University Dailu kansan
46th Year No. 38
Tuesday, November 9, 1948
Lawrence, Kansas
OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Fire Destroys Old Roundhouse In Kansas City
Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 9—(UP)—The old Milwaukee railroad round-house went up in flames here today causing damages estimated at $100,-000. It was converted to feed storage two years ago and was filled with hay, sack feeds, and concentrated alfalfa.
Five companies answered an alarm at 4:21 a.m. and the flames still were raging four hours later. Fire department officials said, however, that the blaze had been under control since 5:30 a.m. They expected the fire would "burn all day."
No one was injured, although several firemen were overcome by smoke and had to be treated at the scene.
No immediate estimate of the value of the contents was given by V.E. Wiltmoth, head of the feed company, but District Fire Chief John T. Lynch believed the loss would "be at least $100,000."
Both the feed and the roundhouse is a total loss, Chief Lynch said, but food stored in an adjoining building will be saved.
Freight trains were blocked for two hours early this morning, but there was no delay in passenger traffic as a result of the fire. The Super Chief, heading east, passed within 30 yards of the fire at 6:30 am, and was not delayed as the blaze had been brought under control at that hour.
There will be at least one company at the fire scene all day.
Firemen, who said the origin of the fire was undetermined, worked under a handicap as they began to battle the blaze. They had to string lines for three blocks and under railroad tracks, but within an hour they had it under control.
It was the second spectacular fire in as many days in Kansas City. Monday, derailed cars of a Missouri Pacific freight train burst into James at Dodson, Mo., at the south limits of Kansas City. Six cars were destroyed and three others were damaged, causing heavy loss.
Donald G. Wilson, chairman of the department of electrical engineering, attended the national electronics conference in Chicago. Nov. 4 to 6.
Wilson Attends Electronics Meet
Dr. Wilson read a paper on "The measurement of atenna impedance using a receiving antenna" in a technical session. The paper covered research work that utilized energy from a remote transmitter to drive a specially constructed receiving antenna.
The conference was a national forum on electronic research, development, and application. It was sponsored by the Illinois Institute of Technology, Northwestern university, University of Illinois, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and the Institute of Radio Engineers.
Community Chest Drive
Continues, Short Of Goal
The Community Chest drive for $19,256.86 has reached a total of 15,739.54 after a month. This makes the fund $3,517.32 short of its goal.
University students have given $639.67 and solicitations will continue.
Pershing rifle club will meet at 4 p.m. Thursday in the drill hall of the Military Science building to elect a treasurer. All active members are required to attend.
Rifle Club To Elect Officer
Kansas Auto Tags Go On Sale Jan.1
Kansas automobile license tags for 1949 will go on sale Jan. 1, C.M. Voelker, state vehicle commissioner, announced.
The tags for the coming year will have black numerals on an aluminum background and will carry in black letters across the bottom of the tag a slogan, "The Wheat State."
Many Enroll In Extension Work
Nine hundred and forty enrollments in 39 off-campus extension classes during October were reported today by Gerald Pearson, director of the University Extension class bureau.
Mr. Pearson said that because of the large enrollment so far this semester, last year's record of more than 10,000 extension class students might be exceeded. He said that 1,236 persons have enrolled in extension classes this year.
The classes, most of which are offered at night, vary from 5 to 30 meetings. Subject matter include foreign trade, chemical thermodynamics, insurance, real estate, supervisory orientation, shorthand for legal stenographers, and packaging and architectural design, as well as the more common courses in speech, writing, accounting, and interior decorating.
"We are trying to take education to the places where people live and work," Mr. Pearson said. "That accounts for the wide variety of course offerings. Such education must be tailored to exactly what people want. Academic curricula are followed only when that is what people ask for."
Mr. Pearson also reported that 659 persons attended four conferences and clinics conducted by the University during October. All but one of the conferences were on the University campus.
Will Elect New Officers
The Future Business Leaders of America will elect a president and vice-president at 5 p.m. today in the east room of the Union.
The office of president was left vacant by Delma Nichols, business junior, who resigned because of illness. Marjorie Matzen, business senior, resigned from the vice-presidency.
Guests will include Deane W. Malott, chancellor, the deans of the University, and presidents and housemothers of all organized houses.
Members of the organization will discuss methods of presenting material to high schools and colleges who wish to start local chapters.
The Inter-dorm council will give a reception for Miss Marijorie Austin, social and scholarship director of Independent houses, from 3 to 5 p.m., Sunday, at Templin hall.
Inter-dorm To Hold Tea For Miss Austin
Members are asked to bring all old business text books to the meeting. These books will be sent to schools in the Philippine Islands.
The council gave a dinner Nov. 4 in honor of Miss Austin and Miss Martha Peterson, assistant dean of women.
Sigma Tau, honorary engineering fraternity, will hold an election of members at 7 p.m. today in 101 Snow hall.
Siama Tau To Elect
Wets And Drys To Continue Repeal Scrap In Legislature
With the political trend away from ultra-conservatism and one-party government, the Kansas Republican party may face its stiffest test in history when the state legislature convenes Jan. 11. While the party is still in control of both houses, concessions will be made which were opposed this year.
Foremost among the issues is the re-opening of the liquor question. With the majority of Kansans in favor of the state going wet after 68 years of prohibition, the Republican legislature may be forced to accede to this majority and vote for legalizing liquor in Kansas.
While dry forces will try to block relaxation of controls and push through regulation of intoxicating beverages, Kansans will be able to get whisky without paying boot-leggers. Observers point out no matter what happens, some action will be taken. As the situation stands, the prohibition amendment adopted in 1880 automatically will be killed if the legislature adjourns without making some attempt to set up controls during the session. If the legislature fails to act, Kansas will be wide open as it was before the open saloon was abolished.
For this reason, drys as well as wets, will be dogging legislative heels to see that attention is given. And the drys thus have an even greater reason for wanting the repeal amendment given a high priority.
Faced with a crowded agenda dealing with social welfare, taxation, a long-range state highway program, and other problems, the legislators may rely upon the suggestion of the 25-member legislative council meeting tomorrow in Topeka to outline the session. A great portion of the council's time will be given over to a program for setting up liquor controls.
One phase of the repeal question will be what to do about "local option." With about 85 of Kansas' 105 counties voting for prohibition, "local option" may be the most hotly contested point of the amendment.
A poll taken by the Daily Kansan, and which may be as far off-base as most polls, indicates students feel that if counties were given "local option" control of liquor would become worse than now. Counties would have no more success enforcing prohibition than the state, but would complicate the situation by setting up county liquor patrols.
Pi Beta Phi and Corbin hall will be presented with a cup for having the highest scholastic records in the past school year. Kappa Alpha Theta and Locksley hall received the cup the previous year.
It is possible the handling and sale of liquor in Kansas could be made so unprofitable by strict regulation covering possession and transportation, large license fees, heavy taxation, or by interpretation of "local option" that the state would for all practical purposes, remain dry. When the 1949 legislative session gets under way, it seems certain Gov. Frank Carlson, the administration, and legislators will be in for criticism from both sides.
Scholarship Tea To Be November 17
Inter-dorm council and Pan Henlenic council will give a scholarship tea from 4 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17 at Corbin hall.
All women's organized houses are invited to the tea.
Approximately 350 students wrote English proficiency examinations Saturday afternoon.
350 Wrote English Exams
Special mention will be made of the outstanding papers written on the test, said Mrs. Natalie Calderwood of the English department.
Slide Rule Classes End Tonight
The slide rule classes, sponsored by Tau Beta Pi, engineering fraternity, will hold their final meeting at 7 p.m. tonight in 110 Marvin hall.
The advanced and elementary classes will meet together to review everything covered in the course.
Tau Beta Pi sponsored the classes at the request of engineering students who complained that no course was offered in fundamentals of the slide rule.
John C. Sells, graduate student, organized the classes. Leo F. Spector, Edward P. Hansen, and Robert V. Sellers, engineering seniors are instructors.
Approximately 76 students will complete the course tonight.
Snow Ahead For Kansas
Topeka. Nov. 9—(UP)—The Kansasweatherman said today one of thecoldest, nights of the seasonwas ahead for the state. The forecast was for lows of 18 to 22 degrees inwesternKansas, 24 to 28 in the east.
Skies cleared and sunshine bathed nearly all the state today, but it was a chill sun as temperatures failed to climb out of the 40's in most places.
A few flakes of snow fell at scattered points in eastern Kansas early today, the first snow of the fall in that portion of the state. Traces of snow were reported at Atchison, Leavenworth, Kansas City, Olathe, Topeka, and Wichita.
The last of 500 miles of snow fence, was being put into place along Kansas highways today in preparation for winter's snows. O J Siler, maintenance engineer for the state highway commission, said the job should be completed in another week. Crews have been at work for some time on the project.
Kansas' highway department has a 1,000-man maintenance crew to man snowplows and work by hand to keep traffic moving during the worst of the winter weather.
Give Programs At Topeka Hospital
Mu Phi Epsilon, national music sorority, presented a program of vocal, violin, and trumpet numbers at Winter General hospital, Topeka, Sunday. The program was given in both the mental and surgical wards.
Those who participated are Georgiaiana Bennington, Billie George, Betty Jean Hayward, Jeanne Peck, and Joyce Rohr, fine arts juniors; Jeanne Aldridge, Betty Joan Tharp, and Bettra Rae Thomas, seniors. Harriet Ann Harlow, senior, was mistress of ceremonies.
Miss Harlow will return to the hospital Wednesday, Dec. 1, to give a program of auto-harp and vocal selections.
Kansas--Partly cloudy today, tonight and tomorrow. Warmer west, little colder today extreme west. A little colder tonight southeast, not quite so cold western third of state.
The programs are sponsored by the Red Cross.
WEATHER
New Comet To Be Visible Tomorrow
A newly discovered comet should be visible to Lawrence residents early tomorrow morning if the skies are not overcast.
The Harvard observatory in South Africa first reported sighting the new comet Sunday morning. It was seen again by astronomers in Mexico. The comet can be seen with the naked eye.
Dr. Harlow Shapley, director of the Harvard observatory, said the comet may be visible in this hemisphere tomorrow morning just before sunrise.
N. W. Storer, associate professor of physics, said that he had received no official record of the new comet, but that it will probably be there in the morning.
The comet is said to be visible in the southeast, just above the horizon. Dr. Shaplesy said it is as bright as the stars in the Big Dipper and has a tail 40 times the diameter of the moon.
The comet's closeness to the sun had prevented its earlier discovery.
Although it is not as spectacular as Halley's comet, last seen in 1910, it is one of the few that can be seen with the naked eye.
Encke's comet, which was reported for the 36th time in 1928, remains one of the last famous comets to be seen in this country.
Love Talks On Thursday
The first of a series of lectures on love and marriage will be given at 4 p.m. Thursday in Myers auditorium. Dr. Robert G. Foster, professor of home economics, will lecture on "Dating, Courtship and Mate Selection."
Other lectures scheduled are:
The lectures are sponsored by the home economics department.
"Mental Hygiene and Pre-Marital Relations," by Dr. Robert Murphy, psychiatrist at the University health service, on Nov. 18; "Religion in Marriage; Bond or Barrier?" by the Rev. Edwin Price, director of Wesley foundation, on Dec. 2; "The First Year of Marriage," by Dr. Foster, Dec. 9.
Eight student organizations are co-operating with the department of home economics in offering the lectures. They are Y.M.C.A., Y.W.C.A.. All Student Council, Associated Women students, Home Economics club, Sociology club, Pan-Hellenic council and the Inter-Fraternity council.
Commission Meets In Myers Monday
The first semi-monthly meeting of the Christian Faith and Heritage commission was held Monday in the upstairs classroom in Myers hall with Bob Chekys, Y.M.C.A. president, in charge.
The commission will study the ideas of the basic Christian faith and is working on the idea of having a forum series after the Christmas holidays.
Chemistry Club Will Meet For Election And Movies
The first meeting of the University Chemistry club will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday in 305 Bailey.
Logan Miller, College senior, urges that all students interested in chemistry attend. The program will include an election of officers and movies.
Dr. R. Q. Brewster, professor of chemistry, will be faculty advisor.