The Journal News from White Plains, New York • Page 1

WEATHER 7.898 The average daily rat circulation of Tha Journal-Newt for tho month of January wat 7,898. A a matter of fact, the groundhog bun boon holad in at all this wintar. Maybe hall go in tonight to keep warm and haap out of to-morrow'a wind. ROCKLAND Member Central Press Association Member International News Service NYACK, N. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2.

1949 Member AUG (Audit Bureau of Circulations) PRICE FOUR CENTS VOL 59, No. 227 Lj ROCKLAND COUNTY'S VTt GREATEST NEWSPAPER fc) Hoover Testifies 8 DISTRICTS NEW MACHINE Coasting Victim Is Aided By Nyack Ambulance Crew Three Schools of Thought On Qroundhog Superstition gone into the fire hydrant. He had struck it with such force that his sled was smashed to bits. Wanted His Tarents The youngster was Rudy Mour- STALIN OFFERS TO MEET WITH U.S. PRESIDENT Says Health Doesn't Permit Journey to Washington; Suggests Other Sites For Peace Talks On tha other hand, those who are run-of-the-mill groundhog observers and believe that the wood-chuck merely watches the calendar and conies out of the hole at any time on Feb.

2. fear the worrt. After sunrise, the groundhog definitely saw his shadow and that means six more weeks of winter. To the third class, those who pay no'attentlon to the Candlemas V.1; A big decision ia reached today whether the winter now is over or If It will continue for six more weeks. Today is the day the groundhog emerges from his hole search for his shadow and give his augury of things to come.

Just what is in store is a matter of individual opinion. If a person is a "purist" who believes that when the groundhog retires to his burrow in the fall he sets his alarm clock for sunup on the morning of Feb. 2, he concludes that winter is over. For, at sunup this morning there was no sun, and conesquently, the groundhog didn't see hia shadow. BIG ADVENTUREIFIGHT SEEN ON l.

IiLJU ARGUE SCHOOL PLAN FOR AREA General Sentiment at Valley One of Finding Costs But No Big Support for Centralizing Representatives of seven Rama-po school districts and one Clarkt-town district last night came to agreement at a joii.L meeting the Spring Valley High School to-visit Albany on Feb. 18 and 17 to confer with experts of the state department of education in connection with tentative centralization program. In response to an invitation from Albany, the eight districts agreed furnish statistics covering all tU.i. 1 Ai i A tenuuv. bund- five yearn.

In return, state officials would ttudy the statistics and building program and prepare a complete survey of costs based opon the centralization of the districts. The state figures would be projected over a similar five-year period. The building program which will submitted to Albany Is as follows: construction of a new Junior-tenior high achool to be located somewhere north of the village of Spring conversion of the present Spring Valley High School building into a grammar achool; addition of five rooma to the present Monaey achool; certain minor improvements to the Red School. It was understood, however, that the Information received from tha State Department in no way obligate the districts to centralize. The survey would be merely for the purpose of obtaining Information aa to costs to that the taxpayers of each of the district! could be informed in order to decide whether they want to centralise.

All Represented Some 33 persona attended till meeting, representing in full or in part the school boards of the Sprint; Valley, Monaey, Brick Church, Eng. liiih Church, Ladentown, Camp Hill, and Red School districts of Rama-po and the Chestnut Grove district in Clarkstown. The meeting was opened by President Ernest V. Strack of the Spring Valley board, who spoke at length, with Dr. John Hopf, county superintendent of schools, submitting statistical Information.

The fact that the majority of the trustees consented to the proposal to visit Albany (there were some voting against the plan) in no way reflected a trend toward eventual adoption of centralization. At matter of fact, all districts representatives with the exception of the Monaey group candidly admitted it would require super-tales-manship to induce the taxpayers of their districts to centralize. Howard Duryea, president of the Monsey school board, who headed a citizen's committee contlstlng of Trustees Charles Smith, A. Angyal, Herman Heidgerd, O. G.

Aselin, and Mrs. L. Rogowskl, submitted a survey of the requirements for the Monsey district. Mr. Duryea stated that the achool registration nour Ij 160 and that by the end of the next five yeart It is expected to be from 225 to 240.

He stated that during the next five years five rooms would have to be added to the existing structure to meet the anticipated Increase and that even now some classes are "doubled up." He also stated that the district wants to retain students in both the seventh and eighth grades in the event of centralization. He indicated that the peopls in hia district want to learn more of the advantages that would accrue from centralization for his district. AlfreJ C. Scholten, president of the Red School board, pointed out that 23 pupils are now enrolled in the first three grades and that during the next five years the highest average of attendance is estimated at 31 pupils. He stated it Is felt the school building would be adequate for the next five years and that tentative improvements for that period consist of fenclns; In the grounds, improving the grounds, and repainting the build ing.

He indicated it was hardly likely that the taxpayers of hit district would go for centralization. Richard Taylor and Harold (Continued on Pago Two) WEATHER STATISTICS Temperature Range High Lew 29.7 at 3 A.M. 1:30 21.0' pm 12:30 25. P.M. 3:30 29.0' at 9:00 am 6:30 Precipitation none Snow Depth 4 inchea Sunset 5:14 Sunrise) 7:05 Today's Tidea Haverttraw Nyack Area High 1:14 am 1:16 pm Low 7:02 am 7:23 pm All data It figured from mid night to midnight (EST) from official recorda of the U.

Weather' Bureau Of fit at aa' Mountain, N. Y. OF NYACK FIRE PATROL IS DUE Truck Expected to Arrive Tomorrow, 'Dedication Ceremonies Planned Friday Evening The Nyack ire Patrol, the oldest volunteer group of its kind in the country, today is awaiting the airival of its new truck, an International K. B. Eight, which is due from the factorj at Westport, tomorrow and Is expected to be put into service within a week's time.

The new truck, which has a wheclbase of 179 inches and a three and a half ton chassis, will be the fcurth that the patrol has had since it was organized on Jan. 26, 1915. The truck that Is now In service, a Diamond was put into use back in 1933. From the. days of its inception, the Nyack Fire Patrol has Increased steadily In its usefulness and importance to the life of the com munity, until it Is now estimated that the patrol answers a yearly total of more than 250 calls.

Designed to act as an independent unit as well as an auxiliary of other fire companies in Nyack, the fire patrol has three primary purposes. Its duties are mainly confined to salvage work, administering first aid wherever and whenever it is needed, and supplying floodlights for fighting fires and in any emergency. The boys of the patrol are probably the "rollingest" bunch in town, for they respond not only to specific calls for their aid as a unit, but also to each fire alarm that is sounded in Nyack no matter which fire company answers. Variety of Calls The fire patrol runs to as varied a number of calls as could be con ceived, from special details such as ammonia leaks in refrigerator plants to covering up roots with tarpaulins and numerous others. The group was Incorporated on March 21, 1918, less than a year after its organization.

The first meeting of the patrol as such was held in Frank Motto's Barber Shop. One of the pioneers of the patrol, who gave invaluable advice teUi to the embryo group was Capt. Albert Sidney Johnston, wno at the time was a member of the New York City Fire Patrol. Through Capt. Johnston a number of members of the Nyack group attended the city's fire patrol school to learn the latest and best methods of following their calling.

The first truck to roll under the name of the Nyack Fire Patrol was a This was followed by a which was purchased in 1924, and succeeded In 1933 by the "Diamond now in use hut soon to be "put out to pasture' to make way for (he new equipment. Each of the first three trucks of the patrol were purchased through the efforts of the patrol Itself. For the new one. the patrol approached the Nyack village board which provid ed the necessary funds. The new International truck will be the most modern piece of equipment in use in this area.

Battery of Floodlights It will be prvlded with eight food-lights, four of them of 500 watt power and four of 250 watt power. These are mounted on the truck, but are portable, and arc equipped with 1,500 feet of wire for extension. A five kilowatt Onan generator will supply the power for the floods, replacing the two kilowatt generator now in use. While members of the patrol hope that in the near future a resuscitator can be obtained to replace present equipment, sn inhal-ator will be used as standard equipment on the vehicle. The new truck is supplied with a cutting torch, five gas masks, hy draulic jacks for use In wrecks, grappling hooks, a complete first aid unit including stretchers and splints and all other necessary gear, line and wire cable for use in tows, special tow hooks, and wire cutters.

Room Is also provided in the rear of the truck for storage of between 25 and 30 tarpaulins for coverage in salvage work. The chassis for the truck was bought from Burnweit Motors in Nyack, and was sent to the Sealand Corporation In Westport for mounting of the body. The truck, including its cab and body is streamlined, with an open back fitted with removable canvas covers. The body Itself is easily accessible to workmen, presenting a minimum of gadgets and making it easy for the men to get at the equipment and to put it. Into use.

The truck is fitted with leather upholstered seats. Two Lux fire extinguishers, two pyrene extinguishers and three Indian tanks made up part of the patrol's equipment. The new vehic le is also fitted with a 24-foot ex tension ladder and an eight-foot folding ladder. 'Dedication' on Friday The "dedication" of the new truck will be made Friday evening when a parade through the village will be held if weather permits. After the parade, members of the village board, village officias, fire commissioners, firemen and their friends have been invited to Inspect the new equipment at the patrol's headquarters on Park Street.

The fire patrol moved to its quarters of the Central Fire Station on Oct. 27, 1938, the headquarters having been built by the village. Previous to that, the patrol made (Continued on Pago Two) on to It is becoming a regular procedure for the Nyack Community Ambulance to be flagged down during its trips through New York for an additional errand of mercy. Yesterday the crew had delivered Alfred Wright of Congers to Memorial Center and was taking Jane Laird of Nyack to her doctor for post-operative care, when several men in a crowd which had gathered at the corner of 136th Street and Broadway shouted to them to stop. A nlne-yea-old boy had been sleighriding down the hill at 136th Street and had crashed into a fire hydrant, breaking his hip and sustaining Internal injuries, x-rays later showed.

The crew consisting of Stanley Couton, Clar ence Beck and Jeanne Allen applied splints and took the young ster to Knickerbocker Hospital. On the way he told the crew that he had been coming down 136th Street and swerved to avoid hitting a man. In doing so he had MEDICAL WORK IS REVIEWED Social Hygiene Important Part of Program for Local Doctors Dr. Frederick A. Schroede.r of the Rockland County Medical Society today marked the observance of National Social Hygience Day by reviewing measures the society is talking against venereal diseases.

"Here in Rockland we have been pioneers in this work," he said, "but we feel that still more can be done to eliminate this scourge If the public better understands our methods." He noted that clinics are not held in Rockland County, but that the Society arranges for treatment of all cases of gonorrhea and syphilis by private physicians. Drugs are furnished without cost, and patients who cannot afford to pay are treated at public expense. "Any person suffering from either of these diseases may apply for treatment at the office of any physician. Only the patient, the doctor, and the county consultant know who is being treated," lie said. 'The only reports are the con fidential ones to the State Department of Health." Ha said that sine the present procedure was begun in 1943, more than 300 cases have been treated on a county basis, and free medicines have been furnished for cases treated privately.

"By curing the ill, we are protect-irg the rest of the community from exposure." he said. Venereal disease still ranks as number one of the serious commun icable diseases. More than 13,000 Americans are currently victims of syphilis and gonorrhea. In tha 1548 oificial year, the United States Public Health Service listed 13.309 ba bies as needless tragic victims of congenital syphilis. Measures against the disease are increasing yeaily.

There are now more than 3,000 clinics in the United States for venereal disease treatment as compared to 965 In 1937. Last year 26 states had pre-marital examination laws as compared to one in 1937. Blood tests for syphilis in the U. S. totaled 2 million in 1937 and 20 million in 1948.

Last year 38 states required none had such a law in 3937. NYACK ROTARIANS HEAR ABOUT COLOR PRINTING Some of the problems of color printing, its history and its progress were explained to Nyack Ro-tarians yesterday by Halber Sar-rensen, technical advisor on the color printing process to the Rob ert Gair Company of Vermont, jje-velopments of a 3-color sheet grav-ure color printing for box board has been one of the processes now being turned out successfully by that rompany. The progress in this field is making further use of carton meichandies by the dramatic eye appeals which are scheduled. Mr. Sarrenson illustrated his talk with samples of color printing from the copper reproduction sheet to the finished products which were beautiful and which, according to the speaker, are 80 percent accurate to natural color.

Accompanying Mr. Sarrenson from the Gair Company were Hary Van Decker, William Cavanaugh and William Swin-dels. Guests were Herbert Peckman, Rotaiian from Pear River, Qua Burnweit, Peter Brega, Martin Williams, Lewis Stockmeyer and students Henry Villaume, Robert Smith and Frances Cook. PALISADES WOMAN IS INJURED IN 9-W CRASH Mrs. V.

H. Rothschild of Sneden's Landing, Palisades, is a patient in Medical Center, New York, as a rult of sn accident on Route 9-W, Alpine N. In which two cars collided during Monday morning's snowstorm. She was a passenger in a car driven by her husband. Mrs.

Rothschild was taken in the Cioster ambulance to the office of Dr. V. Kemezis in Cioster and, cfter treatment, was taken by ambulance to Medical Center. The ambulance was escorted by two Cioster policemen on its trip. lot of 530 West 130th Street.

The hardest part for him to bear was that he wanted hia father and mother. The ambulance crew and hospital authorities tried to contact them but they were not at home. Once the Nyack Ambulance crew waa called upon to give first aid to a man who had fallen off a tugboat into the East River and on another occasion to give first aid to a boy who had Jumped through the window of a second floor apartment. The day atarted off for the crew with a call from St. Dominic's Hospital, Blauvelt, at 7:15 a.

m. stating that one of the sisters had broken her leg and asking that she be taken to the Nyack Hospital. Later they took Irvin Craft of Orangeburg to the Nyack Hospital for x-ray treatments. MORE VILLAGE AID IS SOUGHT Mayors Want Added State Financial Help in Annual Payments Due partly to bad going and partly to conflicting engagements, only two mayors appeared at the scheduled meeting of msyors of villages in the counties of Rockland and Orange at the Villa Lafayette last night. The purpose of tha session called by Mayor Anthony Milewski of Spring Valley was to form a group of officials to further the legislative progrsm of the Conference of Mayors which, if passed at the current session of the legislature, would provide for greater financial aid to all villages In the state.

During th discussion among Mayor Milewaki of the Valley, Mayor Maurice Lonergan and Cei George Cox of Suffern, and Attorney Jacob Pesner of the village of Spring VaHey, it waa pointed out that efforta would also be made to seek a change In- the present two percent limit which the constitution places as a maximum that may be raised by taxation. Tha group also discussed the matter of seeking a change in the present Moore Plan of state aid to villages by the removal of the present taper clause. The plan provides that by 1950 all villages will receive state aid baaed on a per capita allowance of $3, rather than on the old method of a return of a portion of certain excise and corporation taxea. The so-called taper clause now In effect Is a sliding scale of payments based on a transition from the old method and the proposed per capita return. In most cases, villages are working up to the maximum return and it was suggested that the clause be eliminated so that the full $3 per person aid la paid this year.

It wss also recommended that efforts be made to get a payment of $6 per capita instead of $3 per capita because of Insufficient funds most villages in the state get to conduct their affairs. The group also discussed the dual tax system In vogue' which requires residents of villages to pay for the support of a number of town departments which allegedly give no services in return to village taxpayers. It was decided to hold another meeting in the near future and Mayor Milewski suggested that Mayor S. J. Clancimino of Nyack be requested to sponsor the meeting somewhere in Nyack.

STATE PLANS TO REBUILD ROAD THROUGH SWAMP Announcement was made today from State Superintendent of Public Works Bertram D. Tallamy and District Superintendent James S. Blxby of the Poughkeepsie office, after conferring with local officals, that the 800 feet of road on Route 59 through the West Nyack swamp would be reconstructed this summer. It is understood that plans call for building up the roadway some three feet on top of the present surface. The construction program, local officials feel, is badly needed because the road is invariably flooded In heavy rains or after steady winter thaws.

By raising the surface sufficiently, engineers believe, the flooding will not cover the highway as it haa in the past, rising only on both sides. Sinking has always been troublesome on the swamp stretch, besides. Engineers ind that the level of the present road is only ten feet above the point where the Hackensack Creek starts its steady flow some miles south of Route 59. BARTENDER BANKRUPT NEW YORK, Feb. 2 Thomas J.

Boland of 138 Ridge Street, Pear) River, a bartender, filed a voluntary petition in bankruptcy In United States District Court here yesterday. Boland, employed by James Terpak at North Middle-town Road, New City, lists assets of $200 and liabilities totaling all unsecured. Day groundhog superstition, there ia little significance in the occa slon. They will be perfectly content to take another six weeks of the same kind of weather this section of the country haa had up to now DEWEY BUDGET Republican Leaders Predict Its Passage With Few Substantial Changes ALBANY, Feb. 2 tINS) Governor Dewey's $936,000,000 executive budget faced a stormy legislative path today, but Republican leaders predicted its eventual passage without substantial change.

Chief opposition to tha Dewey fiscal program revolved around: 1 His recommendation that taxes on peraonai Incomes, gasoline, corporation franchises and harness race wagering be increased to yield an additional of revenue during the next fiscal year. 2 His recommendation that state aid for common schools be Increased by $81,500,000, of which $41,500,000 is mandated by the revised Friedaam formula and ia new money. The opposition tothe lax program is not due so much to the amount of the taxes, admittedly needed to balance the budget, as to the levies chosen. Several Republicans from wealthy districts are looking askance at the proposed re-establish ment of income ttx ratea at tha normal 100 percent. They wera collected at fO percent of normal latea in 1948.

Much of the opposition to tha proposed one-cent-a-gallon increase In the gasoline tax comes from outside the Legislature, but some of the lawmakers believe that the revenue from mortorists' taxes should be earmarked for highway work. Tha opposition to the higher taxes on harness meet betting pools, which would yield $1,200,000, Is not too open, but It Is intense. Dewey reluctantly recommended the higher levy on corporation franchises and the Increase in that field may be attacked by persons and organizations which believe the higher rates, 5'4 percent Instead of 4 percent, may drive business from the state. The Dewey aid to education program, despite its size, is being attacked both in and out of the Leg islature. Several teacher organizations already have assailed it, largely because there is no suggestion that any of the $40,000,000 of new monies be used to increase teacher salaries.

The Governor wants the bulk of the new money earmarked for school construction, a suggestion which does not ait well with some legislators, including Republicans, who want no strings of that sort on the extra money. Twenty-five Assembly Republicans discussed the subject at length yesterday, but arrived at no agreement. They will meet again next week. The powerful State Teachers As-tociation said that the earmarking of the $40,000,000 for construction is "unacceptable to us." ARBITER TURNS DOWN UNION PAY RAISE BID uusiuw, en. i uns) A private arbiter refused to grant a ten- cents-an-hour pay increase to CIO textile workers in Massachusetts.

The increase was refused by Raymond O'Connell, counsel for the State Department of Labor and Industries, who had been chosen as arbiter by the union and the American Woolen Company. O'Connell's decision, while It is binding only on Massachusetts workert, it expected to set a wage pattern for employers of the company's 24 mills in New England, New York and Kentucky. The union has aought a ten cents an hour increase and a minium rate of $1.15 per hour. O'Connell pointed out that a ten cents an hour increase would mean an additional cost of $4,800,000 to the company. He said it would place the company in a competitive disadvantage of about IS centt per hour over other woolen and worst ed manufacturers.

The union had based its request on five premises including the cost of living, the ability of the company to pay the Increases, anticipation of continu ed prosperity and the necessity of expanding the purchasing power of all lower income groups. an at to of be PARIS, Feb. 2, (INS) Premier Stalin said today his health does not allow him to travel to Washington but he invited President Truman to confer with him at any one of five cities in Russia or, "at the President's discretion," in Poland or Czechoslovakia. Stalin made his statement in a telegram to International News Service, replying to a message sent him by Kingsbury Smith, European general manager, asking the Russian leader if he was prepared to go to Washington where President Truman has said he is willing to meet with him at any time. Stalin's telegram, sent to Smith in Paris, expressed the premier's gratitude to President Truman "for his invitation to come to Washington." "For long time," Stalin added, "it was my wish to visit Washington and at one time I mentioned this to President Roosevelt at Yalta and to President Truman at Potsdam.

"Unfortunately, at present I am unabla to realise this wish of mine, sinr doctors strongly object to my undertaking any prolonged journey, especially by sea or air." This new exchange of messages was tha second in four days between Stalin and Smith. On Sunday, Stalin declared in an answer to an I. N. questionaire that he was willing to discuss a "pact of peace" with Mr. Truman.

Admit Poor Health Today's telegram by the Russian premier provided his first personal and public admission that he is not in good health. Thers have been recurring reports for. some time that this was the case. Having stated his doctors' objections to his undertaking any long trip, Stalin made his counter-auggestion of a meeting with the American President in his own part of tha world. Me said a conference could be arranged 'at tha President's choice" ither in Moscow, Leningrad, Kal- WASHINGTON, Fab.

2 (INS) Tha White House reiterated today that President Truman ia willing to most Soviet Premier Stalin In Washington to diacusa a meant of ending the "cold war." Presidential Secretary Charles 0. Roes refuted to comment, however, on Stalin't latest atatemant to International Naws Service tuggeating a meeting with Mr. Truman in Russia, Poland, or Ciechoslovakia. iningrad, Odessa or Yalta all in the U. S.

S. R. or at Truman's discretion in Poland or Czechoslovakia. Stalin emphasized that his doc tors had ruled out any long journey "by sea or air." Yalta, a lavish resort in the Crimea highly favored by aristocrats in Czarlst days, was the scene of Stalin's last meeting with the late President Roosevelt. Leningrad was St.

Petersburg in the time of Imperial Russia while Kaliningrad was Koenigsberg, capital of East Prussia, prior to the second World War. It was the scene of bitter fighting in both world conflicts but was particularly famous in the first one. The. battles of Tannenberg and the Mnsurian Lakes were fought near Koenigsberg and the late President von Hindenburg, hero of those epic encounters, is buried in the area. Stalin did not mention any particular site in Poland or Czechoslovakia as an alternative, leaving this to President Truman's 'dis However, Poland has been busy since the end of the war in repair ing the enormous damage done to Warsaw, the capital.

Prague, the Czechoslovakian capital, has been restored and there are many famous and beautiful resorts elsewhere in that country. Stalin's telegram was delivered by the French postal and tele graph service in an envelope marked with several stamps bearing the same designation pasted on it. Two copies were delivered through the central French post-office. Both were in English. The preamble to the telegram showed that the two Identical messages were dispatched from Mos cow at 15 minute intervals.

The first preamble read: "SSS Eleven, Moscow, 16511-1145 ETAT (state) USSR govern ment priority." iirencn teiegrapn officials explained that the letter repeat ed thret times means the highest official government priority, clearing ahead of all other traffic. The second message read the same as the first except that it bore the designation "SSS twelve' instead of "eleven." SEES FATHER SWORN IN Stephen B. Bromley of Upper Nyack, former sports editor of The Journal-News, attended the ceremonies yesterday in which his fath Bruce Bromley, took the oath of office at an associate judge of the Court of Appeals, the state' highest bench. The oath was administered in the library of the Appellate Division, New York, before family, friends, jurists and as sociate! by Chief Judge John T. Lough of the Court of Appeals.

IN 'GOLD' DRUG Pearl River Rotarians Hear Story of Development of Aureomycin at Lederle Discovery and production of aureomycin is the greatest aingle adventure Lederle Laboratories has ever had, Dr. Austin Joyner, associate medical director, told members of the Pearl River Rotary Club at their luncheon yesterday at the Silver Pheasant Inn, Pearl River. Unlike streptomycin and penicillin, it has no bad effects on the human system, he stated. If streptomycin la taken into the system for a month, bad results may occur. If penicillin ia taken Into the system for several days, the germs find a way to live with It and its medical properties are reduced, said Dr.

Joyner. Aureomycin can ne tanen into the system for a month. It has been found to cure scrub typhus and virus diseases such as undulant fever. It is of great value ii the cure of virus pneumonia, he went on. Aureomycin, he said, haa many characteristics similar to penicillin, yet it is not a penicillin.

It doesn't combine with salts like penicillin and is not so easily Injected Into the blood stream. Penicillin will not touch chronic pus diseases became germs aoon find a way lo live with It. Penicillin acts quickly and leaves the body quickly sometimes in three hourt. Aureomycin acta more alowly and will stay in the blood stream for long as three days. Twice he compared it to gold from which its name derives, once calling it more valuable than gold, and the v.ther time in telling of the cures it can effect stating that "It is literally a gold mine." Dr.

Joyner was Introduced by Theodore Marshall. Dr. Joseph Hughes suggested tl.at the club consider backing the establishment of a community park. Dr. Charles Higgins spoke on the importance of club and community service.

George Hadeler, secretary of the club, reported a 91.28 percent attendance for January, commenting it was an excellent record for that particular month. ittorney Jacob Wexler passed out cigars in recognition of the birth of a daughter to Mrs. Wexler tn Sunday and received the congratulations of the 'club through President Raymond Hayes. Guests at the luncheon included: Wholey, a member of the Spring Valley Rotary Club; Shep Cynamon and Frank Wyman. members of the Park Ridge Rotary Club, and George Kenning of Rutherford, N.

the guest of O. D. Reich. BILLS IN CONGRESS FOR SPECIAL STAMP ISSUES Frederick Loescher, chairman of the committee on Americanism of the Rockland County Council Veterans of Foreign Wars made it known today that Congresswoman Katherlne B. St.

George has re-ln-tioduced a bill In Congress requesting the Postoffice Department to issue a stamp commemorating the 170th anniversary of the Battle of Stony Point. The bill, if passed, calls for the issuance of the stamp on July 18, 1949. Mrs. St. George Introduced a similar measure in Congress during the short extra session last year but it failed to reach a vote.

It has also been learned that Mrs, St. George has introduced a bill requesting a special Issue in recognition of the Hambletonlan breed o. horses, similar to an issue for the poultry induttry last year. There are 17 other such proposals in Congress at present, philatelists have learned, and the recent flood of special issues is meeting with no great approval from either professional or amateur stamp collectors. CONFERENCE ON BUILDING ALBANY, Feb.

2 (INS) Governor Dewey w'ill confer in Albany traay with iuo mayors and super visors from all parts of the state to discuss methods of speeding up tt.e construction of home. He also will discuss the subject with a number of architects and engineers. The Governor, who favors a state-vide building code to replace the antiquated codes which are used in many communities, will ask the mi.jors to check the codes In their areas and that they support the plan for statewide code. iX-PRESIOSNT Herbert Hoover, nead of the Bipartisan Commission Reorganizing Executive Agen-ties, testifies before the House Ex-jenditures Committee in Washington. Mr.

Hoover urged that President Truman be given sweeping powei to reorganize the executive branch He also told the Congressmen thai tie believes "this country has reached the saturation point by waj of taxation." (International) Relief Operations In West Snarled By New Snowfall DENVER, Feb. 2 (INS) Army and U. S. Air Force officials feared today that, new storms may snarl relief operations in blizzard- battered western slates. The U.

8. Weather Bureau predicted light snow over western Nebraska and western Kansas but the downfall may end by tomorrow when clearer skies are expected. "Operation Snowbound." a herM-lesn task of road-clearing, thus may he temporarily tied up. New snow waa forecast later in the week. Sub-zero temperatures in portions of South Dakota, eastern Wyoming, eastern Colorado and western Nebraska hampered road-clearing operations.

Strong winds, causing heavy drifts, accompanied the new downfall and blocked already-cleared highways. In Alliance, a rescue convoy following a snow-plow called for aid itself in reaching western Nebraska ranch destinations. Maj. Duane Tenney, in charge of the Alliance area, said 50 more heavy snowplows were thrown into the road clearing operation for northwestern Nebraska. He feared new winds may hamper disaster work and added: Clearing roads does not solve the problem.

We must get supplies back from the roads into the ranches, since a 30-mile. wind can drift the roads shut again." Nebraska ranchers were to receive fuel, food and hay for livestock through March. Tenney said the precaution was taken in the event of a sudden thaw. 'Gratitude Train' From France in New York Harbor NEW YORK, Feb. 2 (INS) A proud, flag-bedecked French freighter sailed into New York today carrying the "Gratitude.

Train" from the people of Fiance in thanks to America for the U. S. Freedom Train. ivw York Harbor burst into I noisy welcome to the "mercl ship" the S. S.

Magellan and roared overhead in dramatic greeting. The French "Gratitude Train" consists of 49 cars loaded with gifts for each state of the union rnd one for Hawaii. While the planes swooped and dipped overhead, boats in the. harbor tooted a loud "hello," and four flreboats shot streams of water into the air in a traditional New York Harbor reception. Aboard tugs and cutters that quickly sped to the Magellan at Quarantine were hosts of New York and French officials.

Chief welcomer, as almost always is the case in New York, was handsome, gardenia-sporting Grover Whalen. The Magellan, when the harbor ceremonies and a reception at the Statue of Liberty are completed, is scheduled to dock at Weehaw-ken, N. J. Some 250 tons of rare gifts, including art works, books, and man. usciipts are loaded into the "40 and 8" box-cars, similar to the ones which the American Legion has adopted as semi-ofiicial vehicles.

After the gifts have been distributed to museums and schools in the 48 states and Hawaii, the boxcars will be turned over to the Legion, which was organized in France after World War I..