner J, S, Millc
Derbis had been s ibject lo fre¬ quent spells of poor hea' h, accord¬ ing to his wife, but gave no indi¬ cation last night of any increased despondency before hanging him¬ self.  After supper the family spent
several   hours   together   and   at   9 ships, below Nanticoke—$42,000 for! oclock   Derbis   left   the   room,   ex-
3,57   miles.   This   work   has   been started.
Nescopeck and Hollenback Town- ship_$M0,000 for 2.S1 miles, work lo begin  this spring.
Hazleton and Foster Township— $97,.'500 for 3.54 miles. One-fourth of thi.s work has been done.
Plymouth and I.Arksville Bor¬ oughs-$21,600 for three-quarters of a mile, construction to begin shortly.
West Side Back Boad ^ The Wqst Wyoming, Exeter and Swoyerville road project is the Back Road which leads from Luzerne lo West Pittston along the mountainside.
Hazleton and Foster Township Improvement is a highway from the city of Hazleton, Nescopeck «nd Hollenbach Township's new »Rd will lead into Hazleton,
The     Plymoulh-Larksvllle      im- (Continued on Page A-10)
plaining that he was going to re¬ tire.
An hour later Mrs, Derbis ad¬ vised Dorothy, eight, that it was time to go to bed. The child started for her room and a moment later came screaming back to her mother. As she passed her father's bedroom, she had seen him swing¬ ing from a belt which he had noosed around his neck and then tied to a light fixture.
Dr. Francis Judge of Miners Mills was called but he declared that Derbis was dead long before discovery. Plains police notified Coroner Miller who made the offi¬ cial investigation.
Besides his wife, Derbis is sur¬ vived by these children ranging in age from 11 years to five months: Florence, Frank, Dorothy, Beatrice, Teresa and John jr., besides his parents, Mr, and Mrs. Andrew Derbis of McAdoo.
Bus, Truck Speed To Be Watched; Police To Patrol In Unmarked Cars
Stale Highway Patrol's revived crusade against speeding trucks •nd busses will get underway this |«orning and many arrests are ex- Pt'^ted. Inter-state busses usually frtvel from 45 to 60 miles per hour m an effort to maintain their •chedules, but officers will arrest ¦ny and all operators, it was learn- to last night, who operate a PWrn" " "^''"¦' "^* 35 milc-per-hour "nil , This Is but a part of the "081 determined highway safety <:«nipaign as yet put under way.
Three bus drivers were arrested "' , «P«eding during the past month; upwards to 35 have been «pprehended during an elght- "onth period.
"Some of the drivers are forced
hut !u *^ have an allotted time of PhknTu'" '""'¦ ''O"" t" 8° to PoinU" "   "• ^'"^ ^°'^ ""^ °*-^"
Qutrinl^K"" '*'-"°" ¦" t*" '**'• "¦ ^ at . 2f. ""** ""'' ti'uclte to travel I      * distance of 500 feet apart, also
Il ^ . :	
will   be   enforced.     This   violation will   not   be   excused,   unless   the driver is in the act of passing. Unmarked Cars PatroL
State Highway Patrol will use five passenger cars,, of ordinary colors and with no noticeable mono¬ gram, in its safety campaign for reduction of motor fatalities. Two new cars have been received by Kingston headquarters, to add lo three others already in use. Only two of the vehicles have official license plates.
These cars will patrol the Lu¬ zerne county area, although very few motorists wiil be aware of the fact. While the Kingston brunch has 11 motorcycles which also will be used, the cars will operate in secrecy to catch unwary motorists who, most of the time, drive care¬ fully only when a motorcycle cop¬ per in visible. Operation of the "secret crusaders" will do much lo rid the highways of careless fiends who always are a menace to pedes¬ trians and other drivers.
Motor cars will operate continu¬ ously 24 hours per day.
by the conferees," a close advisor revealed as union and corporation conferees returned to their hotel to study the strike situation that has tied up $50,000,000 worth of Chrysler property for the past 27 days.
"The leaders will meet again at 10 a, m, Sunday in an effort to break the deadlock over exclusive bargaining rights. The corporation has remained firm in its insistence that the United Automobile Work¬ ers will be recognized only as the bargaining agency for its members in Chrysler plants, U. A. W. claims to represent 95 per cent of Chrys¬ ler's  employees.
All Not Optimistic Murphy successful mediator in the recent   general   motors   strike,   re¬ mained  optimistic,
"Two weeks ago, on Palm Sun¬ day, I staled I believed that in¬ dustrial peace and good-will would be attained in Michigan," the Gov¬ ernor said. "After the conference between Mr. Chrysler and Mr. Lewis and the attitude of these j men to ly, I am more certain of it than ever." I The Governor's optimism was not matched by another of the conferees who told the United Press that "we are not counting upon   a  settlement  tomorrow."
The Governor disclosed lhat he had suggested the recess tonight. No New "Formula" While Chrysler and Lewis hur¬ ried away from the capital with¬ out commenting upon their meet¬ ing. Murphy said lie believed the conferences would proceed with¬ out interruption so long as neces¬ sary.
The Governor saw little cause for concern in the flare-up of labor troubles in General Motors plants this week.
"The union crowd is coming lo enjoy a new status," he said, "It doesn't mean anything discourag¬ ing to me for I know that the signatories lo the General Motors agreement are both going to as¬ sume moral responsibility to see it through,
"These things arc unfortunate and lamentable but are going to be adjusted."
G. .'^I. Strike Clarified The strike situation in General Motors plants at Flint appeared to have been clarified by ncgoUatioiis between Arnold G. Lenz, general manager of Chevrolet units there, and Robert C, Travis, union or¬ ganizer.
The nine plants of the Chevrolet Motor Company, employing 14,000 men, were evacuated and it was announced all would return to work Monday morning after the three- day sit-down. General wage ad¬ justments, discussed for the past two weeks, will go inlo effect with resumption of v/ork.
Homer   Martin,   union   president, will confer with all shop stewards (Continued on Page A-IOJ
GOVERNOR EARLE iSPMfl REBELS
FACES HARD TEST TOMORROW NIGHT
Beamish In Danger As New Public Utility Commission Seeks   Senate   Approval
FULL VOTE REQUIRED
(Special To Independent) Harlsburg, April 3—The Earle administration will experience its first test of strength in the state senate tomorrow night, provided the full Democratic strength of that body is on hand to act on the nominations made by Governor Earle the middle of last week for membership on the new Public Utility Commission.
There are thirty-four Democratic senators, just the two-thirds num¬ ber necessary to confirm nomina¬ tions by the Governor, One Demo¬ cratic senator has been ill for some time, but he is expected to be on hand tomorrow night.
Beamish Faces Trouble Doubt is expresed, however ,a3 to whether Richard J, Beamish will be able to poll more than thirty- two votes unless Republican sena¬ tors go to his asistance, which is nnt expected, owing to his record as a parly jumper the past five years. He supported Pinchot as a Republican candidate for governor in 1930 and in 1934 jumped the traces and gave his stentorian radio voice to the candidacy of Governor Earle.
Mr. Pinchot rewarded him by naming him to the Public Service Commission. His record as a somersault artist in politics pre¬ vious to the last Pinchot regime brought down upon him tho ire of a number of Republican sena¬ tors and they refused to vote to confirm   liim.
There is a strong possibility that he may be disappointed for the second time, as there arc at least two Democratic senators who pri¬ vately express abhorrence of Beam¬ ish  and all his political works.
There is also some doubt as to whether former Congressman Dris¬ coll will be able to win the votes of thirty-two senators. He was defeated for re-election to Con¬ gress by powerful corporation in¬ terests and it is believed these corporations are in close com¬ munion with at least three present Democratic members of the senate. No public opposition so far has been expressed against the other two nominations lhat are expect¬ ed tomorrow night -Donald Levin- son of Philadelphia and United Slates Dislrict Attorney Guy Bard of Lancaster,
OPEN POWERFUL
Loyalist Claim Successes And Mussolini Orders Exe¬ cution Of Defeated Men
MORE ITALIANS LAND
Chinese Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, with Madame Chiang, his American-educated wife, recuperating at the village of Chaikow, Chekiang province. He suffered serious injuries at the hands of rebellious   troops   In   Sian,   in   December,   under  Chang   Hseuh-liang.
NO. 14 IS REPORTED LEASED TO JERMYN
Most Important Transaction In Years Between Big Company And Independent
HUGE COAL HOLDINGS
JUST-MARRIED COUPLE HAVE EVENTFUL TRIP, WIND UP BY WALKING
Madrid, April 3. (UP)—The In¬ surgents made a strong attack on Madrid  late  tonight.
Artillery fire in the sectors around the capital was intensified shortly before midnight and ma¬ chine gunners on both sides were in  action.
The noise echoed throughout the capital. It appeared that Loyal¬ ist batteries were trying to dis¬ perse newly-arrived Rebel con¬ tingents.
Government sources meanwhile claimed successes on three fronts today, especially in the Cordoba region, where il was declared the Insurgent army was cut off and faced with surrender or annihila¬ tion.
Foreigners Retreat
Rebel forces in the latter sector included 10,000 ItaUans and an un¬ determined number of Germans. The Insurgents, retreating south¬ ward from Pozoblanco toward Cordoba, were separated from their base and forced westward toward Belmez, with the Loyalists in hot pursuit.
Loyalists, by capturing the vil¬ lage of Espiel in the southern sector of the Cordoba front, domi¬ nated the Cordoba-Madrid railway and seemed to have the insurgents effectively bottled up.
Rebel casualties were announced as heavy. Many prisoners and large quantities ot war materials were taken. Loyalists attacked under cover of artillery and airplanes, the latter flying low over tiie retreat¬ ing columns and raking them with machine gun fire and bombs.
In the Basque country in the north, the Loyalist army defending Bilbao was reported to have stopped Gen, Emllio Mola's drive on that Important center.
Advance In Northeast
In extreme northeastern Spain, near the coast, it was announced semi-ofiiciaily that Loyalists had advanced another mile and a half on the Coruna road, reaching the outskirts of Aravaca cemetery.
The Pozoblanco engagement was considered most important, how¬ ever, because next to the recent Guadalajara battle. It is one of the biggest actions of the war. Gen, (Continued on Page A-18)
One of the most important leas¬ ing   transactions   in   many   years ; between a main line coal company and   independent   operating   inter- j ests was reported liere  last night, i Its   terms   provided   for   the  turn¬ ing over of No, 14 colliery at Port Blanchard   to   William   S,   Jermyn of Scranton and Edward M. Green of  Pittston,
Shut down by the owning Pitt¬ ston Company about six years ago because ot the prevailing market slump. No. 14 colliery has been the objective of numerous leasing efforts by independents who sought to tap the estimated 50,000,000 tons of   unmined  coal  in  its  workings,
Jermyn,  son   of  tlie   late  Mayor E,   B,   Jermyn   of   Scranton,   and 1 widely known  in  Wyoming Valley |
A newly married Port Griffith couple, whose nuptials took place yesterday morning, little realized then that the first dozen hours of wedded bliss would place them and their best man on first hand terms with:
The Inside of a church.
The inside of a wrecked automo¬ bile.
The inside of a police patrol.
The inside of a hospital.
The Inside of police headquarters.
Early today the bridal party was trudging back to Port Griffith, the faces of the bride and groom band¬ aged with dressings covering se¬ vere lacerations, and the best man, his new suit tattered and torn, tenderly   fingering   brush   burns.
Here is the clironology of a wedding day that police here agreed was one of the most excit¬ ing, not to say disastrous, that ever came to their attention:
Yesterday  morning   in  St,  Casi
as a member of the Wilkes-Barre i mir's Lithuanian church at Pitt- Whips polo team here, has been j ston. Rev. Victor Kupstas perform- singularly successful as an inde- , ed the marriage ceremony uniting pendent coal operator, a business < Miss Anna Slachokus, 23, of 1430 in which his family has been con- , Main street, and John Ferek, 28, nected   for  many  years, of 1381 Main  street,  both of Port
Employed  1,600 .^len
No. 14 colliery, situated on the River Road at Port Blanchard, a short distance below the Wyoming bridge, employed 1,600 men in nor¬ mal times. Its modern breaker was one of its principal assets and its unmined coal has been estimated as of sufficient quantity to permit operation of the mine for another generation.
According to reports last night, the new operators plan to spend approximately $200,000 in bringing the unused portions of the mine up- to-date and fitting it for modern competitive operation.
News that No, 14 colliery will be in position to resume operations shortly with a good percentage of its former working force was joy¬ ously received in Pittston and vicinity last night. During the past few weeks rumors flew thick and fast that at least three of the Pittston Company's mines in that area were being readied for leasing to independent operators. Adonizio coal interests, first reported to be ready to take over No. 14, denied any connection with the deal. No, 9 and No, 6 collieries have been mentioned as likely to be leased to independents T>ut confirmation re¬ mained lacking last night,
Mr, Jermyn is a grandson of the (Continued on Page A-IO>.
Griffith,
They were attended by Miss Ma¬ tilda Kovalouskas and John Reck- laitis, 28, of 165 Center street, Pittston.
From the church the bridal party (Continued on Page A-18)
Kansas City, Mo„ April 3, (UP) —The Ford Motor Company strike was settled tonight, 30 hours after 400 ait-downers took possession of the assembly plant here. The men will return to work Monday.
Ed Hall, second vice president of tho United Automobile Workers, announced the settlement after a conference with representatives of the Ford company who flew here with him from Detroit.
All Ford employees, including the 350 laid off yesterday—the act that precipitated the strike — will go back  to work,  he  said,
March  Out Behind Band
The sit-down strikers marched out of the factory late today in snake dance formation behind a brass  band.
They came out immediately after
.Hall advised them that he had the
promise of Ford  officials  that no
union man would be discharged it
the strikers surrendered the plant.
Hall, five union representatives from the Ford plant and the Ford officials from Detroit started their conference on the various phases of the strike a few hours later at the President Hotel.
Presumably the conference at which this assurance was given occurred in a transport plane be¬ tween St, Louis and Kansas City.
The plane arrived just before 4:30 p. in. From it stepped Hall and five men whose name Hall would not reveal "because I promised something." The five men went to a hotel.
Hall went downtown, then drove to the plant in the eastern part of the city, A band composed of But¬ ler Mercantile employees who them¬ selves have been on a strike for 23 days . was parading about the Ford plant when Hall arrived. There was a tense air of excite¬ ment.
The sil-downers were called to the windows. The plant's loud speaker blared forth: "Ed Hall has a mesagc for you."
No Layoff Promised
A representative of the union officials went inside and deliverwl this message:
"The management of the Ford Motor Company has given Mr. Hall assurance that if you men leave the plant, no union man will be laid off, regardles of seniority,"
Then   the   representative   recom¬ mended that the strikers march out (Continued on Pago A-10)
Sitdoivners In Hershey Plants Vacate On Arbitration Promise
Hershey, Pa, April 3. (UP)—, Officials of Hershey Chocolate Cor¬ poration announced tonight that an agreement had been reached with striking employees who have occupied the plant since yesterday noon.
First stipulation of the agree¬ ment was that sit-down and "sit- on-the-roof" strikers evacuate the plant.
The agreement was signed by officials of the United Chocolate Workers of America, a C, I. O. union, and William F, R. Murrie and W, S. Crouse, president and secretary, respectively, of the com¬ pany.
Union officials had difficulty In persuading the workers lo leave the plant.   Finally it was decided
to put some of the strikers to work cleaning up the buildings, leaving 80 men inside, 20 to a shift. Th« rest went to their homes. They said they would picket the plant to make certain that factory work was not resumed while negotia¬ tions  were   in   progress.
Apparently no damage was done to machinery during the strike. Further negotiations will be start¬ ed  tomorrow  or  Monday.
Issues to be negotiated were; Equal division of work, establish¬ ment of arbitration machinery, the closed shop, check-off of union dues and investigation of all em¬ ployees laid off since March IT to work  out seniority rights.
About 900 of the 2,400 empIoyM* took possession of the plant ]rMh terday.
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