Dorm Boiler Blows; No Heat for 12 Hours
A boiler explosion jarred Templin Men's Residence Hall yesterday afternoon leaving its 460 occupants without heat for 12 hours.
The blast, which occurred about 1:45 p.m., caused an estimated $15,000 damage. Two maintenance men standing beside the boiler at the time of the explosion were not injured and escaped with only sooty clothes and faces.
Heat was finally restored at 2 a.m. As many as 30 KU maintenance men worked to repair the damage.
J. J. Wilson, director of dormitories, said the blast occurred in the north boiler. The force of the explosion, Wilson said, blew out seams in a two-foot pipe connecting the north and south boilers. The north boiler was not damaged, but a large corrugated loading door was blown out of place.
The first person to suspect trouble was the house manager. Mrs. Lavine Mitchell.
"I was walking downstairs to the linen room and heard a noise from the boiler room," Mrs. Mitchell said. "I saw that the safety valve on the south boiler was letting off steam, which collected at the south end of
the room, I decided to call the maintenance men."
Two maintenance men, Homer Morris and Thomas Walburn, went to investigate. Several minutes later the explosion occurred.
"Gas undoubtedly accumulated in the system." Wilson explained. "Whether this gas wasn't burning or whether it wasn't burning completely is what insurance company investigators will have to determine."
Wilson said a faulty valve did not function properly and allowed the gas to accumulate. It then ignited, he said.
About an hour later, a KU plumber, Clovis Lathron suffered second degree burns on his hands when he attempted to open a hatch on one of the boilers that had not sufficiently cooled.
THREE TRUCKLOADS of insulation had to be carried away from the long connecting pipe before welders could begin to repair the seams.
Repair efforts were concentrated on the least affected unit so that heat could be restored.
A plan suggesting students move to other dormitories
for the night was discarded about 9 o'clock. At that time,
it was thought heating would be resumed by midnight.
Even though all the building's heating units were inoperative, rooms remained fairly comfortable. Several lounge thermostats in the seven-story structure showed 72 degree readings at 10:30.
EARLIER IN THE WEEK, counselors instructed residents to keep windows closed because of cold weather and fear that the boilers might break down.
The explosion, besides providing out-of-season air conditioning, left the 460 residents without hot water.
"How fortunate we are that we planned having meatballs for tonight," Mrs. Harriet Dyer, dietician, said. Having meatballs requires less use of utensils. A blackboard informed residents that paper plates, paper cups and a single fork would be the "order of the day."
Ernest E. Pulliam, assistant housing manager, said all available maintenance men were called to the dormitory. The repair crews composed of personnel from both the dormitory maintenance department and Buildings and Grounds.
60th Year, No. 73
LAWRENCE. KANSAS
Kennedy's'63 Budget Reaches All time High
WASHINGTON—(UPI)—President Kennedy today sent Congress the biggest budget in history—and one of the biggest deficits.
He called for federal expenditure in the 12 months starting July 1 of either $98.8 billion or $122.5 billion—depending on the budget used. One budgetary method would mean a $10.3 billion deficit. The other way the deficit would be $11.9 billion.
BUT KENNEDY insisted that such heavy red-ink spending would result before too long in budget surpluses and prosperity if Congress would approve his new $10 billion tax cut plan.
Lecturing the lawmakers, some of whom are skeptical of reducing taxes without companion spending cuts, the Chief Executive declared:
"Our present choice is not between a tax cut and a balanced budget. The choice, rather, is between chronic deficits arising out of a slow rate of economic growth, and temporary deficits stemming from a tax program designed to promote fuller use of our resources."
As promised in his State of the Union address, Kennedy held the line or made reductions in such non-security functions as agriculture and the postal service. He said he felt obliged to limit spending on these programs in view of the prospective revenue loss under his tax program.
BUT DECLARING that "there is no discount price on defense," he asked for $51 billion in military funds, up $2.7 billion from this year. He also sought a record $6.1 billion for space programs, with most of the $2 billion increase to finance the program to land men on the moon by 1970.
The President allotted $4.9 billion for foreign aid and urged the lawmakers not to repeat last year's
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deep cuts. He said Red China's attack on India and Communist guerrilla warfare in South Viet Nam are "current reminders" of the importance of the program.
Kennedy took two approaches to the budget;
- A newly emphasized "cash budget" which takes into account collections and payments by the social security and highway trust funds.
- The old-fashioned "administrative budget" which excludes these items.
Goldwater to Address University Convocation
The President seemed to prefer the "cash budget" approach, pointing out that many non-government groups and scholars believe it provides a "much more complete picture" of federal finances.
He will address an all-University convocation in Hoch Auditorium on March 1, Raymond Nichols, vice chancellor and chairman of the convocations committee announced this morning.
Sen. Barry M. Goldwater is coming to KU.
Nichols said he did not know how long Goldwater would be at KU or if he would be available for appearances before student organizations.
Already, several organizations are interested in appearances by Goldwater, a leading Conservative in the Republican Party and an oft-mentioned candidate for the Party's presidential nomination in 1964.
"We will try to take advantage of his being on campus and try to plan an activity around his appearance," said Rueben McCornack, Abilene junior and chairman of the KU Young Republicans.
Nichols said that Goldwater was the convocations committee's first choice as speaker for the convocation. "The committee prepared a list of speakers for convocations. Goldwater's name was first. We wrote him, and he accepted."
Sigma Chi social fraternity expressed interest in Goldwater's appearance, "Brother Goldwater is a very active member in our fraternity," said Bruce Hall, Coffeyville junior and president of the KU Sigma Chi chapter.
"I think it is good the University can procure such a fine speaker," Dickson said. "I have heard him speak before, and he is a good speaker."
Jerry Dickson, Newton senior and student body president, was happy to hear of Goldwater's coming.
THE TWO budgets show these differing views of Kennedy's proposals as compared with the current fiscal year, which ends next June 30.
Administrative Budget (billions)
1963 1964
Revenues $85.5 $86.9
Spending $94.3 $98.8
Deficit $ 8.8 $11.9
Cash Budget
Revenues $108.4 $112.2
Spending $116.8 $122.5
Deficit $ 8.4 $ 10.3
Either way, spending would be the biggest ever, topping even fiscal 1945, when outlays hit $98.3 billion. The deficit would be the biggest in peacetime except for the $12.4 billion recorded in fiscal 1959 by President Eisenhower
This is also the first time a Chief Executive intentionally has sent an unbalanced budget to Congress since fiscal 1956. Eisenhower predicted a $2.4 billion deficit that year, but an economic upswing converted it into a $1.6 billion surplus.
KENNEDY BASED his revenue estimates on the assumption that the gross national product—the total output of goods and services—would rise to $578 billion this year. This would be a relatively modest increase of $24 billion over the 1962 level of $554 billion.
But even this, he said, is based on the expectation that the economy will see "some initial . . . stimulus expected from adoption of my tax recommendations." Without tax cuts there would be slower economic growth and smaller revenues, he said.
"This would indeed be unfortunate," Kennedy added, "both because of the effect on government finances and because of the lost opportunities and the human misfortune that would accompany a sluggish economy and growing unemployment."
He noted in this connection that the treasury ran up cumulative deficits of $24.3 billion during the past five years even though both he and Eisenhower had anticipated surpluses totaling $8 billion.
"IT IS NOW CLEAR." Kennedy said, "That the restraining effects of the tax system on the economy were not adequately realized."
(Continued on page 12)
A. B. C. D.
BREATHER—A University maintenance welder takes a second to catch a fresh breath of air. He was one of four welders who worked until 2 a.m. to repair a boiler pipe in Templin Hall. Welders had to work inside the pipe.
Vote System Sends Georgia to Court
WASHINGTON—(UPI)The State of Georgia defended its county unit voting system for primary elections before the Supreme Court today on the grounds that it was "sustained by history and by law."
Georgia Deputy Assistant Atty. Gen. B. D. Murphy opened a three-hour argument on a voter's challenge to the system.
The case brought the Kennedy family, Congress and the Justice Department, into action before the Supreme Court.
U. S. Atty. Gen. Robert F. Kennedy and New York attorney Morris B. Abram were placed in opposition to Murphy and E. Freeman Leverett, another Georgia deputy assistant attorney general.
KENNEDY HAD HIS FIRST opportunity to argue a case.
The courtroom was crowded with spectators as Chief Justice Earl Warren called the case Gray vs. Sanders at 11:18 a.m. A long line formed in the white marble corridor outside the door of the chamber.
In an unrelated preliminary matter, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, younger brother in the Kennedy clan, was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court. He was presented to the court by the Attorney General.
The Attorney General, attired in morning coat with long tails, took his seat at the Attorneys' table beside the podium.
Attorneys in private cases usually wear business suits when appearing before the court, but government counsel continue to appear in formal dress.
James O'Hear Sanders, a retired Atlanta businessman, challenged Georgia's county unit system on the ground that it diluted the vote of city residents and favors those living in rural areas.
GEORGIA DENIED any discrimination. The state said the judgment of a three-judge federal court in Atlanta ruling the system unconstitutional was "premature."
Kennedy decided to give the federal government's view because of the importance of the issue throughout the nation. This is the first voter discrimination case to reach the Supreme Court since last term's decision in Baker vs. Carr, which opened the doors of federal court to voters' complaints about malapportionment of state legislatures.