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“Complete Back Mountain News”
ALLAS~I-Z OST
VOL. 82 NO. 52
Photo by, J. Kozemchak Sr.
J
vs
Photo by J. Kozemchak Sr.
Perhaps the most innovative of all Christmas
lighting displays was that which adorned the home
of Dr. and Mrs. F. J. Abrantes on Pioneer Avenue,
Dallas (Top photo). Whimsical Christmas or-
Hears Angry Consumers
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1971
naments and a cubistic Christmas tree outlined with
strands of lights. Children were delighted to find
Santa’s reindeer pracing across the lawn of S.
Myak’s Haddon Field Hills home—with Santa and
Mrs. Claus close at hand (lower photo).
Milk Price Board
by J.R. Freeman
& mers should be paying at least 19
cents a gallon less for milk in the Wilkes-
Barre—Scranton region, with millions of
consumer dollars at stake, according to
testimony presented last week to the
Pennsylvania Milk Marketing Board.
During a one-day hearing in the
Lackawanna County Courthouse in which
consumer protection advocates played a
key role perhaps unsurpassed in -the
region’s history, local residents and
businessmen paraded before the board to
tegdify in protest against the illegally high
prite of milk, with some witnesses
suggesting that the consumer would be
better off with no milk price controls at
all than with the high price arbitrarily
levied by the independent state commis-
sion across the Commonwealth.
“I am prepared to lower the price of
milk to 96 cents a gallon in my 28 retail
outlets within the hour,” Peter Sandfort
Sr., president of Louden Hill Farms, told
the board in his sworn testimony.
Represented by Louden Hill legal counsel
Morey Myers, Mr. Sandfort asked the
board to give him an immediateyuling on
the request. With little or no deliberation
the board ruled that the price reduction
request was denied.
No Post Next Week!
In order to the staff a vacation after
a busy holiday season, The Dallas
Post will not publish the week of Jan.
6, 1972. The next issue will appear
Jan. 13, 1972. The business office will
be open every week day except New
[Yer Eve, Dec. 31, 1971.
In an interview after the hearing, Mr.
Sandfort said that the inflationery high
price of milk was costing consumers in
the Wilkes-Barre—Scranton area at least
$1.5 million annually. He said the figure
could run as high as $100 million state-
wide.
PRICE APPEALED
The current regional price of $1.15 tor
jug milk, plus deposit, was levied by the
state milk board last July, after a brief
hearing was conducted in Harrisburg.
Later Mr. Sandfort appealed the six-cent-
a-gallon price increase to the new
Commonwealth Court, and last February
the court ruled in his favor, stipulating
that the board could not raise the price of
milk arbitrarily without just cause which
it had not shown. The court remanded
Bank Promotes
Two Area
Residents
Two Back Mountain men were among
officials of The First National Bank of
Eastern Pennsylvania to be promoted re-
cently, Thomas H. Kiley, bank chairman,
announced this week. They are John L.
Owens and Robert C. Lawrence.
Mr. Owens, a resident of 47 East Center
St., Shavertown, is a graduate of King-
ston Township High School and attended
Wilkes College. He holds a graduate cer-
tificate from the American Institute of
Banking. The Shavertown resident
served as a staff sergeant in the 8th Air
Force in Europe during World War II.
(continued on PAGE TWELVE)
DALLAS, PA.
Took Hold Dec. 22
PHONE 675-5211
FIFTEEN CENTS
UGI Rate Increase Becomes
Effective With Next Billing
Forthcoming electric bills of some
52,000 customers of Luzerne Electric
Division of UGI Corporation will reflect
the new rate increases, which became
effective Dec. 22.
Richard Demmy, vice president and
general manager of the electric division,
reported Monday that in line with an
order from Pennsylvania Public Utility
Commission, the utility company filed a
revised application with the commission
Dec. 17, and the approval of the increased
rates became effective five days later or
on Dec. 22.
In its original application to PUC, the
utility asked for $2,400,000, but the re-
vised application only sought $2,100,000.
Mr. Demmy said that the rate hike
would amount to about 17 percent in the
average customer’s bill.
The rate to municipalities and other
tax-free institutions will increase by
about eight and one-half percent, ac-
cording to Mr. Demmy. He noted that the
rate increase to municipalities will not
become effective until July 1, 1972, giving
municipalities an opportunity to budget
the increase in their next year’s taxes.
Atty. James Brown, who has led the
opposition to the rate increase, declared
Monday that a PUC order, dated Dec. 14,
which indicated approval of the rate hike,
was received in his office Dec. 24, and so
marked. +
“The commission certainly did not give
us time to work on this,” said Atty.
Brown, who is solicitor for Back Moun-
tain Protective Association, one of the or-
ganization’s which filed a formal com-
plaint with PUC.
On Dec. 23, one day before PUC’s order
was received on the 24th, Atty. Brown
wrote to Edward Muncie, acting counsel
for PUC. His letter states in part: “Thank
Argued
the case back to the board for further
hearings and data collecting.
The court decision made plain that the
price hike did not comply with a 1968 Milk .
Marketing Law amendment that requires
establishment of a uniform accounting
system for milk dealers, which the board,
some 10 months later, has yet to adopt.
The legislature intended for the system to
provide the board with actual milk in-
dustry costs as a basis for price-fixing,
the court ruling said.
(continued on PAGE FIVE)
Hearings
Held Behind
Prison Gates
District Magistrate Leonard D. Harvey
presided at hearings held last Tuesday
for two inmates at the State Correctional
Institution at Dallas.
Gary P. Bates was remanded to his
quarters at the prison in default of $10,000
bail following establishment of a prima
facie case on charges of assault and bat-
tery and assault by a prisoner.
The charges stem from in incident at
the prison Nov. 20, when Bates allegedly
hurled a tray at Sgt. Joseph Carmody of
21 Washington St., Wilkes-Barre.
According to Sgt. Carmody, he had ac-
companied the defendant to breakfast at
6:05 a.m. the morning of Nov. 20 and had
seen him packing doughnuts in a wrapper
to take with him from the dining hall. Be-
cause this practice is prohibited, Car-
(continued on PAGE THREE)
you very much for your telephone call of
Wednesday, Dec. 22. However, to date,
Dec. 23, 1971, nothing has been received
from the Public Utility Commission
pertaining to this case.
*...0f course, the Pennsylvania Public
Utility Commission can do Whatever they
want regardless of the law, custom, court
rules or procedure, and I presume in due
course someone opposed to the UGI’s in-
crease will receive a copy of the order
purportedly dated Dec. 15, 1971, and
mentioned on various occasions in the
local newspapers. However, I cannot
agree that said receipt will waive any
rights of the protestants.
“I further disagree with you in your
conclusion that this is an order from the
commission affecting the consumers in
(continued on PAGE TWO)
Johnston Named Director
Of Prison Industries
Frank C. Johnston, superintendent of
State Correctional Institution, Chase, for
the last 12 years, will become State
Director of Correctional Industries,
according to an announcement last week
from the office of Allyn R. Sielaff, Penn-
sylvania’s Commissioner of Corrections.
Mr. Johnston resigned as superin-
tendent of the local facility in November
when he expected to receive a formal
appointment as corrections director for
the state of Oklahoma. However, Mr.
Johnston did not receive that particular
appointment, and a suitable position was
sought for him within the Com-
monwealth, Mr. Johnston stated he would
not return to his job as superintendent of
Chase institution, as he had already
recommended his successor.
Thomas D. Carter, State Director of
Community Relations, confirmed that
Mr. Johnston would take the new job as
head of correctional industries, replacing
Kenneth Reed, who will serve as his
assistant.
His new duties will be assumed by Mr.
Johnston in January. His resignation
from the Chase institution is effective
Dec. 29. He and Mrs. Johnston will be
moving from the superintendent’s home
on the institution grounds to Harrisburg.
Correctional industries, within the
state penal system, is a vast enterprise
of industries, comprising the
manufacture of mattresses, soap, boxes,
license plates and other items; plus
operation of dairies, ete.
According to one state official, profits
oN od
Fael satdtional rie (ee
Pav Lali wil gLalidohal § ITIL Iies
in the'past. Under Commissioner Sielaff,
correctional industries will be of “benefit.
to the resident population,” and offer
residents (inmates) job opportunities.
The agency is a part of the state
corrections system, and not a separate
entity.
Townships Crack Down
On Illegal Parkers
Two Back Mountain municipalities,
Dallas Township and Kingston Township,
have issued notices that no more war-
nings will be given residents who park
cars or vehicles illegally from 2 a.m. to 6
a.m. on all roads, including the berm, in
both the townships. Henceforth, police
will immediately ticket all illegally
parked cars.
Dallas Borough ordinance concerning
illegally parked cars was enacted Dec.
10, 1963, and is worded differently. The
borough ordinance prohibits parking of
vehicles during and following periods of
snowfall. “It shall be unlawful to park
any motor vehicle... to remain wholly or
partially upon the paved portion of any
public street during or within three days
following snowfall . . . in excess of one
inch in depth.”’ The violator is subject tc
$5 plus cost, or in default of payment may
be imprisoned in Luzerne County Prison
for a period not in excess of five days.
Officials of both townships state the
stricter enforcement of their ordinances
is as a result of the heavy snowfall at
(continued on PAGE TWO)
Photo by J. Kozemchak Sr.
“Happy New Year to Everyone for 1972” is the wish Susan
Luksic seems to be expressing. Susan, the first infant to be born
in Wyoming Valley in 1971, greeted the year just 15 seconds after
midnight. Jan. 1. 1971. The young beauty is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. John Luksic, Overbrook Avenue, Dailas.