The Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 60, No. 45, Ed. 2 Thursday, August 1, 1940 Page: 1 of 12
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WEST TEXAS
®WM
NEWSPAPER
The Abilene Reporter-Bems
WITHOUT, OR WITH OFFENSE TO FRIENDS OR FOES WE SKETCH YOUR WORLD EXACTLY AS IT COES," - Byron.
THIDAIAIX
LV LIVIN
VOL. LX, NO. 45.
Associated Press (AP) ABILENE, TEXAS, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 1, 1940
—TWELVE PAGES.
United Press (UP)
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Train Order Mixup
Blamed for Wreck
raking Lives of 43
.Health Spot—
ever
hom
load
O 1
ABILENE HALE AND HEARTY
ON THOUSAND PINTS DAILY
—Above State Average
By ALEX LOUIS)
a fe Austin Correspondent
y AUST— Aug 1—Either there is
si an amazing amount, of sickness in
. Taylor c ty that can be cured
- only by whisky, or else "intemper-
cat nce” is running riot in this bone
sinjy .
l is the picture painted of
Ge .ill ne and environs by the maga-
y ne Beer in Its August issue. The
Yonagazine, an organ of the beer
pAndustry in Texas, carries an ex-
pose of the drug store liquor business
in dry territory. “
-----Based on data gathered from ree-
ords of the Texas Liquor Control
’board, an article entitled Nobody
the state average for the whole of
Texas was 1.32 pints per capita.”
, In dry counties, the state licenses
drug stores to sell hard liquor on
doctor’s prescriptions. A medincinal
permit costs the drug store $50 for
the state and half that amount
each fo the county and the city.
“In Yoakum county (another
bone dry county) the condition must
be dreadful,” the magazine article
continues. “The estimated popula-
tion is 2.050 and it took 21.262 pints
of hard liquor to relieve the sick-
ness during January, February and
March.That is an average of 10.37
pints—about eight times the state
. average."
„ Knows How Sick I Am reports that The articles contends that the
.during the first three months of 90 bone dry counties which sus-
st this year there were 89,073 liquor tain medicinal, permits averaged al-'
- prescriptions filled in Taylor coun- most three-quarters of a pint of
ty. hard liquor per person during the
y “At least, that many prescriptions first three months of this year;
W. for liquor were written out by phy- while the “average use of prescrip-
o sicians and filled from the plenti-tion iiquor was down to .512 pints
Pful stocks of the Abilene • drug per capita and in the wine and
stores," the article says, “This was
CUYAHOGA FALLS, O., Aug. 1.-
(UP)—The “human element” was
blamed today for the head-on col-
lision of a freight-train and a self-
propelled passenger car which killed
43 persons.
Officials of the Pennsylvania
Railroad company were joined by
inspectors of the Interstate Com-
merce commission in an effort to
establish responsibility
THREE ESCAPE
The collision occurred in the cen-
ter of this town of 20,000 on the
single track branching off from the
Pennsylvania’s main line at Hud-
son. and running to Akron, 15 miles
away, at 5 p m (Abilene time) yes-
terday
There were 46 persons in the pas-
senger coach, propelled by a gaso-
line motor, a type of conveyance
known locally as a “doodlebug.” The
engineer and the two other mem-
bers of the crew saw that a colli-
sion was inevitable and jumped, sav-
ing their lives. The other 43 per-
sons. including several railway em-
ployes riding as "deadhead" pas-
sengers, were .killed
Thirty-five bodies have been iden-
tified. Eight still are nameless.
A forty-fourth death was attrib-
uted to the crash when Mrs. Eva
George, 70, was found dead, appar-
ently of a heart attack, in her home
a short distance from the scene
almost two pints of hard liquor in
three months for every man, wom-
on. and child in Taylor county,
. sed on federal census estimates.
—“During the same three months
shortly after the wreck.
GAS TANK EXPLODES
beer counties was reduced to .286 It was the second disaster in less
pints per capita in the same per- than four months on American rail-
iod.” reads. A New York Central express
Local option prohibition laws are train jumped the tracks at Little
i Falls, N Y., April 19 and 31 persons
See WHISKY Page 4, Col. 6
Fair Sets Charge
For Adults Only
I There will be only one admission
price to the annual West Texas
air, Oct. 7-12. it was decided this -
morning at a meeting of the ex-
ecutive board of the fair.
■ The admission charge will be-25
Unts for adults, the same as last
ear. and all children under 12 years
iill be admitted free, whereas they
■ aid a dline last year.
I The change will not alter plans
’or the school day. always one of
around the rodeo arena in front of
the grandstand, so it would be pos-
sible to hold a night Palomino
were killed. s
The cause of last evening's dis-
aster was clear—the engineers Of the
respective trains didn't know they
were sc close together Railroad ex-
perts said that there were three al-
ternatives: (1) That the doodlebug's
engineer had failed to obey an or-
der to take a siding; (2) that the
chief engineer of the two locomotive
freight train had not followed such
an order; (3) that the order had
been improperly drawn or had not
been delivered. The investigation
will decide which alternative is cor-
rect.
E W Smith of Pittsburgh, vice
president of the Pennsylvania,
blamed the Crew of the motor-driv-
en passenger car for the accident.
Smith placed the responsibility to-
RESCUERS INVADE WRECK INFERNO
Sinclair Hits
ndu
mA • mo •
Price Fixing
AUSTIN, Aug. 1.—(PP)—Discussing ills of the petroleum industry, Har-
ry F. Sinclair today rapped price setting factors, and declared he would
prefer federal control "fairly and intelligently execised” as against dom-
inance of those now determining prices on oil products.
He was a witness at a statewide proration hearing before the Texas
railroad commission, oll conservation administrator in this state,
Sinclair asserted further under questioning that he was not
an advocate of federal control and that he did not know whether
the industry would be more prosperous under such regulation.
To improve oil conditions generally he suggested that the commis-
sion grant all applications for increased production provided there was no
physical waste. ,
- The chairman of the Consolidated Oil corporation's board, in answer
to a question, expressed the opinion that if proration were lifted in Texas
for a period, it would not necessarily establish federal control.
WOULD LIFT PRORATION
"I believe," he said, "that com-
plete lack of production regula- |
tion in Texas possibly would bring i
This is the wreckage of a Pennsylvania railroad motor coach in which at least, 43
persons burned, to death at Akron, Ohio., , when it crashed headon into a freight
train. The impact telescoped the gasoline-powered car and set fire to its fuel tanks.
1 ________
about fairer methods of competi-
tion and that the small producers
would have a much better chance;
than they have at present.
“You’re just kidding yourself
when you say that proration
holds up the price of oil."
Sinclair complimented the com-
mission’s handling of industry
problems. .
More Limits
On Draff Bill
Demanded
"But you believe we are bucking L. WI ' Tull I
the law of supply and demand?” _
*====-----------
asked Ernest O. Thompson, commis-
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1.—(P)—Be-
t he features of the West Texas fair.
All public school children will be
I dmitted free on the designated day.
n keeping with the old custom
However, those under 12 years will
be allowed to enter the fair grounds
any time without paying.
’ Most of the discussion was about
the entertainment for the fair and
show While there was some talk of
a rodeo in connection with the fair,
no action was- taken and members
generally seemed opposed to one
Jack Simmons, fair president, re-
ported that it would be impossible
to bring a big-time band here this day after a preliminary investiga-
time on the same basis as last year, tion of his own
There will be more contact work in
regard to more entertainment.
Threat to Japs
The gasoline tank of the doodle-
bug exploded It the instant of im-
pact. spraying the wreckage and its
cargo of dead and dying men, wom-
en and children with flaming gaso-
line. In consequence, most of the
LONDON. Aug 1 —'UP)—A usual- bodies were burned, some so badly
ly-reliable source reported tonight
that the British government would
See DISASTER Page 4, Col. 6
. be- forced to take action “beyond
especially the second annual Palo- representations unless all British |
mino horse show, which was such subjects arrested in Japan are re-
an attraction last year. leased
• The board voted to erect lights-------------------
---Marriages Exceed
Divorces, 43 to 17
Heads Demos
Heat Again
On Rampage
52
WASHINGTON. Aug 1.—UP)-
Edward J. Flynn, demeciatie na-
tional committeeman from New
York, today was selected at a
White Houst conference to be-
come democratic national chairman
on Aug. 17 and manage President
Roosevelt’s campaign for a * third
term
Abilenians may step from the fry-
ing pan into the fire today.
Yesterday the highest tempera-
Marriage licenses issued at the
local courthouse during July far
outnumbered the divorces filed
the two district courts, a check re- ture of the season was equalled-
vealed today 102 degrees. Shortly before I p. m.
Marriage licenses totaled 43, as today the mercury read 98 degrees,
compared with 65 issued in the pre- the highest reading of the year for
ceding month. - that time of day. .
Seventeen divorce suits were filed. At noon today the thermometer
an but one in 42d court The other said 9 degrees. Overhanging clouds
was in 104th court.
THEY HAVE RIPPING GOOD TIME
Student pilots at the University of Chicago, 'under
smiling protest get a piece of Mary Margaret Mayer's
slip, all because she's just made her first solo flight and
it's customary to have one’s shirt tail torn by one’s fel-
lows on landing. Left to right are Chuck Scott, Meurl
Spence, Miss Mayer, Tony Brizic and Brutus Reitman.
■ (Associated Press.)
pushed it back to 95 degrees at 12:30
p. m. The I p m. temperature yes-
terday was 97 degrees.
Slight encouragement, bat little
faith, could be found In the morn-
ing forecast issued from the weather
bureau: “Partly eloudy tonight and
Friday.”
The flame-seared wreckage of a Pennsylvania railroad motor coachwhich col-
lided head-on with a freight train at Akron, Ohio. The top-picture shows a fatally
burned woman victim (left). The rescuer with the helmet is using a blow torch in
the bottom view. Note the grim expressions as the workers seek, amid smoke and
steam, to extricate 4he bodies. (Associated Press Photos.)
Soviet Leader Warns War
May Become Worldwide
Comptroller-General POSTAL RECEIPTS A RECORD;
Chosen by President BUILDING, 'PHONE USAGE GAIN
WASHINGTON Aug. 1.—P) .__
residential permits and $88 490 in
Aug. 1—(PP)
President Roosevelt has selected 50-
year-old Dep Lindsay Warren of
North Carolina, one of his close
congressional consultants, to be
comptroller-general He will suc-
ceed former Sen Fred Brown, of
New Hampshire who retired be-
cause of 111 health.
British Clear Coast
LONDON, Aug. I.—(API— With-
drawal if civilians from areas In
East Angelia, east and northeast of
London, and on the southeastern
coast was ordered tonight by the
ministry of home security as a
measure further to tighten Britain’s
defenses.
STOP and THINK
Sixty million children in Eu-
rope are beginning to seel the
pinch of hunger.—News item.
They that be slain with the
sword are better than they that
be slain with hunger for theft
pine away, stricken through for
wont of the fruits of the field.
Lamentations 4.9.
Postal receipts at
the Abilene
postoffice hit an all-time high for |
July this year
The total was, less than $8 shy
of eighteen thousand dollars—$17,-
992.13
Included in that record figure!
was a new record for postal card
sales — 95,000 Ninety percent of
these were purchased by political
candidates. Postmaster O A Hale
estimated this morning. The politi-
cal campaign also cut a large fig-
ure in sending all postal totals up
$1 381 20 in July this year, he added
The July receipts of $17,992.13
brought the year to $122 579.67 a
new high for the first seven months
of any year in the history of the
office January through July last
business permits issued.
Business permits for the month
included a $75,000 general contract
permit to the West Texas Utilities
Co for modernization and addition
to the headquarters building, and a
$9 000 permit to remodel and alter
the negro school.
NEW DIRECTORY OUT
Patronage of the Southwestern
Bell Telephone company here has
risen to a new all time high, it was
announced today concurrent with
the issuance of the August direc-
tory. *
Five thousand nine hundred
seven stations are now receiving
the company's service, said Howard
year, receipts amounted to $121,-
631 14
Last July’s receipts totaled $16,-
610.93. The, June total this year
was $16,030.89
BUILDING TOTAL $138,035
Value of construction in Abilene
in July was more than four times
that last year, building permit
records in the city, engineer's of-
fice show
The past month total was *38,-
035, compared to the $34,670 of
July, 1939. There were $49,545 in
Kunz, local manager This total
compares with 5.791 listings for the
November book fast previous issue
—an increase of 116. — .
Each station. Kuns explained
does not mean a separate customer
as many subscribers have several
telephones under the same num-
ber Most of the connections in the
sion member
"I’m afraid you are," the oil man
answered.
“Do you believe we should pro-
tect the small producer?”
"Yes, I think you should.”
"If we disregard prices and filled
all orders, do you think that would
solve the problem?"
"It may.” Sinclair replied. “But
I don’t think the Texas commission
alone could correct industry-wide
difficulties. I think .that if you
gave everybody all the oil they
wanted, operators over the nation
would become conservation-minded.
“Texas should stop this appease-
ment program, this Chamberlain-
umbrella idea. Texas is the giant
of the industry. He has been hob-
bled Turn him loose without per-
mitting physical waste. I think this
will be helpful in curing the situa-
tion."
CHARGES UNFAIRNESS
Asked if federal control would Fe
duce competition. Sinclair answered:
"probably,"
He said he did not know whether
such regulation would provide more
profits for the industry.
Patrick J. Hurley, former secre-
tary of war and currently an attor-
ney for Sinclair, elaborated on his
employers statements, concluding
with the assertion:
“The reprisals conducted against
the Sinclair Purchasing company in
an attempt to compel it to restore
prices that it had reduced to meet
competition are illegal'’. _
Sinclair said the real trouble with adoption of an amendment, by
the industry was that those who Senator Chandler (D-Ky), for ex-
determined the matter did not emption of Reserve Officers train-
ing corps cadets, thus allowing
them to complete their education
and obtain reserve officers’ com-
missions before being called lor
service.
Senator Guffey (D-Pa) pro-
posed that divinity students be
exempted from the conscription
bill's provisions.
Sections of the bill calling for
registration of all males between
21 and 30 years, inclusive, would
not be disturbed by the amend-
ment. Bridges said.
Army officers previously had
testified that from the 12,000,000
expected to register in this class,
about 4,500,000 were expected to be
available for training after all ex-
emptions had been granted.
choose to sell petroleum products
at a fair price. In outlining ills of
the industry, he mentioned:
Too much oil and virtually the
lowest prices in history for oil
products.
Immensely increased costs and
capital required to produce a
barrel of oil. ___
A pegged price for crude that
bears no proper relations to in-
creased production costs.
The proposal that refiners make
less gasoline. Sinclair asserted, “is
just another of those false pre-
tenses by which we are surrounded
and provides no path out of the
wilderness."
DEFENDS ‘LITTLE FELLOWS’
"My main reason for “this opin-
ion." Sinclair said, “is that most
of us know that the amount of
distress gasoline—that is, gasoline
for which there is no market at a
fair price—is so small a; to be an
See OIL HEARING, Kg 4, Col. 1
Russian-Premier Viacheslav Molo-
tov warned the Supreme Soviet to-
day that the European imperialist
war" might yet spread to the west-
ern hemisphere and become a world
conflagration
Aiming sharp blows at the United
States and Great Britain but re-
porting good relations with Germany
and Italy, the Soviet premier de-
clared that
1. There was “nothing good
to say" about relations with the
United States, which is “assist-
Ing” Britain but which “has not
been pleased” by recent Soviet
successes. But, he added, “this
does not interest us.”
Walkouts Delayed
At Plane Plants.
SEATTLE, Aug. 1—0P»—Union
employes of the Boeing aircraft
corporation’s three Seattle plants,
acting on appeals that they do noth-
ing to retard national defense pro-
duction. voted last night to delay
for at least 10 days a threatened
strike
set by demands that the Burke-
Wadsworth military training bill ba
further restricted, the senate mill-
tary committee agreed today to de-
lay a vote on the measure until
Monday and the senate put over
until that day consideration of a
bill for calling out the National
guard. - ' '
The latest proposed restriction was
advocated by Senator Lee (D-Okla)
with the support of Senator Bridges
(R-NH). It would limit to 1,000,0000
the number of men between 21 and
30, inclusive, who could be. con-
scripted for training.
The limitation would give the
president specific authority to or-”
der conscription of 500,000 men be-
tween the ages of 21 and 30, in-
clusive, next October.
A further section of 500,000 men
could be called early next year, al-
though the data was not set in
a rough draft of the amendment
introduced at a closed committee
session.
Senator Bridges said the com-
mittee agreed to hear War depart-
ment officials on the question to-
morrow morning, thus further de-
laying final committee action on
the bill, which had been expected
today.
Senator Austin (R-Vt) reported
that members had agreed inform-
ally to postpone a final com-
mittee vote until Monday
Other actions today included
The Weather
1 The workers, who are opposing a
proposed reduction in wages in low-
er brackets, authorized their ne-
2 It is difficult to expect improved gotiations committee to continue
relations with Britain "after all the their efforts to reach a settlement
hostile acts committed by Bri- with the company.
Their decision came at a mass
lain against Russia, but recent de-
velopments possibly “reflect a desire meeting, just an hour and a halt
on the part of Britain to improve before the midnight deadline they
relations- had set for the walkout.
HAILS NAZI TREATY
3 The German-Russian treaty is |
not only of economic significance I
but has assured Germany of a calm
feeling of security" in the East.
(This appeared to be a blow at
any British hope of future aid
from Russia or a split between Rus-
sia and Germany.
4. Relations with Italy are im-
proved and an exchange of views
between the two governments has
revealed "that there Is every pos-
sibility' of a mutual understanding
in foreign policy and extension of
trade relations (Such a develop-
past year, however, have been for
single telephones
Distribution of the directories, Russia in the Balkans.)
ment would eliminate speculation
as to conflict between Italy and
begun this morning, probabl will
See RESUME Page 4. Col. 7
AMBILENE and vicinity: Partly eloudy
tonight and Friday.
West Texas (west of 100th meridan):
Increasing afternoon and evening cloudi-
ness with scattered showers and thunder-
storms tonight and Friday. Little change
in temperature.
East Texas (east of 100th meridian):
Partly cloudy tonight and Friday scatter-
ed thundershowers near upper coast.
Highest temperature yesterday: city of-
fice, 102; airport 98
Lowest temperature this morning: city
office, 77: airport, 75.
min TxlRt TEMPERATURES
- aon Wed-Tue Thu-Wed
P.M. Hour AM.
97 96-- 1-83 82
99 98- 2— 81 81
101 99— 3—80 T9
f? 101— 4—19 78
*5 100- 5—78 77
97 99- 6— 17 16
94 95- 7-78 77
91 91— 8-82 81
89 88— 9-86 87
87 86—10-- 91 91
CLOUDY
86 85—11-- *3 93
84 83—12— 97 96
Sunrise .5:54 a. m.
Sunset . .7:36 p.m.
6:30 p.m 6:30 am 12:30 p.m.
Dry thermometer 95 75
Wet thermometer »T1 66 1
Relative humidity 31 65 33
O’DANIEL OFFERS HUNTER
INTERSTATE OIL POSITION
AUSTIN, Aug. 1.—(UP)—J. C
Hunter of Abilene, active in West
Texas oil operations, today had
an offer to succeed Col. Ernest O.
Thompson af Gov. w Lee O’Dan-
iel’s representative on the inter-
state oil compact commission
Thompson was removed yester-
day by Governor O'Daniel but an-
See EUROPEAN, Pg. 4, Col. 4 nounced he will attend the com-
5 Relations with Japan are nor-
pact session at Oklahoma City on
Aug. 23 as member of the Texas
Railroad commission.
Hunter was appointed by Gov-
ernor O’Daniel two years ago to
be highway commissioner. East
Texas senators objected that West
Texas already had a member of
the commission and Hunter asked
that his name be withdrown.
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The Abilene Reporter-News (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 60, No. 45, Ed. 2 Thursday, August 1, 1940, newspaper, August 1, 1940; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1634724/m1/1/: accessed June 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Public Library.