lYear-by-Year
Salary Jumps
To Continue
City Payroll Increases
Over 60 Percent in Six
Years, Figures Show
By Stephen A. Slone
. The announced intention of
the city administration to in
crease salaries of city employes
in the next budget will be a
continuation of a steady year-by-year
advance that has been
carried on, with but one inter
ruption, since the fiscal year of
1941-42.
Increases that have been
made, comparing the calendar
year 1942 and 1946, with some
increase in personnel, have re
sulted in a jump in the total
payroll from $217,182.41 to
$353,699.88, a gain of over 60
per cent. These are figures from
City hall records.
During that period the average
' L annual increase for the more
li 'important city officers and em
V ploycs is around .$207.
The bureau o municipal re
search at the University of Ore
gon, and the League of Oregon
Cities, recently put out a bulle
tin showing that salaries of city
employes in Oregon increased
more in 1946-1947 than in any
other year since the beginning
of the war. The bulletin was
based on information from 148
cities. Twenty-four cities report
ed that general salary increases
were made last July 1, the be
ginning of the present fiscal
year. Across the board salary
increases made in those cities
ranged from $3 lo $25 a month,
and percentage increases varied
from 10 to 18 '4 per cent.
Typical Increases Shown
In general the bulletin would
apply to Salem, but Salem's
experience is a little different.
The biggest salary jump here
was for the fiscal year 1945
1946, possibly tor the reason
that few increases were made for
the year 1944-1945, and none
in Ihe higher offices.
Here are typical year-by-year
increases that have been made
for some positions for six fiscal
years and the yearly average
increases:
City attorney 1941-42, $2520-1942-43,
$2640; 1943-44, $2838:
3 944-45, no increase; 1945-46.
$3300; 1946-47, $4920; average
yearly increase $480. Explana
tion should be made that for
1946-47 the city attorney was
required to pay his stenograph-
f . pr nrevinuslv budgeted for bv
JTfhe city. The total salaries for
the two in the 1945-46 budget
was $4693.62.
(Concluded on Page 13, Column 6)
Soviet Press
Raps U. S. Policy
Moscow, May 7 W) Soviet
newspapers today attacked Unit
ed States and British economic
agreements with Scandinavian
countries and charged that the
economic merger of British and
American zones in Germany was
benefitting industrial magnates
and junker landlords.
Izvestia, the government or
gan, naming Denmark, Sweden
and Norway specifically, said
Russia's agreements with these
countries were based upon mu
tual respect for the economics in
volved but that such was not
the case in the British and
American agreements.
Commentator Con s t a n t i n
Hoffman, writing in the trade
union newspaper Trud, charged
that under the protection of the
British-American economic mer
ger in Germany, industrial mag
nates and junker landlords were
'prospering." He added that
the plan of unification of com
munists and social democrats
was causing worry in the west
yern zones.
New York Building
Slump
Idles 20,000
New York, May 7 (U.R) De
spite an unprecedented demand
for housing, the building slump
in the New York area has caused
20.000 carpenters, plumbers and
painters to be laid off, it was re
ported today.
Plans for construction of
scores of apartment buildings
and housing developments, cost
ing hundreds of millions of dol
lars, have been shelved because
of the high cost of labor and ma
terials, officials said.
The Weather
Released by United States
Weather Bureau'
Forecast for Salem and Vicin
ity; Clear tonight becoming
partly cloudy Thursday after
noon. Lowest temperature to
night. 40 to 45 degrees. Weather
will be favorable for both dust
ing and spraying early Thursday
morning, winds becoming too
high for dusting Thursday after
noon. Maximum yesterday 66
Minimum today 46. Mean tem
perature yesterday 58 which was
3 above normal. Total 24-hour
precipitation to 11:30 a.m. today
.00. Total precipitation for th;
month, trace, which is .54 of an
inch below normal. Willamette
river height Wednesday morning,
zero.
apital
58th Year, No. 109
$370 Million
Needed to Build
State Highways
By James D.
Completion and
Olson
moderniza
tion of 7,200 miles of state high
ways and 1,400 miles of county
roads will take from 20 to 30
years and will cost approximate
ly $370,000,000, according to R.
H. Baldock, state highway engi
neer today.
During the next two years the
highway department proposes to
expend $42,000,000 for con
struction and during this pe
riod, Mr. Baldock pointed out,
current revenues will fail to
meet obligations by $13,000,000
requiring dipping into the $17,
000,000 fund accumulated dur
ing the war to carry out the pro
posed two-year program.
To Add 600 Miles
At the end of 1945 the total
investment in the state high
way commission was $257,000,
000 and with reduction because
of depreciation the net worth
was set up at $186,000,000.
Mr. Baldock slated that to
carry out the highway program
it will be necessary to add 600
miles lo the highway system at
a cost of $30,000,000 Forty mil
lion dollars will be required to
construct the 1,400 miles of
county roads which have been
made a part of the federal sec
ondary system, Mr. Baldock
said.
An additional $75,000,000 will
be needed to build arterial high
ways through cities; $15,000,000
for improvement of rural sec
tions of the newly designated
system of interstate highways;
$10 000,000 for development of
state parks which added to the
original $170,000,000 estimated
to complete the system, lotais
$310,000,000, he said.
Depreciated Dollars
Shrinkage of the dollar value
requires an additional $60,000,
000 on that portion of the old
obligations which were not com
pleted before the period of high
prices began, making the grand
total of $370,000,000 to complete
and modernize the entire sys
tem.
A ten-year lag in highway
construction due to the depres
sion and the war has proved dis
astrous to the highway system
Mr. Baldock said. Many light
roads in the slate have depreciat
ed to an. extent that complete
reconstruction will be necessary,
the highway engineer state.
Attention was called by Mr,
Baldock to the study made in
California by an interim com
mittee which recommended in
crease in fees and taxes to yield
two and a half billion dollars
in the next ten years in order
to complete and modernize the
highway system in that state.
Need Public Support
The last legislature appointed
a similar interim committee to
study the highway problem in
Oregon.
"This study will warrant the
interest and support of the peo
ple of Oregon" said Mr. Bal
dock." It is believed that when
the people fully understand th
problem and find that they can
not have many of the roads now
considered so necessary within
the lifetime of many people now
living, and when they realize
the cost of road building has in
creased from 50 to 60 per cent,
people will consent to the :
crease in fees and taxes.
"In addition to the monetary
benefits that accrue through the
construction of adequate high
ways, there is also relief from
driving strain which people will
pay more for than they will for
the direct monetary benefits
gained." he concluded.
Navy Plans to Develop
Atomic Powered Warships
Washington, May 7 Pi The navy formally announced today
it is setting up a special section to try to develop atomic powered
warships. Part of a developing program which is expected to
alter the whole concept of na-'
val warfare, the section wiil be
a part of the bureau of ships
along with two other new ones:
1. Radiological, to devise
means of protecting crews from
atomic explosions and their ships
from radiological contamina
tion. 2. Atomic warfare, to inves
tigate protection of ships from
atomic weapons and continue
studies of the Bikini tests held
last year.
The announcement followed a
statement yesterday by W. John
Kenney, assistant secretary of
the navy, that future ships of the
fleet may go into action so "but
toned up" against atomic radia
tion that not a man will be in
sight.
At the same time there were
signs that the navy of the future I
Entered wond elm
matter at S&Jera, Oregon
Salem,
Oil Slick Bias!
Raises Debris
Of Lost Plane
Vancouver, B.C., May 7 (CP)
Demolition charges, released
from a power launch, raised un
identified debris to the surface
of the gulf of Georgia today as
plans were made to start diving
operations in search of the miss
ing Trans-Canada airliner which
disappeared more than a week
ago with 15 persons aboard.
Tidal flotsom made it difficult
lo make immediate identifica
tion, but naval searchers said a
bit of cloth raised appeared to
be part of overalls worn by fish
ermen, several oil slicks, sight
ed after the demolition charges
were set off, were of the type
commonly caused by boats.
Undetermined Contact
Air observers also reported
that the underwater explosions
had left a long curving arc of
white fragments which looked
like paper on the water.
The charges were set off close
to where an "undetermined con
tact" had been made with anti
submarine detection equipment.
Divers to Follow
The Frigate H. M. C. S. Anli
gonish made the "contact" after
a wide sweep in the gulf off the
southeast coast of Gabriola island-Preparation
for diving opera
tions were underway, but it was
not likely work would be pos
sible before noon, when the tide
is slack, because of rocky sea
bottom and the strong currents
close to shore.
The Antigonish left a floating
buoy to mark the "contact"
spot and today diving lender No.
2 and the big ocean-going tug
Hcatherton took over the hunt.
Before actual diving opera
tions start, the Heatherton must
complete soundings. Echo
sounding equipment will be
used to determine the depth of
contact.
African Wild
Animals Slain
London, May 7 (U.R) British
government hunters in Africa
are shooting thousands of zebra,
gnu, and springbok as the first
move in a plan to clear 3,210,
000 acres of big game country
for peanut plantations. Carcass
es are left to rot in the African
sun.
"Once Ihe game knows it is
an unhealthy area, it will dis
perse," according to Frank Sam
uel, managing director of the
United Africa Co., which is han
dling the long-term project for
the food ministry. He said the
game slaughter was necessary to
assure success of the govern
ment' program to relieve Brit
tain's acute shortage of edible
fats.
Food Minister John Strachey
described the project as "a great
and many-sided war operation
conducted against enemies not
less formidable than wartime
opponents." The foqd ministry
plan calls for 107 highly mech
anized ranches of some 30,000
acres each. All would be de
voted to the raising of peanuts,
or "ground nuts" as they arc
called in Britain.
The land selected for the plan
tations is mostly of the veldt, or
plains, variety. Now the area is
the home of animals considered
typically African, such as the
zebra, giraffe, gnu, or wilde
beest, and the springbok. When
asked what would happen to
these animals, Strachey said
"Let me have them for our meat
rations."
will take the shape of a force
for blasting enemy cities and
land bases rather than opposing
fleets.
Navy men say the battleship
may vanish in favor of a guided
missile ship, strongly armored
for taking heavy punishment,
which can move up to foreign
coasts and pound inland cities
and industrial centers with
huge rockets. The department
already is converting two large
craft for firing guided missiles
Cruisers may bow out in fa
vor of fast raiders which can
bombard coastal installations
with rockets. The carrier may
give way to speedy interceptor
ships bearing pilotless aircraft
which can knock down enemy
guided missiles aimed at the
United States.
jkJoiM
Oregon, Wednesday, May
Identical Twins Marry Margaret (left) and Awlalde Schcnk,
21-year-old identical twins and Frank (second from left) and
Arnold Britschgi, 32, also identical twins, clasp hands after their
marriage at Glendale, Calif. The newlyweds will make their
homes in Oakland, Calif., where the husbands are in business.
(AP Wirephoto)
Many Candidates for
City Budget Board
City Attorney Chris J. Kowitz is having a strange experience
trying to select the non-council members of Salem's next budget
committee. He is finding it harder not to find men who want to
serve than lo find those who do want to serve, which is quite con
trary to the usual job of forming a budget committee. It hap
pened like this: When the form
of government was changed the
first year the non-council wing
of the committee was reduced
from 15 to eight members, to
correspond to the number of
council members and the mayor.
So it became necessary to elimi
nate seven members. Of the 15
the terms of five expire July 1,
1947, five July 1, 1948, and five
July 1, 1949. Two members
must be removed from each of
two of these groups and three
from the other. The city coun
cil three weeks ago told Kowitz
to make the eliminations.
"That," Kowitz replied, "will
be easy. No one wanis to serve
on the budget committee, and
usually anybody appointed gets
out of attending meetings, if pos
sible. I'll just call up seven peo
ple in the list, and ask them if
they want lo serve. They'll say
they don't, so we'll drop them
and use the other eight."
But Kowitz got fooled.
"They all want to stay on the
committee," he said Wednesday.
"Just why I don't know, but I've
found only two or three who are
willing to drop out."
Kowitz said he might suggest
to the council Wednesday night
that it ballot on the names.
Little of much importance is
slated to go before the council
at Wednesday night's meeting.
Recent shooting of firecrackers
out of season has brought re
sults in an ordinance bill that
will appear sharply restricting
the sale and use of fireworks.
The bill will prohibit the sale
of fireworks at retail before
June 25 and after July 5. It
will make shooting them unlaw
ful at all times in the downtown
area bounded by Union, Belle
vue, Church and the Willamette
river. It will make shooting un
lawful in all other parts of the
city before July 3 and after
July 5.
House Bloc Seeks
Higher Age Pensions
Washington, May 7 P Elev
en house members were united
today
bipartisan effort tollayea lo ponce Dy residents oi
increase old age pensions and
make them uniform throughout
the nation.
At a meeting in the office of
Rep. Landis (R., Ind.) they
drafted a letter appealing to the
house ways and means commit
tee to take up such legislation in
time to assure it of "thorough
consideration."
The present national average
Landis said is $32.15. with S53.93
in Washington the highest and
S12.02 in Kentucky the lowest.
Federal contributions now have
to be matched by the states.
Landis listed the others wnolevacuale residents from tne
signed the letter as including : area unljl lne SUSBected killer is
Angell (R., Ore ).
Egypt Threatens Britain
Cairo, May 7 'U.R Finance
Minister Meguid Badr Pasha
said today that Egypt was deter
mined lo collect its full debt
from Britain. He said if Britain
did not pay, the Egyptian gov
ernment would undertake cer
tain action which he was not
prepared to discuss in detail.
7, 1947
Senate Votes on
Labor Bill Friday
Washington, May 7 (A) Re
publican leaders left open today
the question of talking over la
for legislation with President
Truman.
The signs are that any GOP
willingness to compromise will
depend on the margin by which
the senate passes its pending
hill
With democratic opponents'recofinit,iQn ?"ly ?'lc J(nvisi1
generally conceding defeat, Sen
ator Taft (R., Ohio) led a drive
for a final vole Friday on the
measure which would outlaw the
closed shop, authorize govern
ment injunctions to halt national
emergency strikes and curb un
ion practices in a manner critics
have called drastic.
A lengthy speech by Senator
Morse (R., Ore.), who opposed
some features of the bill, seemed
likely to put off a showdown un
til late today or tomorrow on
an amendment backed by Taft
which would lay down restric
tions on industry-wide bargain
ing by national unions.
While Taft said the opposition
to this amendment may make
the vote close, he predicted its
adoption.
Fatal Feud on
Rogue River
Grants Pass, Ore., May 7 (U.R)
State Police Sergeant C. R.
Borgman said here today that
one man has been killed and two
others threatened with death in
a mountain feud 50 miles wont
of here in country reached only
by a cow trail.
Borgman identified the slain
man as Robert Fox, 40, propri
etor of a small fishing resort on
the Rogue river in the Mule
Creek district.
Word of the slaying was re-
ine area wnu saiu uiu kiih-i icii
a note threatening to kill two
other persons.
Borgman said the mountain
people of the district have a
"pretty good" idea who did it,
but until the killer has been
definitely identified, Borgman
refused to disclose the name.
Borgman said that six state
police officers, carrying portable
radio equipment, have been sent
to the district, but so far they
have not reported.
The officers, according lo
RnrDmnn wprp instmploH in
captured. Scene of the shooting
was placed near Galice. Only a
trail leads into the area.
Borgman said that feuds were
not uncommon to this area. He
added that Fox was known to
have had difficulties with the
man suspected as his slayer, but
the state police sergeant said he
did not know the subject of the
dispute.
mal
Price Fiv
jo;
,oO'fiJoPPosition Throws Fu"
Uni
till 1 ' . ,- .VA . ..-
1 ,t
Special Session
To Hear Arabs
Lake Success, N. Y., May 7 'U.R'
The United Nations knuckled
under to a threatened boycott
of the Palestine debate by the
Arab higher committee today
and voted to call an extraordi
nary plenary session for the sole
purpose of inviting: the Arab
body to appear.
The action constituted Ihn
strangest piece of parliamentary
acrobatics yet seen in the Unite J
Nations.
The political committee ap
proved, by a vote of 28 to 5. an
Indian resolution calling for
delegates to meet in the same
room but to sit as a plenary ses
sion of the general assembly.
Under the Indian resolution,
the plenary session would adopt
a resolution directing the politi
cal committee to invite the Arab
higher committee for a hearing
Then the 55 delegates, withoui
changing seats or even facial ex
pressions, would become the po
litical committee and receive the
order they had just voted.
The result was a signal vic
tory for the unofficial, non-governmental
Arab committee,
headed by the notorious grand
mufti of Jerusalem. The Arabs
had been sulking since the as
sembly voted last Saturday to
order the political committee to
hear the Jewish agency and
such other groups as it chose.
Threaten Boycott
The Arab committee then
withdrew its request for a hear
ing, and Arab delegates an
nounced they might boycott the
the Palestine debate.
In view of that threat, the
political committee yesterday
jvoted to give an equal hearing
io do in ine aihd commit ice aim
the Jewish agency.
But the Arabs let it be known
today that they still would stay
away because they had been in
vited only by the political com
mittee, instead of the general
assembly as the Jewish agency
had.
Russians Abstain
Asaf Ali, Indian delegate, in
troduced the resolution which
caused the delegates to da an
about-face from their prc-viou?
position of giving full assembly
agency by virtue of ils semi-of
ficial status under the Palestine
mandate.
The United States and Britain
were among the nations votitv!
for the Indian resolution. Rus
sia abstained. Sweden, South
Africa, Czechoslovakia, Guate
mala and the Ukraine were the
nations opposing Ihe move.
South African Delegate II. T
Andrews, speaking for the first
time since the special assembly
opened more Ihan a week ago,
objected thai the Indian resolu
tion "would reduce these pro
ceedings to a farce." He pointed
out that the Arab committee had
been invited yesterday by the
political committee "in a spirit
of conciliation anrl the utmost
good will."
During the earlier debate the
United States proposed that th
big five nations be kept off the
fact-fining commission becauso
of their biased views on Ihe
Palestine issue.
Still Searching
For Bank Bandits
Oakland, Ore., May 7 (I1! Po
lice continued to search isolated
roads in this area today for trace
of the two gunmen who robbed
this town's only bank of over
$30,000 in cash Monday, but of
ficers admitted it appeared the
pair had slipped through early
road blockades.
The bandits left few clues
when they fled the E. G. Young
and company bank, carrying the
currency in a black satchel.
$1.5 Million Building Project
Proposed at Capitol, Center
Whether a project that involves approximately $1,500,000 in
construction will be undertaken in the immediate future may be
determined the night of May 20 when a public hearing on a pro
posal to make the necessary
zone changes for the district
bounded by Center, Capilol,
Union and 12ti- streets will b?
held. Plans laid before the city
planning commission late Tues
day by George Grabcnhorsl, Sa
lem realtor, call for the con
struction of a retail trade center
involving Scars Roebuck and
possibly two or three other large
organizations.
Initial publicity concerning
the building program was given
number of weeks ago when
the Salem school board voted in
favor of a zone change. Since
then Grabenhorst has oblainc.1
options on all the property in
volving some 30 houses and hasifor parking
secured consent of 88.4 percent
of owners of property within the
Greek Aid Fund
Threatened By
House Attack
Weight to bhunr Issue
To United Nations
Washington, May 7 The
sharpest attack nn administra- j
lion foreign policy since Pearl j
Harbor imperiled the S400,f)00,
ono Greek-Turkish aid hill to
day, i
Opposition forces in the house,
were throwing their full weight
behind a move to shunt the
whole issue to the United Na
tions. And the outcome was in
doubt.
A similar effort in the senate
failed. But passage there had
been a foregone conclusion fori
riavs before the 67 to 23 vole on!
April 22.
Republicans Split
In the house republican ranks
were split wide open as the
chamber was called together for
the second day of general de
bate on a program termed by
friend and foe alike as one of
seldom-paralleled importance in
the relations bctwen this nation
and the world.
With a final showdown un
likely before tomorrow at the
earliest, Chairman Eaton (R.,
N. J.), of the house foreign af
fairs committee and Rep. Bloom
(D.. N. Y), ranking minority
member, planned to concentrate
their fire on the coalition move
to dump the Greek-Turkish dis
pute into the U. N.'s lap.
100 Republicans Oppose
One high-ranking republican,
declining the use of his name,
estimated that 100 GOP mem
bers would vote against the bill,
and figured the democratic op
ponents at about 20.
Speaker Martin (R., Mass.).
has expressed the opinion that
the bill will pass "by a substan
tial margin."
In addition to the move to
substitute a resolution for Unit
ed Nations action, a number of
other proposals have been ad
vanced tentatively, among them:
To strike any aid to Turkey.
A cut in the amount of money
for the program.
A limitation on the si.e of
military missions to be sent the
two countries.
A requirement that any aid
lo Greece be confined to civilian
relief only.
Britain to Scale
Down War Debts
London, May 7 (U.RIA high
government source said today
that Brilain will refuse in forth
coming negotiations with credi
tor nations to rccognioz all her
wartime borrowing as legiti
mate debt and will be "very
tough" about gelling the balance
scaled down.
' A large proportion of these
debts we feci should be regard
ed as joinl expenditure in a
joint effort," the source said.
He said Chancellor of the
Exchequer Hugh Dallon's state
ment last night that the 3,000,
000 pound ($12,000,(100.000)
sterling balances held by Bri
tain's wartime credits must be
scaled down was "a warning to
people with sterling balances
that we are prepared lo be very
tough."
Dalton called the British war
debt an "unreal, unjust and un
supportnblc burden."
The government source said
Brilain sought no modification
of the terms of her American
Inan. This was negotiated after
Ihe war and includes provisions
for liquidating lend-lease ac
counts. He pointed out that un
der the loan terms Britain
agreed lei seek modification of
her sterling debts wilhin a year.
Underwater Caverns
London, May 7 (U.R) Discov
ery of two huge underwater cav
erns off the southern Australian
jennst, the deepest at least 4,350
feet, was announced today by
the Australian information bu
real. One canyon is two miles
wide, the other six.
affected area for a change of
zone.
A corporation headed by R
T. Justin, Jr., of Salinas, Calif
is backing the project whicn
would include the construction
of a two or three-story building
for Sears Roebuck on Capitol
street between Onion and Mar
ion. The balance of the pro
gram would consist of the erec
tion of store buildings between
Marion and Cenler and a large
market at the northwest corne1
of 12th and Center.
The plan does not contem
plate the closing of any of tli'
existing streets, but it docs cal1
areas along 12u
rear of the retail
street at the
I establishments.
Speedy End of
Phone Strike
Now Foreseen
Union Abandons Nation
wide Bargaining for
Local Settlements
By Harold V. Ward
Washington, .May 7 (f!
Unions which called the cross
country telephone strike last
April 7 have abandoned efforts
to negotiate their demands with
the Bell system on a nation-wide
basis.
This decision to shift the em
phasis to local bargaining was
hailed today by Bell officials
as well as union leaders as a
move likely lo hasten the end
of the 31-day-old tieup.
Policy Group Disbands
Officials of the Bell system
and its parent concern, the A. T.
& T., had consistently refused
to yield to union insistence on
nation-wide bargaining, contend
ing negotiations should be on
local basis because of local
factors involved.
The 49-mcmbcr policy com
mittee of the National Federa
tion of Telephone Workers,
which had been in almost daily
session since March 24, was ad
journed indefinitely and its
members returned home to help
bargain out settlements in their
own areas.
Agreement In Progress
The most important bargain
ing conference being held here
under government auspices was
called into "continuous ses
sion" at 11 a.m. (EST) with con
ciliators saying agreement was
possible any hour.
This involves the American
Telephone and Telegraph com
pany s long lines department
and the American Union of Tel
ephone Workers, one of the
NFTW's 4fl affiliates.
NFTW President Joseph A.
Beirne said the policy commit
tee's decision to strive separate
ly for new wage agreements
with the more than 20 Bell com
panies was not a step backward
but would "intensify" negotia
tions. Pacific Coast Conference
Portland, May 7 (fP) Official
of Oregon's striking telephone
workers were en route to San
Francisco today to reopen dis
cussions they hope will lead
to an early settlement of their
wage dispute.
C. M. Bixlcr, president of the
United Telephone Workers of
Oregon, said last night the Pa
cific Telephone and Telegraph
company had advised him com
pany representatives tomorrow
would "make an offer" to the
union.
Negotiations for the state's
independent union along with
others involved in the wage
dispute with the firm have been
conducted in San Francisco.
Bixlcr reported the Oregon
union did not receive a notice
from the National Federation
of Telephone Workers instruct
ing the Oregon unions to settle
on a local basis. He added,
however, that the independent
Oregon union did not have to
ask NFTW approval of any
agreement reached tomorrow be
fore ratification by the Oregon!
workers.
Socialists OK
Ramadier's Ad
Paris, May 7 (A) France's
socialist party today ratified
Premier Paul Ramadier's deci
sion ousting communists from
his coalition cabinet, thus end
ing a French government crisis.
A hastily summoned national
council of the parly voted L529
to 2125 lo approve the break
with the extreme left, an action
which may have political reper
cussions throughout western Eu
rope. Ramadier, pleading for the
council's endorsement in the hot
12-hour debate which preceded
the vote, declared he would feel
like a "grave-digger of the re
public" if he were forced to re
sign. Supporting riamadier, Leon
Blum, a former premier and an
elder statesman of the party, de
clared that "resignation of the
government would be tanta
mount to denial of the parlia
mentary regime."
New Comet to Be
Seen on May 20
Cambridge. Mass., May 7 (.-Pi
A new comet so bright that it
may be seen with ordinary field
glasses when it swings closest lo
the earth on May 20 was report
ed today by Ihe Harvard college
observatory.
Known as Ihe "Comet Ronda-nima-Bester,"
it was discovered
early this year by M. J. Bcster
of the Harvard station in Bloem
fnntein, South Africa, and a
Czechoslovakia!! astronomer.
Harvard astronomers said the
,-omet was in the eastern sky
lear Ihe sun and would be
jrighlesl just before sunrise,
May 20.