A GENEKAL NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF ORGANIZED LABOR IN UN SECTION | ONE Union Press, Established May, 1935. CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. ON AN ATTAINMENT OF THE LARGEST GENERAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. Recognized and Endors- ed by Upwards of more than Fifty Local Unions and Central Bodies Over the Area. Patton Courier, Established Oct., 1893, VOL. 46. No. 15. onda 9 CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AREA. THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 1939 723 South Fifth Ave. PATTON. PA SUBSCRIPTION, $2.00 PER YEAR WATCHFUL EYES SCAN LEGISLATION LABOR LOBBIES ORGANIZEDFOR NEXT SESSION Twe Big Union Bodies in State to Present Top Strength in| Coming Legislature, facing a test of its political power during the coming Republican | controlled state administration will bring new and extensive organizations | to bear in behalf of their legislative | programs. Both the State Federation of Labor, | AFL, and the State Industrial Union Council, CIO, are new this year | both are organized to represent labor | on a larger scale than ever before. Both groups supported the Demo- cratic candidates in the November el- ection and now must look to the vic- torious Republicans to protect the gains won for labor in the two pre- vious legislatures and principally in the Democratic controlled 1937 legis- lature. The split in the ranks of labor that / replaced the former State Federation with two new groups representing the AFL and CIO, brought on a wave of labor organization that resulted in the state organization of hundreds of un- ions never previously affiliated with a state-wide federation. The New Federation started out with unions representing some 300,000 to 400,000 AFL members and has add- ed scores of new unions during and since the election campaign. The CIO Industrial Union Council | working hard at the tas kof organiza- tion, reports affiliation of 1.200 local unions with a total membership oi 500,000 and counts on a potential CIO strength in Pennsylvania of 800,000. Both groups have affiliated organi- zations to represent them politically, and since the CIO first orzwnized its Labor's Non-Partisan League in 1936. the political action committees and leagues have been organized on a scale that reaches into every voting] district of ine most populous centers of the state. Labor's Non-Partisan league func- | tioned in 1936 and again in 1937, when | it supported Lieutenant Governor Thomas Kennedy's campaign for the] Democratic governorship nomination, and, in the general election, the Dem- | ocratic nominees. The AFL non-partisan functioned in this year’s primaries ag- | ainst Mr. Kennedy and the CIO, and | were on the same side as the CIO in the general election. Although they fought a losing bat- | tle in the election these political ac- | tion agencies are counted as among | labor’s best assets now, as they pro- | vide an already organized means of bringing pressure on legislators from | their home districts. Labor, | committees hi BE ET | HISTORICAL GROUP HAS A MEETING | { Attorney Peter J. Little president of | the Cambria County Historical Socie- delivered an address at a meeting of | the organization held in the court- | house at Ebensburg on Saturday af-| ternoon. | Mr. Little spoke on “The Kittanning | Path and Hart's Sleeping which was located a quarter of a mile | north of Sunset Park, near St. Jos- | | Larger | ing | John | same | ical { that | operation | of the NON-WORKERS HAVE MORE CHANCE FOR ELIMINATION OF CAR PUSHING! Operators Favor Such | Action, Smaller Ones Oppose, Senator Haluska Says. | { | bors protest against | closing of all WPA projects by Methods to eliminate mine car push- | in the bituminous mines of Penn- sylvania were discussed at a meeting held in the last Thursday afternoon by J. Haluska of Patton present means of moving coal cars in court house at Ebensburg | Senator | at which | der that : | spread starvation may be mines by manpower was denounced as | one of the principal evils in the in- dustry. Senator Haluska is chairman | of the committee which for more than 18 months has been investigating the situation. More than fifty representa- | tives of locals of the United Mine Wor- | kers of America were in attendance at | last Thursday's meeting. The committee, headed by Senator | Haluska will hold a final public hear- ing in the state senate chamber late in January or early in February, the Senator declared, at which time the subject will be further discussed before the committee makes final recommen- dations for legislation to abate mine car pushing. Representatives Blake Shugarts of Clearfield county and Jo- seph Baine of Allegheny county, attended last Thursday’s session. Many operators of small mines de- clare that if they are compelled to in- stall storage batteries or use other me- chanical motor power to move the cars they will be forced to shut down their operations, while operators ot [large mines would be glad if legisla- tion should be enacted compelling the abandonment of mine car pushing, the Senator said. Mine car pushing was declared by | the | Harry Smull of Beaverdale to be second highest cause of mine accidents --the first being rock ed that the process shortened the lives of miners and that in many instances it led to physical conditions such ruptures and hernias which are covered in the compensation laws. not The others at the meeting. Answering the contention that some 1 operators might have to shut down if are compelled to install mechan- | they devices for car pushing, Thomas Morris, of Beaverdale, declared “any mine which cannot be Ww. also fall. He declar- | oO MINERS ASKLAW | CIO Demands New Congress STATE PURCHASES JOBLESS BENEFITS Vote Additional WPA Funds NORTH COUNTY'S TO BE AVAILABLE Washington.—A demand by Presi- CIO that | | dent John L. Lewis of the Congress appropriate at least a billion | dollars for the Feb- ruary 7th. Meanwhile CIO unions in every com- munity in the nation were preparing to register a mighty call upon their rep- resentatives and senators to insure al- lotment of new funds to WPA in or- intense distress and wide- averted dur- ing the winter months. CIO national officers recently urgent calls to all union affiliates, ging that they act rapidly to about speedy action on the bill. President Lewis's statement sued less than five hours after WPA Deputy administrator Aubrey Will- iams confessed to a group of Pennsyl- vania unionists led by John Edelman, CIO director in Philadelphia, that a lack of funds will force WPA to start eliminating projects on January 26. Lewis said: “The announcement that the sent ur- bring was is- WPA will close down all its projects begin- WPA led oif organized la- | announced | ning Tencery 26th reveals the serious- ness of the emergency which is n¢ cing the unemployed in tne “In the face of this emergency ths CIO is asking that the congress im- mediately upon convening appropriate continuation of WPA up to June 30th 1939. than continue the WPA at the current rate of jobs. The CIO is convinced that this is the most immediate duty which faces the Congress. Unless ac- tion is taken within the first weeks of January, 3,200,000 American and at least who are dependent face disaster. “The CIO calls upon its affiliates im- mediately to mobilize their forces bring to the attention of each senator workers upon them will of the American unemployed. “We believe that Congress when knows the facts will appropriate funds necessary to carry on the tivities of WPA. “It is the first duty of every member and American citizen to sure the continuation of WPA.” it the CIO | in- EXPECT DPA LOAD TO GROWHEAVIER AS WPA SLACKENS Effect of Retrenchment Is Not Computed But Relief Costs Are Mounting Higher. Cambria county's direct relief load wilich has increased steadily since the Works Progress Administration began | its much publicized retrenchment pro- as | | holiday thought was expressed also by | gram ,is expected to continued in a post climb, according to the and state Department of Public reports. For the third consecutive week an increase was reported in unemploy- ment relief rolls. During the third week in December 15,080 persons were local As- sistance | added to the state bringing the total as oper- | ated with safety to the men should be | shut down.” “Human welfare above profits,” should be placed which could not afford to install me- chanical aides should be shut down | period, he asserted. John Sloan ! j of Ehrenfeld also declared that mines of December 17th to 647,268. In this county, consecutive weekly increases have been noted for a longer with new applications surpass- ing the number of closed cases as long as six or seven weeks ago. Only 551 cases were closed during | the third week of December because Earning power of the miners are re- | duced through time lost in car push- ing, W. W. Snedden of Nanty-Glo. pointed out. He also asserted that the | saps the physical strength miners and renders them more | likely to breakdown. Representative Baine declared most of the larger mines in Allegheny county move the cars without manual aid. Senator Glen R. Law, county, a member of the committee, in a letter to Senator Haluska suggested | enacted which | | that law might be a | would give the state mine inspectors | “power” Place,” is a serious evil existant.” present, Several to act in cases where there however, insisted that eph’s church, on the Carrolltown and | have too many duties at present. Hastings road. The society has erect- ed a sandstone marker weighing twa tons at the site of Hart's Sleeping Pla- | ce, which will be dedicated next | spring. The land was donated to the | society by Nicholas Galluchick, on | whose farm in West Carroll township | |p the marker is located. the latter part of the eighteenth cen- | tury and during his travels on the | Kittanning Path frequently remained overnight at the site where the mark- | er is located. CHANGES MADE IN D. ATES OF UNEMPLOYMENT SER- VICE: SCHEDULES—NOW The State Unemployment office at | Johnstown has advised the Press-Cour- | ier that a change in the itinerant ser- | enter bers of the staff, the board allows become permanent the probational ap- | | pointment of approximately 150 | sons with civil service {| Department of Public Assistance islation. board could have changes any time prior to the end of | that kept the senate in the spotlight, Republican | be named by the ' COUNTY DPA STAFF CERTAIN OF JOBS; Cambria County Department of ublic Assistance staff members will this new it the last meet- believed, following By its failure to displace any mem- leg- At discretion made its own | the year. Three will as (investigators) board as soon visitors that | | | | { | are equipped with devices to | | | The miners | opposed the idea. | the inspectors | f new WPA projects, a state statisti- cal report said. This was the aumber closed for this reason the Federal Works program was start- ed. Cases opened because of loss of the | WPA employment in the state during | | the same period left 7,623 more persons dependent upon relief. The exact ex- tent to which this affected Cambria county has not yet been computed. Expenditures for direct relief in of Mercer | Cambria county are runing about $27,- 000 a week, not including administra tive payrolls .The relief bill in the state is almost $1,500,000 week at current levels. REPUBLICANS ASSUME LEADERSHIP OF BOTH HOUSES IN THE STATE a Harrisburg.—Republicans, after | ghting for hours, elected the president | pro temporare of the state senate on NO ONE DISMISSED | year sure of their jobs | John Hart was an Indian trader in| .,4 free from political interference, it ing in 1938, of the county DPA board. | | by the vote to | rence county Democrat. per- | cratic ratings under | down the line chief clerk, the other odd senate jobs. personnel | Tuesday ship in both houses of the al senate patronage. while Ellwood J. wise proceeded in a normal way night, thus assuming leader- assembly. Democrats Frederick T. Gelder, silver haired veteran from Susquehanna county was chosen to head the senate. was 22 to 23, with republicans aided The result of William J. Eroe, Law- the Demo- and supported them in the selection of a switched back to side later Eroe secretary, It was a bitter, quarrelsome session House elected Turner speaker and other- for the vice of the office has been necessita- | a list of names of persons eligible for | the first day of the 133rd legislative ted in several of the towns over the county. next Monday, January 9th, and the new schedule wil be as follows: The change will be effective | burg. The three Scoapt higher appointment is received from Harris- visitors resigned to salaried jobs. Monday—Spangler, Municipal build- | MIN ER AT SPANGLER ing form 8:30 a. m. to 4:30 p. m. Tuesday—None. Wednesday—Nanty-Glo, building, 8:30 to 11:30 a. m.; Fire Hall, 1 p. m. to 4:30 p. m. Thurs.—Gallitzin, Municipal ing, 8:30 to 11:30 a. liams’ Store 1 to 2:30 p. m.; Blandburg, | Community hall, 3 to 4:30 p. m. Friday-—Portage, Municipal building 8:30 to 11:30 a. m.; Dunlo, Miners’ hall from 1:30 to 4:30 p. m. Municipal | build- ! Patton, at | fered severe lacerations of the {hand on Saturday night when he was | i caught by the premature explosion of | m.; Frugality, Wil- | a cap. Wilgus was said ‘to be preparing to celebrate | Year at the time of the accident. was removed to the Spangler hospi- tal where it is feared amputation several fingers may be necessary. INJURED BY BLAST | Andrew Wilgus, 62, of Spangler, suf- left the advent of the New He of | the change in the rules requiring a two- thirds vote of the 0 member body The Republicans | have a numerical strength of 25. | oust the session. After saving the jobs in the senate, Democrats shoved through a job holders. Do You Know? In no group of independent individ- uals in our modern civilization is the profit motive less prominent and the need of socialization less urgent than | it is in the medical profession and at | the same time in no form of service | is political control less likely to ach- | ieve success. | lowest | since | fi- | 1939 Gener- | salvaged the | librarian, and 70 | to | | ty-Glo. ‘CLERKS TO MEET FRIDAY EVENING AT BARNESBORO Organizer Elmer Barger Asks Presence of Chain Store Em- ployees of North Cambria. International Vice President Elmer Barger of the Wholesale and Ratail | Employes of America, a CIO affiliate, advises the Press-Courier that a meet- ing the store clerks of the A & P and the American Stores has been called for the Moose Hall at Barnesboro on | Fridey evening of this week at 8:00 | o'clock, to discuss the contracts now pending with each of the two organi- zations. Mr. Barger is especially anx- ious to have the clerks from these two organizations attend from the follow- ing towns: Ebensburg, Nanty-Glo, Pat- ton, Spangler, Barnesboro and Has- tings. It is the aim of the CIO represen- tative to bring the stores of this sec- tion of the state into the CIO organ- ization under approximately the same | contract and terms as was signed by | the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Comapny stores at their establishments in Cur- wensville and Clearfield recently. | AUTO LICENSE DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO FIFTEENTH OF JANUARY Pennsylvania motorists have receiv- | | ed official approval to use their | automobile license plates until Janu- ! ary 15th. Secretary J. Griffith Board- | man o fthe Revenue department, in | announcing the extension, said he will recommend to the 1939 legislature a change of the licensing period until i early spring, possibly April 1st. | He said he was convinced by slowness of the motorists in obtaining 1939 licenses that they desired a licen- | | sing period other than the Christmas | holiday season. Without Boardman's action, under authority of an act of the 1937 legis- lature, 1938 license plates would have been illegal after last Saturday night. Boardman said: “I am granting the utmost leniency to Pennsylvania motorists by extending | the time limit as far as the law | lows. “I am of the opinion, after careful and searching investigation, that | majority of motorists want the licen- sing period fixed at a time later than | al- | I January 1st. “I am personally convinced that the most people need all the money they can command during the holiday sea- son for purposes other than license plates. “It is my intention to advocate at the forthcoming session of the Legisla- ture that the relicensing date be fixed during the early spring, possibly April 1st. Found Dead in Bed. James Shaw, aged 69, fami Jianiy | known through Cambria County “Jim Crow” was found dead in bed on { Thursday morning last at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Gearhart in Nan- Mr. Shaw's death was attribu- ted to complications superinduced by injuries sustained Christmas day in a | fall at the Gearhart home. Shaw, who had been unemployed for the last ten years, had resided at the Gearhart | home for the last three years, He was born in Wilkes-Barre n| 1869. There are no surviving By not less than one billion dollars for the “This appropriation will do no more | ten million human beings | to | and congressman the facts of the plight | ac- | 1938 | the | mid- | the | | growths of large timber | ester Gray revealed. | | interes st on road and bridge bonds and - FOREST SECTIONS ON LARGER SCALE 4,200 Acres Are Bor Bought in Dean Three Months Added to Qualify- White, Chest and Clearfield! ing Period Thomas V. Hayes Townships; Other Options. Declares. For the first time the Pennsylva-{ Men and women who lost their jobs nia Department of Forests and Waters during the year just closed became fa- is purchasing forest lands in the Gall- | miliar with a new state agency, the itzin district of the department. The Division ¢f Unemployment Compensa- | district includes Cambria and Indiana tion, which has entered the new year counties and parts of Blair and Clear- by making benefits available to a | field counties. greater number of people. The department already has pur- The program, which was inaugura- chased 4,200 acres of land of mostly ted under state legislation just a year scrub timber, in White, Dean, Chest ago will continue as it had done in the | and Clearfield townships. past but more persons will be eligible District Forester Thomas M. Gray | to file claims as it becomes easier to admitted that the department is seek- | qualify for weekly jobless insurance ing to purchase additional land in the | payments. | district and is particularly anxious to Thomas V. Hayes, manager the | obtain forest lands along Chest Creek | State Unemployment Office, head- | and the upper Susquehanna river quarters for the Division of Unemploy- | It was learned from landowners in | ment Compensation, said the qualify- the Northern Cambria County and in! ing rules are difficult to outline be- | Southern Clearfield County that ap-|cause benefits to which each jobless | praisers from the department already ' person is entitled must be determined | have contacted scores of owners of according to the merits of individual | large tracts of land in that vicinity. cases. { It was understood the state is paying 1ne thousands of persons who filed | about $2.50 per acre for some lands and | claims at the beginning of 1938 will be | has offered as high as $3 for other eligible, if they are unemployed, to | lands. depending on the location and | file new claims on January 24th, Mr. | the timber. Forestry officials refuse to ' Hayes declared. He explained a hypo- divulge the exact amount of land the | thetical case. { department hopes to purchase but it! “Suppose you filed a claim on the is understood it is well above 100,000 | first day of 1938. That was January 3, acres. the first day the office was ready to Department officials already have receive them. The law required a wait- i taken options on some 50,000 acres of ing period of thre weeks, during which additional farm and scrub timber | period you had to report at this office i lands in the northern section of the each week. Then, if you found no job, { county. Majority of land is located al- ' you began receiving unemployment j ong Chest Creek and the Susquehanna compensation checks as of January 24. river, | “Each case is handled on a yearly It was generally understood that the hasis. By that I méan that 2 man who | state is purchasing the land as part of | became a receiver of benefits as of { the mammoth flood control project. It January 24, 1938, was entitled to re- | was believed that the now barren lands | ceive compensation payments for a | and the slightly forested areas will be | maximum of 13 weeks, based on part reforested as fast possible. Ever-! of the previous year’s earnings. If, dur- greens probably will be planted with-|ing the year, he exhausted his share in the ct year on the recently ac- | of the fund, he is not eligible to receive quired tract in the northern section of ' any more until 52 weeks from the date the county. | he became eligible. If he was one of Forestry officials also are seeking to | the first to file claims he will again purchase several thousand acres of! be eligible on January 24, 1939.” land of both farming and timber lands Weekly benefits in 1939 will be bas- | along Yellow Creek in Indiana county.! ed on wages earned during the last Several farmers have signed options | three months of 1937, and the first 9 and others are being contacted by de- | months of 1938, Mr. Hayes pointed out. partment appraisers and land acquisi- | That would be from October, 1937, to tion agents. October, 1938. mi | The Indiana County farming lands Hayes declared no person can qual- lare bringing a slightly higher price'ify for jobless insurance benefits twice than the forest lands of northern Cam- { on the same wages covering the same bria county, it was learned. The de-| period of time. ‘There's a mistaken partment has offered as much as $7| impression among unemployed that per acre for some of the choice lands | benefits are available every year on | along Upper Yellow Creek. Purchase | the basis of wages earned when they { of thet land also is believed to be part first became eligible,” Hayes said. of the flood control program. Anyone who becomes unemployed in Majority of the land already pur-|1939 is “eligible to receive half of his | chased by the department and that | average weekly income as long as the { now under option is accessible by fair- | weekly benefits are not less than $7.50 ly good dirt roads it was revealed. De- | nor more than $15. To qualify, a person partment officials revealed that there | must have earned at least 13 times his | is a possibility that several state parks , weekly grant during the period be- { will be constructed in the northern tween October, 1987, October, i section of the county. ! 1938, it was pointed out. State parks in the Forbes district.| When benefits became available last j which :ejoins the Gallitzin district on | January ,the base year- the period He South. have been received very | | during which qualifying wag were | favorably by sportsmen and recreation. | earned consisted, of a nine hy pe- | ists. The parks offer excellent facili-| riod. Beginning next yee which ties for campers, hikers and hunters. should have an additional mber eli- The state has constructed log cabins | gible, Hays said. [in parks in the Forbes district and While totals have not been comput- | annually ghousands of persons take'!ed. the Johnstown office disbursed advantage of the cabins during the | more than $1,500.000 to jobless in Cam- | summer and fall. The cabins are remt- | bria county during 1938. | ed by the week at nominal fees Local forestry officials and outdoor | enthusia sts are hopeful that the de- | partment will be able to purchase ad- | ditional lands in the county and estab- | {lish a CCC camp for the purpose of! i | constructing camps. | Forester Gray declined to reveal the owners of séveral large tracts of land jin the county which are being sought | by the state. However, it was learned { that the land adjoins the McFarland- | Rothert tract in White and Dea n- | ships, which was recently acquired by | | the department. | In the event the department is | cessful in acquiring all lands now un- der option in Cambria county it will |o Wn approximately 80,000 in one block. | The land is of very little value from | the standpoint of timber, but the po- | | tentialities for producing excellent are good, For- | of as | | | | | and es ni PA TTON FIREMEN TO HOLD BINGO PARTIES EVERY WEDNESDAY The members of the Patton Volun- teer Fire Company, No. 1, have com- pleted arrangements for the holding of a bongo party in the Fire Hall every Wednesday night, beginning xt Wed- nesday, January 11th, and starting at 8 p. m. The committe in charge pro- mise to make the evening interest- ing. Thirty five games wil > played for 25 cents admi a prize will be given each g general public is welcoms attend the series n tow suc- IE RN COU N TY BARN IS LEVELED Fire of an undetermined Saturday night destroye y | frame barn on the Stephen in Susquehanna toy Barnesboro and Hastir . Ds iled was estimated a A large quantity tatoes was stored in valuable farm machinery stroyed. Hastings and Barne unteer firemen responded t but the fire had gained too | headway before the firemen on the scene | COU NTY G ETS SHARE OF STATE FU EL TAXES Gray farm ), between mage en- 000 in al Cambria county's treasury was en- riched $59,035.10 last week when pay- ta ment was made by the state of the county’s share of the state gasoline | tax fund. Payment also went to fif- ten other counties. Payments may be | used by the counties for payment of | and po- an Some nas de- alarms much in settling damages in new road con- arrived struction work
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers