The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

THE DAILY TIMES-GAZETTE OSHAWA - Combining The Oshawa Times and Whitby Gazette and Chronicle WHITBY VOL: -7--No. 24 OSHAWA-WHITBY, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1948 Price 4 Cents TWENTY-EIGHT PAGES NFLD. WON'T HOLD VOTE ON UNION ew 97 Per Cent Sign On Voluntary Basis; Sick Benefits Up One of the most comprehensive group insurance plans to be introduced so far in Canadian industry will go into effect next week for employees of General Motors of Canada Limited. It is a voluntary plan, to which the employees contribute. The period from January 5 to 23¢ was allowed for enrolment, and ac- cording to William A. Wecker, gen- eral manager of the company, 97 per cent of all eligible employees signed up. This is regarded as a gratifying endorsement of the plan. : The new GM group insurance program has several features which stamp it as an improvement over the company's previous group in- surance plan, which had .been in effect for 21 years. The amount of life insurance has been adjusted to be more in line with employees' in- come, the amounts ranging between one and two years' salary or wag- es. A substantial part of the in- surance coverage is continued after age 65 without cost, whether the employee leaves General Motors at that age or later if, at age 65, he has 10 years in the plan. Z Extra benefits may be paid for death or certain non-fatal injuries caused accidentally. If an employee is totally and permanently disabled and meets certain requirements of age and service, the face value of the group insurance is all paid out in a series of 50 monthly instal- OVER 16,000 NOW JOBLESS AT WINDSOR By The Canadian Press As polar air spread over South- ern Ontario bringing snow squalls and continued near-Zero tempera- tures, shortage of natural gas to- day hit industries in Windsor, Lon- don and Chatham districts further jolts while the total of temporarily jobless grew. At Windsor, queues of jobless be- gan to register for unemployment insurance at extra offices set up in the armories. While upwards of 16,000 workers are idle, officials of the Border City's largest automotive plants ments and a substantial an still carried on as paid-up insur- ance. Increased Sickness Benefits The new plan also offers sick- ness and accident benefits general- ly much greater than before and extending over a much longer time, The average employee, for in- stance, may receive benefits up to 26 weeks, if required, instead of 13 weeks, as under the old plan. The new group insurance plan for General Motors of Canada, Limited, according to Mr. Wecker, covers not only employees in plant and head office at Oshawa, but also employees of the engine plant at Windsor, and the company's sales and service employees in the field all across Canada. The company also has in effect a group plan for hospitalization and 'surgical care, as well as a re- tirement annuity plan. said production might not return to normal until next week. Mines Minister Leslie Frost sald he had met with Union Gas Com- pany officials yesterday and con- stant- contact is being kept with companies in Hamilton and London with the view of easing curtailment of the fuel. London, Chatham and Simcoe industries are affected to a lesser degree from the gas shortage which arose when cold weather last week increased domestic consumption. Mr, Frost said the Dominion Na- tural Gas Company, London, had not requested any of the gas al- lotted to it during the last two weeks, An Ontario order diverted 1,000,000 cubic feet from Union to Dominion for 140 days this winter. About 900 production workers were idle yesterday at London and 19 plants reported reduced output. Canada's Dollar Program Leaves Nation Bewildered Is Charge In Parliament By D'ARCY O'DONNELL Canadian Press Staff Writer Ottawa, Jan, 28--(CP)--The con- stitutionality of Canada's dollar conservation program was question- ed in the Commons yesterday by opposition members who also ex- pressed doubt that the program would engender a solution to the American dollar shortage. The constitutionality question was raised by John T. Hackett (PC --Stanstead). who heard his party colleagues and members of the C. C.F and Social Credit parties de- bate the value of the steps taken by the government last Nov. 17 to conserve dwindling reserves of Uni. ted States dollars. Speaking during continued de- bate on second reading of the For- eign Exchange Conservation Bill, Mr. Hackett--President of the Can- adian Bar Association -- described the measure as one that was "ut. terly and completely unconstitution- al" and one that could lead the Can- adian people "nowhere but to tran- Clare Gillis (CCF--Cape Breton South) said the program, part of which was aimed at making Canada more industrially self-sufficient, could not succeed -as long as Cana- da remained dependent on the Uni- ted States for such vita] things as fuel. John Blackmore (SC--Leth- bridge) said the program could not possibly succeed as long as Canada was a party to the Bretton Woods monetary agreements and he urged Canada's immediate withdrawal from them to halt further deterior- ation in the exchange situation. L. E. Baker (L--Shelburne - Yar- mouth . Clare) expressed the only support for the program, which he described as of a temporary nature to meet an emergency. Other speakers in the debate, ad- DOLLAR POLICY (Continued on Page 12) Board Favors Park Area South of Eulalie Avenue City Planning Board expressed approval last night of plans sub- mitted by City Engineer W. T. Dempsey for a permanent park and playground area in the south- east section of the city which would provide facilities for all age groups. The area proposed was that bounded by Eulalie Avenue on the north, Cadillac Avenue on the east Vimmy Avenue on the south an Central Park Blvd. S., (Willingdon Avenue) on the west. The area, as set out in an elaborate drawing by the engineer, would provide space for a children's playground pos- sibly at the north, athletic grounds at the southeast and an ornamental park to the west in the area where there is an open creek at the pres- ent time, i The plan would necessitate put- ting this section of the creek under- ground by sewer. ntrances to the park- playground from the north and south would be located at Lasalle Avenue, the street half way be- tween its east and west boundaries. Hope was expressed that selec- tion of this site would not interrupt community playground activities in the area and it was pointed out that equipment from the present temporar playground site might be moved to the north portion of the new location without delay. Location of the present playground, which forms the centre for activi- ties of the Eastview Association, is on the north side of Eulalie Ave- nue at Highland Avenue. This site BOARD FAVORS (Continued on Page 3) construction of a storm. Pausing tarily at North Simcoe School Carol Fitches, 7, Susan Armstrong, 11, Jock Holliday, 12, Elaine Andrews, 11, Barbara McGregor, 11, Peter Blair, 11, Donald McLennan, 6, and Group Insurance Plan for GM Empoyees Gay Costumes Abound At North Simcoe Carnival idst the activities of their masquerade carnival | George Salter, 7; below, Janith Jobb, 11, Walter Fowlie, 8, Robert Munday, yesterday are,.left to right, top: Joan Holmes, 7, 9, Craig Railton, 9, Forbes Darlington, 15, Joan Aker, 9, Janet-Louise Kerr, 7 and Barbara McLaughlin, 6, ~--Photos by Campbell's Studio 306 DROWNED AS FREIGHTER STRIKES MINE Tokyo, Jan, 28--(AP)--Military government officials reported 306 Japanese perished today in the sinking of the 400-ton freighter Joo Maru, which struck a floating mine in the Inland Sea and went down in 20 minutes with her whis- tles blowing. Kyodo News Agency earlier plac- ed the death toll at 250, with 50 bodies recovered. Okayama Military Government officials reported the freighter was bound from Kobe to Tadotsu, with 426 passengers, It struck a mine near the island of Kuroshima. They said 120 passengers were rescued, including three British soldiers. It was not known whether any Americans or other Britons were aboard the vessel, which was mak- ing a routine early morning run. It sank at 2 am. Pickering Officer Heads District Police Association Fred White, Pickering Township police constable, was elected presi- dent of Branch 21 of the Police As- sociation at an election meeting here last night. Durham, Ontario and Northumberland Counties police departments make up Branch 21. 'The 1948 executive body includes: first vice-president, Provincial Con- stable M. R. Hodgson, Oshawa; sec- ond vice-president, Chief Ernest Purdy, Port Hope; secretary-treas- urer, Constable Duncan Foreman, Oshawa; executive members, Con- stables E. C. Harvey and Charles Stainton, Oshawa; Constable Ber- nard Kitney, Bowmanville; Provin- cial Constable Gordon Keast, Osh- awa. Retiring president, Sergeant of Detectives Herbert Flintoff of Osh- awa, was tendered a unanimous vote of appreciation for his "ex- tremely zealous service to the or- ganization during 1947." Remark- ing on the growth of the police as- sociation, the veteran detective said it was up to older members to as- sist newcomers. He said he wanted to see some of the younger, men in executive posts since "they will be carrying on the senior work in years to come," 200,000 Workers Idle As Detroit Car Plants, Factories Short of Gas Detroit, Jan. 28---(AP)--Some 200,000 Detroit workers were idle today as the Michigan Consolidated Gas Company, faced with a new cold wave and natural gas shortage, cut off fuel deliveries to industrial plants for at least a week. Hit by the blow that crippled the automobile industry's production here were the "big three" of the car manufacturing world--General Motors Corporation, Chrysler Cor- poration, and the Ford Motor Com=- pany. Briggs Manufacturing Company and scores of smaller industries al- so were affected. The order sus- pended gas deliveries from 4 p.m. yesterday until next Tuesday. The gas company's - move, forced by what President Henry Fink called "the most critical situation the company ever has faced," came just a day after 200,000 auto workers re- turned to their jobs following a week-end suspension of fuel sup- plies to industrial users. It was blamed on the longest siege of cold weather to grip this section of the country in 12 years. Low temperatures also were re- sponsible for - making idle 15,000 workers in the Pittsburgh district-- most of them victims of industrial gas supplies curtailments. Ford apparently will suffer less by the sweeping order than other big auto producers, since it maintains, its own stand-by gas equipment at the River Rouge plant. About 50,000 of the 70,000 Detroit area workers employed by Chrysler were laid off as the hard-hit cor- poration shut down seven plants. General Motors closed its Chevrolet gear and axle and Chevrolet forge and spring plants, making idle 11,- 000 more auto workers. Briggs shut down completely, leaving 21,000 workers idle. 3 Michigan Consolidated reported two factors, a sharp cut in the gas volume received from Panhandle Eastern Pipeline Company and its own inability to manufacture arti- ficial gas, were involved in the sus- pension of industrial gas. Display of C.R.A. Work Planned at Dedication Of Headquarters Saturday Complete plans for the official opening Saturday of the Commun- ity Recreation Association head- quarters building, 100 Gibbs Street, were announced today by Recrea- tion Director R. L. Coleman. There will be a brief ceremony and dedication in the assembly room at 3 p.m. with Rev. P. Coffey of Holy Cross Church and Rev. Hugh Davidson, president of the Ministerial Association, participat- ing. Mayor Frank McCallum will conclude the ceremony by officially declaring the building open. i The guest speaker, who will re- present the Minister of Education for the province of Ontario, will be a well-known, former resident of Oshawa, C. F. Cannon, supefintend- ent of elementary education, who will bring greetings from his De- 'partment and explain the objectives as sponsored by the provincial gov- as sponscored by the provincial gov- ernment. The Provincial Depart- . ment of Education, Recreation Branch, provides grants in aid to scores of Ontarie Municipalities, including Oshawa, who have or- ganized recreation programs. Will Explain C.R.A, Role C.R.A. President George A. Flet- cher, will explain the role of the Community Recreation Association in Oshawa and briefly trace its his- tory for the information of those who are unfamiliar with this fast growing movement in the Commun- y. At a recent joint meeting of the C.R.A. Executive and Capital Fin- ance Committee plans were drawn up for the official opening which will give the Public a firsthand op- portunity to see some of the many worthwhile activities which C.R.A. offers to Community life in Osh- awa, Director of Recreation, R. L. PLAN DISPLAY (Continued on Page 2), Meighan Flays Mass Education As Impractical London, Ont, Jan. 28 _(CP)-- Rt, Hon. Arthur Meighen, former Prime Minister of Canada, last night termed government assis- tance to universities "a spreading pestilence in every walk of life," and said mass university education was impractical. He told a University of Toronto Alumni gathering here that state assistance to universities could de- stroy their self-reliance. On mass education, he said: "An Alma Mater must know her chil- dren one by one. Anything of the nature of a mint or an army is impossible." He said universities should: be closed to those unable to benefit from them, even though such ap- plicants be "smothered in wealth." Mr, Meighen said universities have been weakened because sub- jects which have no proper place" in either the arts or sciences have been allowed to "creep" into their curricula, The gathering at which he spoke was a banquet in honor of three University of Toronto graduates who now hold key posts at the University of Western Ontario. MASS EDUCATION (Continued on Page 2) Toronto Bread Up Cent Here Many Oshawa residents were read today as the increase an- nounced in Toronto bread prices came into effect here, The major- yet come in line with the new rate, | but one firm announced a one-cent increase today. ' Toronto bread sold here now costs 14 cents for an unsliced 24- ounce loaf while sliced loaves re- main at 15 cents. Most bread made in Oshawa is still selling at the for- mer price of 13 cents. This increase follows a three- cent hike last fall which was ac- gompanied by similar adjustments ind e prices of other bakery prod- ucts, ; THE WEATHER > Clear today, overcast to- night, clearing Thursday morning. Not much change in temperature today, milder to- night and Thursday. Winds southwest 25 today and Thurs- day. Low tonight and high Thursday 10 and 24. p aying an extra cent for their | ity of Oshawa bakeries have not government for Newfoundland, was adjourned until tomorrow to draft recommendations for submission to the British government. The convention will be dissolved Friday by Commissioner Lee Em- erson in the 'absence of Governor Sir Gordon Macdonald visiting England. An official said the convention's decision meant that the Newfound- land people will have no opportun- ity to express their views on confed- eration when they go to the polls in May to select their future form of government. Although it was anticipated that the convention's pro-confederation faction would. table a minority re- port during isertion on the confed- eration choice on the ballot, it was expected the people would be limit- ed to alternate choices of continued commission government or a retu-n to responsible self-government, ab- andoned in 1934. Tabling of the merely a recording procedure. The convention defeated the mo.- tion after an all-night session dur- ing which heated speeches were NO POLL (Continued on Page 2) No People's Poll For Confederation Decision Of Board St. John's, Nfld., Jan. 28 (CP)--The 44-man nationa} convention today defeated by a 26-16 vote a motion that the question of confederation with Canada be placed before the people of Newfoundland in a referendum. Following the action, the convention, elected to consider and recommend future forms of®-- minority report was said to be! Planning Chairman E> N. C. MILLMAN who was re-elected chairman of the Oshawa Planning Board at its inaugural meeting last night, 4 Children Lavigne, Ont., Jan. 28--(CP)-- Nipissing district neighbors rallied today to provide household effects and clothing for the ~Ducharme family which lost four of its eight young children in a fire which lev- elled a tiny farm home 2% miles south of this isolated little farm- ing settlement 40 miles west of North Bay. Provincial Police Constables Ralph Crozier and Harold Scott at Sturgeon Falls, 27 miles northwest of here, have appealed to organi- zations there to help Mr, and Mrs. Donat Ducharme and their four surviving children, who lost all their belongings - yesterday in the early morning fire which drove them in night attire into the snow in 25-below-zero weather. Neighbors in this farming-and- lumbering settlement also are as- sisting the stricken family, well- known in the community near Lake Nipissing's northwestern arm. Mr. Ducharme, bereaved of both his parents by a level-crossing col~ lision at Sturgeon Falls three years ago, risked his life to save his wife and four of his children after the crackle of flames in the 16-foot square frame house aroused him. He pushed his pyjama-clad wife through an upstairs window and watched her drop 10 feet into three feet of snow. Then he dropped four of the children, one at a time, into his wife's arms. Before he could Die In Fire Father Saves 4 Others; Home, All Savings Lost save the others, the heat and smoke overcame him and he believes he fell through the window. Roaring Flames . Revived in about 10 minutes b; the cold air, he tried to force his way back into the house to reach the other children but the roaring flames, shooting from all doors and windows and through the roof, turned him back. The only shelter left was the stable where the family kept its horse. Mr. Ducharme took his wife there, along with Florian, 11; Giselle, nine; Real, six, apd Hen« rietta, one. With straw and horse blankets, he made them as com= fortable as possible. Then he wrapped a horse blanket around his night-clothes, hitched the horse to a sleigh and drove 1% miles to seek help from his near est neighbor. By the time Provincial Police reached the scene, neighbors had given the family as much clothing as they could spare. Police and men from the settlement stirred the ashes of the farmhouse for the charred bones of Florette Dus charme, eight; Gerard, seven; Rose four and Henri, two. Mr, Ducharme, who in summer tilled his little farm and in winter cut jackpine logs which he hauled CHILDREN DIE (Continued on Page 2) robbery. TEN YEARS FOR HOLD-UPS Toronto, Jan. 28 (CP)--Jacques Martin, 28, cap- tured in the washroom of the Glendale Theatre in North Toronto last Friday after carrying out three armed hold- ups within a space of 15 minutes, today was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on four charges of armed WON'T VOTE ON GOLD BILL Paris, Jan. 28 (AP)--A Socialist party spokesman said tonight the party had decided to refrain from voting gold bill. 5 in the National Assembly on Premier Robert Schuman's 2 REMANDED FOR SENTENCE Peterborough, Jan. 28 (CP)--Two Toropto men, charged with the theft of more than $1,200 worth of cameras and equipment from the Roy Studios here dur- ing the week-end, pleaded guilty in court today and were remanded until Feb. 4 for sentence. They are David Bil« lings, 22 and Lionel Devine, 21. Police said most of the stolen goods were recovered, : BABY DIES OF BURNS Sudbury, Jan. 28 (CP)--Patrick James Maher, 15- month-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Maher of Shining- tree, 70 miles north of here, died in hospital of burns suffered in a fire which destroyed the family's five-room log cabin. Patrick was flown to hospital here by Happy Hoar, pilot for 4 commercial air line, fe= pr=rems