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Vol. 49
THE DALLAS POST,
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1939
No. 4
POST
SCRIPTS
oDDS
AND
ENDS
{ OF THE
WEEK
JOB
They say Governor James promised
only one job — and that to his boyhood
friend, John J. Roberts of Plymouth,
and thereby hangs a story.
Roberts, who was formerly secretary
of the Howell Mine Drill Co., lost his
position when the company was re-
organized, Later he became ill, and
his recovery was delayed because he
worried continually about his un-
employment. His condition became ser-
ious and he was taken to a Philadel-
phia hospital.
Just before Christmas the then
Governor-elect was in Philadelphia
and learned that John was in a hos-
pital. James went to visit him. Roberts
had been delirious but he recognized
his old friend. “Hello, Governor,” he
said. James took his hand. “It’s still
Arthur to you, John,” he said. “I've
got to get well and get a job,” Roberts
mumbled, semi-deliriously, The Gov-
ernor leaned over the bed and said:
“Get well and you won’t need to hunt
for a job. I've saved one for you.”
John didn’t remember the Governor's
visit when he recovered but his nurses
told him of his good fortune. No one
knows what John’s job at Harrisburg
will be, but they agree it is the only
. one Governor James promised. It will
have to wait a while, though, for to-
morrow John J. Roberts will go under
the surgeon's knife at Jefferson Hos-
pital for his fifth operation.
; a
ALUMNI
During his gubernatorial campaign
Arthur James, who was graduated
from Dickinson Law School, attended
‘a meeting of local alumni at Wilkes-
Barre and was drafn into a discussion
concerning the place of the next meet-
ing. “Well,” said James, with a twin-
'kle in his eye, “suppose we have the
‘next meeting in the Executive Mansion
at Harrisburg.” Since the electoraie
‘was still to have its say, the alumni]
ring cutting ice for shipment through
greeted Judge James’ promise with
‘good-natured doubt. “We'll get that in
writing,” said Judge E. Foster Heller,
old friend of James, The Governor
then wrote his promise on the back
of an old envelope and the members
of the gathering affixed their signa-
tures thereto.
. News Item: The next meeting of
the Wyoming Valley alumni of Dickin-
son College will be in the Executive
‘Mansion on Front Street, Harrisburg,
in a few weeks.
og
DIVINING
The other night the school directors
of Dallas Borough were discussing the
new well they intend to dig and some-
one suggested facetiously that they
hire a “diviner” to locate the site of
the well with a peach twig. That
turned the subject for a while to di-
vining rods, once held in solid repute
here, and R. B. Shaver told of a man
who insisted on drilling a well in the
middle of a driveway because a di-
viner’s rod had pointed there. “Water
witches” and “dowsers” and such have
almost disappeared in this section of
the country but there are many who
remember the day when they prosper-
ed at their fantastic trade. They em-
ployed a tough, springy, freshly-cut
forked twig, which they held with
moderate firmness while walking over
the ground. The twig was supposed to
indicate the presence of underground
water by the movment of the butt end,
either upward or downward. Usually
the twig was hazel, willow, peach, witch
hazel or apple, somtimes plum, pear,
cherry, beech or holly, but home di-
viners dispensed with twigs and began
~ using buggy whips, jointed carpenter
rules, clock springs, fence wire, rods
of steel, alumuninum, gold, silver, ox-
horn and ivory. “Divining” was so
widespread that geologists and general
scientists went to great lengths to ex-
pose it. Tests have been held all over
the world, and no diviner has ever suc-
ceeded in satisfying any reputable
seientific body of the infallibility of
his method.
(Continued on Page 8)
‘Wilkinson Learns Political A. B. Cos
At ‘Class’ For Freshman Legislators
(Special To The Post)
Don Wilkinson of Forty Fort, new
Representative to the State Legisla-
ture from the Sixth District of Luzerne
County, which includes Dallas and its
vicinity, went to school this week,
with 91 other “Freshmen” in the
G. O. P. delegation to the House.
Elwood J. Turner, Speaker of the
House and a graduate cum laude of
the University of Practical Politics,
called the Republican newcomers to
‘the “classrooms” in Penn Harris Ho-
tel to learn their political A. B. Cs.
His plan, he said, is to teach the stu-
Sub-Zero Weather
Rides Into Dallas
On Wings Of Gale
Fifteen Inches Of Snow
Fall Here Within
Two Weeks
ICE HARVEST BEGINS
id
F
The tail end of a storm which raised
mountainous waves along, the..Atlan-
tic Conte shipping,
lashed Dallas bitterly this week and;
gave this section its worst weather of
the winter.
After two months of comparatively
mild weather, which had seen pansies
blooming in one local garden, winter
arrived finally on Friday, the 13th, on,
the wings of a six and one-half inch |
snow fall. On January 18 and 19 six
and three-quarters more inches of
snow fell. Another inch fell on Jan-
uary 20 and 21. Light falls on Tues
day and Wednesday morning brought
the total for the two weeks to about
15 inches. :
Although there were reports from
some sections that the temperature
had dropped to 14 degrees below zero
on some of the recent cold mornings,
the lowest reading at the filter plant
of Scranton-Spring Brook Water Co.
at Huntsville, where an official rec-
ord is kept, was 6 degrees below on
the morning of Friday, January 20.
Gale Whips This Area
Stiff winds, which reached a velocity
of 50-miles-an-hour, whipped the rural
area and sent snow-clouds scudding.
Employes of the State Highway De-
partment kept all roads clear and
ashed, but the drifting snow piled high
on sidewalks in Dallas and made
walking difficult. Commonwealth Tel-
ephone Co. reported no serious trouble
but a number of minor breaks which
kept repairmen busy.
The annual harvest of ice at Mt.
Springs, back of Noxen, was begun
vesterday by Arthur L. Stull & Co.
The ice there is about 14 inches thick,
it "wel rey? £24, and ‘when the harvest
is in full swing 70 men will be work-
Dallas to the ice houses in Wilkes-
Barre. :
There is about 10 or 11 inches of ice
on Burt Bryant's pond at Meeker,
where only water ice has been cut so
far. The harvest will begin within a
few days, however, if the weather con-
tinues cold. The ice on Harvey's Lake
is about 8 inches thick.
Steam Shovel, Stuck,
Aided By State Truck
A giant steam shovel and conveyor
of B. G. Coons Construction Co. of
Kingston was stranded on, the ice’ of
Main Street for over a half am” hour
Wednesday morning, until#a State
Highway Department traek came to
its rescue.
The steam shovel, which had been
used for digging cellars on Goss Ma-
nor, made the Main Street hill only
after the State truck dumped a load
of ashes about the conveyor wheels
and then pushed the contraption from
behind.
WANTS ‘KING’ PROMOTED
9
Congressman J. Harold Flannery
proposed in Washington this week that
Congress confer the rank of captain in
the marine reserves on Faustin E.
Wirkus, Dupont native, who became
“King” of the West Indian island of
La Gonave several years ago. Dis-
covered by William Seabrook, Wirkus
wrote a book about his experiences as
monarch of the island while he was a
non-commissioned officer in the ma-
rines. Wirkus is employed in the
brokerage business in New York now.
REGRET—14 YEARS LATE
Roy G. Pensyl, Bloomsburg store-
keeper, received 50, cents this week
from someone 0 e he was
“ashamed” becafise gfe had stolen
candy from Pe 14 years ago. “If
I didn’t settle even the smallest mat-
ter,” the rconscience-stricken culprit
confessed, “I'm sure I would go to
hell.”
dents how and where bills originate (it
isn’t in a cabbage patch apparently);
what happens to them after they are
introduced, the function of committees
and, in general, the high points of
parliamentary procedure.
Turner recalled that when he came
to the House 15 years ago he “just sat
around, not knowing what was going
on.” In Representative Wilkinson he
had an apt pupil, because the local
legislator has been active in Harris-
burg for some - years and already
LEE COMES HOME FROM TRIUMPH ABROAD
In high spirits after a dramatic
triumph in London and a honeymoon
jaunt through Europe, Lee Tracy, Shavertown moving picture star and his
recent bride spent Saturday and Sunday here with Lee’s mother, Mrs.
‘W. L. Tracy, before entraining for Hollywood, where the personable actor
will begin a new film.
knows the ropes as well as many of
his political brethren.
Mouwie Star Here Two Days
On Return From London Hit
LEE AND HELEN HAPPY, HIS MOTHER REPORTS
Lee Tracy, Shavertown’s own movie star, left Sunday evening for Holly-
wood with his bride of last summer, Helen Thomas, after a whirlwind two-
day visit at the Pioneer Avenue home of his mother, Mrs. W. L. Tracy.
‘When the Tracys, who are still
honeymooning, landed in New York
late last week, Mrs. Tracy went to they
big city to spent a few days with
her son and daughter-in-law, The
threesome arrived here Saturday
morning and spent the week-end vis-
iting old friends in this section. Since
Lee was due in Hollywood yesterday
to begin work on a mew picture for
RKO, “What Is A Fixer?” the couple
had to cut their visit short.
After a triumphat run in Robert
Sherwood’s ‘Idiot’s Delight”, which
played in the Apollo Theatre at Lon-
don until late in December, Lee took
his bride on a real honeymoon trip
through Europe. The couple visited
Belgium, Berlin, where “the people
seemed happy and prosperous in spite
of all”, and Switzerland, where they
spent most of their time skiing.
Receives Four Offers
In New York Lee received four of-
fers to appear in productions on
Broadway. Producer Jed Harris, who
started Lee on his way to stardom
with a hoofer’s part in “Broadway,”
offered him a part in a new play, and
Phil Benning, another first-flight pro-
ducer, had a play for Mr. Tracy to
read, too.
Lee took his mother and wife to see
“Abraham Lincoln” and after the per-
formance they visited Raymond Mas-
sey, who played the title role in the
production, Mr. and Mrs. Tracy had
visited Mr. Massey at his home in
England last fall and there Lee sat-
isfied a secret ambition when he ser-
ved as pin-boy at the Massey's private
bowling alley.
The famous actor and his bride are
in splended health and Lee is ready
for the Hollywood grind again. The
picture he is to make is the story of
a press agent, first cousin to the re-
porters Lee had been portraying for
so many years. His association with
local newspapermen made him quite
concerned over the strike in Wilkes-
Barre.
“It was nice having Lee and Helen
home for a while,” said Mrs. Tracy.
“I'm always happy when they're here,
and I guess that’s partly because they
seem so happy when they're together.”
Councilmen To Pass
On Budget Wednesday
Dallas councilmen will pass final
judgement on the borough budget for
the current year at their regular meet-
ing next Wednesday night. Indica-
tions are that the levy will be the
same as last year, 156% mills.
A. tentative budget, prepared by
financial committeemen John Durbin,
Peter Clark and Morgan Wilcox, was
adopted by Council January 12th and
is open for inspection at the Daven-
port Street home of Secretary William
J. Niemeyer until the end of this
month. 5 :
Advocated By Club
Propose Concrete Road In
Luzerne; New Link
To Lehman
Four major highway projects in Dal-
las and its vicinity have bgén included
on the 1939-1940 road program of
Wyoming Valley Motor Club, it was
announced this week by Norman John-
stone, secretary of the club.
The local improvements are among
nine new roads to be sought by the
club during the next year. Second on
the list of projects is the proposed
concrete highway from Vaughns cor-
ners through Luzerne to join with the
Harvey's Lake Road.
The club also has decided to advo-
cate a concrete link from Hillside to
Lehman, along Route 115, and will
soon propose relocation of the main
highway from Trucksville through
Dallas to Harvey's Lake. Although no
details were annonnced on the latter
plan it is understood the club favors
using the right-of-way of the street
car company for a new and shorter
highway.
The long-awaited concrete highway
from Dallas to Lutes Corner, to com-
plete the partially-improved link be-
tween Dallas and Tunkhannock, ig al-
so included on the club’s program,
Nc Accidents Despite
Ice, Covert Reports
Despite icy pavements, traffic con-
ditions in Dallas have been normal
throughout the week, according to«Po-~
lice Chief Walter Covert, ii
No accidents were reported, and the
streets have been heavily ashed to
prevent skidding. Large blocks of ice
broken from the drifts along Pioneer
Avenue in Shavertown provided a
traffic hazard at times during the
week. Residents of that section, how-
ever, kept the highway clear.
County Would Change
Noted Hairpin Curve
Elimination of “Hajrpin Curve” on
the Wilkes-Barre-Ppc mountain
route, where 38 persons have been kil-
led, was proposed to the Luzerne
County Commissioners this week, W.
J. Carroll, district engineer of the
State Highway Department, Scranton,
explained new plans which would re
route the highway and cut the present
steep incline to a seven per cent grade.
Feur New Highways
Observers Retire
From Conferences
On Valley's Strike
May Be Called However To
Take Part In Further
Peace Moves
BOTH SIDES FIRM
A move to negotiate separately
with the publishers of Wilkes-Barre’s
three suspended newspapers was
launched by striking American News-
paper Guildsmen yesterday afternoon
after conferences held during the last
week with three impartial observers
had failed to produce a plan satisfac
tory to principals in the 16-weeks-old
strike.
The observers, Walter Harris, or-
ganizer for the C. I. O. Textile Work-
ers Organizing Committee; Charles
Weissman, Wilkes-Barre business
man, and T. M. B, Hicks, industrial
commissioner of Wyoming Valley
Chamber of Commerce, offered to re-
tire but it was intimated that they
might be called upon to serve in furth-
er conferences. Both publishers and
the Guild thanked the three men for
their services.
After yesterday’s meeting had ended,
the Guild promptly issued an invita-
tion through sub-committees to I. J.
Van Laeys, of the Record, John Hour-
igan of the Evening News and Col.
Ernest G. Smith of the Times-Leader
to negotiate separately for a contract.
The publishers indicated they will an-
swer within 24 hours.
The conferees held their first session
last Thursday and continued their dis-
cussions until Tuesday when the ob-
servers asked for a recess until yester-
day. Throughout the conferences, the
issue of whether the Guild represents
a majority of all non-mechanical em-
ploves, as it claims, was the chief
stumbling-block in the way of a set-
tlement.
Hines Names Committee
‘While the conferences were in prog-
' ress here, Lewis G. Hines, new Secre-
tary of Labor and Industry for Penn-
sylvania, held a meeting at Harrisburg
with labor leaders and named a com-
mittee of six to seek a settlement of
the newspaper strike. On that com-
mittee are Claude M. Baker of Indian-
apolis, international president of the
Typographical Union; Leo J, Buck-
ley, New York, international president,
Stereotypers and Electrotypers Union;
O. C. Skelton, Drivers and Chauffeurs
Union, Local 299, Scranton; Thomas
Etzrodt, Philadelphia, International
Pressmen’s Union; James I. McDev-
itt, president of the Pennsylvania Fed-
eration of Labor, and Lester Thomas,
secretary-treasurer of the Pennsyl-
vania Industrial Union Council.
A committee from the Guild went to
Harrisburg vesterday afternoon to
confer with Hines.
One of the newspapers involved, The
Independent, resumed publication last
Sunday and the entire run of 40,000
copies was sold by noon. The normal
circulation is 25,000.
The Office Workers’ Union, which
disputes the Guild’s rights as a bar-
gaining agent for all non-mechanical
employes, this week withdrew its pe-
tition for a hearing before the Na-
tional Labor Relations Board, but was
understood to have filed a new peti-
tion. A hearing, postponed once, has
been scheduled for February 16, but
the change of petitions may result in
another delay.
WILL ERECT LIGHTS
Although the heavy fall of snow has
prohibited skating in this section, sled-
ding enthusiasts have enjoyed nearly
three weeks of ideal conditions.” The
snow-covered links at /Irem! Temple
Country Club have beéh crowded
nearly every afternoon, according to
Manager Carl Schlingman. At pres-
ent night sledding on the Country
Club slope is forbidden, but lights will
be erected some time next month for
the convenience of sleigh-riding par-
ties, said Mr. Schlingman.
James To Outline
Fiscal Problems
On Radio Tonight
Address Will Climax Busy
Week For New Chief
Executive
A GOOD BEGINNING
Governor Arthur H. James will
address the people of Pennsylvania at
7:45 tonight over a state-wide net-
work, reporting on his stewardship
at Harrisburg.
The address, which will be carried
locally over Radio Station WBRE,
Wilkes-Barre, is expected to deal
with financial problems the Plymouth
jurist has encountered since he be-
came Governor a little more, than a
week ago. He will explain how he
proposes to attack those problems.
The State Capitol hummed with ac-
tivity this week as the new Admini-
stration moved swiftly to put his pol-
icies into effect. The sailing was mot
smooth, however, for Governor James
learned, before his administration was
a day old, the taste of defeat,
His setback was administered by a
strong Democratic minority in the
Senate, which effectively blocked con-
firmation of two of Governor James’
Cabinet members—=Sheriff William J.
Hamilton of Philadelphia as Secretary
of Revenue and Major Lynn G. Adams
of Harrisburg as Commissioner of Mo-
tor Police. Efforts of the Republican
majority to raise the two-thirds vote
necessary for confirmation were block-
ed repeatedly by the Democratic mi-
nority.
Labor Attacks Adams
The objections to Major Adams
sprung from charges by labor groups
that he ‘protected the corporations”
and used “brutal” methods on work-
ingmen. After confirmation had been
blocked by the Democrats, the Repub-
lican Senators granted spokesmen for
the C. I. O. and the United Mine
Workers a public hearing on the po-
lice head early next week.
The opposition to Sheriff Hamilton's
appointment was based upon charges
that he retained about $17,000 worth of
fees in violation of an act of the 1937
Legislature and that he “invaded”
the Senate when he tried to serve legal
papers on former Lieut.-Gov. Thomas
Kennedy during the stormy reorgani-
zation session:January 3,
While his Senate was squabbling,
however, Governor James made signi-
ficant headway along a number of
other fronts to untangle problems left
by the Earle Administration and to get
Pennsylvania started toward economic
and social recovery,
Forestalling a threatened breakdown
in relief disbursements as a result of
exhaustion of the Farle Administra-
tion’s biennial appropriation of $165,-
000,000 for relief, Governor James en-
couraged the Legislature to transfer
$26,000,000 from the Motor License
Fund, signed bills making $12,000,000
of that sum available immediately,
enough to finance Pennsylvania’s re-
lief rolls to March 1 or a little later.
Fires 900 Employes
To offset such an expenditure, he
called for Cabinet members to study
their departments to see which jobs
could be cut, then, after lengthy con-
ferences with his Cabinet, ordered the
dismissal of more than 900 State em-
ployes for a total saving of $1,750,000
by the end of the biennium -on May 31.
By so doing, he hopes to have the
budget in balance by June, except for
the deficit resulting from heavy relief
expenditures this winter.
Other significant James moves of the
week:
1. The introduction in the House of
a bill outlawing “macing” as a misde-
meanor punishable by fine or impris-
onment or both. This bill, which bears
the Governor's personal sponsorship, is
the one to which he referred in his
inaugural address.
2. The appointment of Dr, Ray-
mond T. Bowman, assistant professor
of economics at University of Penn-
sylvania, a Democrat, as deputy secre-
(Continued on Page 8)
Flanked by tableaux representing the
early and the modern days of radio,
the Glee Club of Dallas Junior Wo-
men’s Club gave its “Big Broadcast of
1939” before an appreciative audience
in Dallas High School auditorium last
night.
Seated beside a battery set at ome
side of the stage, Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Whitesell represented radio's pioneer
days and danced a stately waltz to a
radio transcription. Opposite them
were Miss Alice Hand and Ralph
Walp, who danced to swing music
pouring from a modern radio set.
Women’s Glee Club Scores Another
Hit With Its ‘Big Broadcast Of 39’
“Little Bill” Phillips was master of
ceremonies. Soloists were Mrs. Sara
Senigo Sanford, glee club director;
omas Robinson, and Mrs. Har-
Al Davis nlocks gave
. George Stolarick
mn Durbin, as “Ezry and
Fanny from Happy Hollow,” staged a
novelty number and Audrey O'Kane
and Rhoda Thomas danced to the glee
club’s rendition of “Parade of the
Wooden Soldiers.” The club sang a
number of excellent selections. Mrs.
John Durbin was chairman of the af-
fair.