Daily hansan
58th Year, No. 95
LAWRENCE, KANSAS
Friday, March 3, 1961
Vox Discusses Civil Rights Issue
Bv Ron Gallagher
Vox Populi started measuring and sawing on a proposed civil rights plank to the party platform last night — but party carpenters deferred judgments on size until later.
Most General Assembly members who commented on the civil rights issue advocated a plank calling for peaceful, non-violent means of settling local discrimination problems.
Some were in favor of the middle-of-the-road proposal. A few others did not think the civil rights problem important enough to merit a plank in the platform.
The platform committee will assume the final task of deciding on and drafting a civil rights clause. Roberts said that the entire platform will soon be ready for General Assembly approval.
THE DISCUSSION came after Vox President Jack Roberts, Kansas City junior, asked the General Assembly for ideas on a civil rights plank. He said the platform committee was seeking new ideas on the content or necessity of such a plank.
At first the civil rights discussion centered around the magnitude of the local segregation problem. "Let's decide if there is a problem. If there is no problem, there is no need of a plank," Roberts said.
HOUSING discrimination was brought up. Brian Grace, Lawrence freshman said, "Only about 17 per cent of Lawrence housing does not have some type of racial or religious restriction."
Ted Childers, Wamego junior, said. "I think there is enough of a discrimination problem in housing to merit a Vox civil rights plank."
As the discussion progressed, some who had advocated middle-of-the-road stands or questioned the need began to support some type of a civil rights stand.
Roger Wilson, Wichita sophomore and a member of the platform committee, seemed to be in favor of a liberal civil rights clause. He said. "The platform committee has been thinking in terms of a strong civil rights blank."
JAY DEANE, Kansas City sophomore, said, "I don't think Vox should support any type of violence or action that could lead to violence." Deane thinks there is a possibility of a sit-in mushrooming into violence.
The group talked about sit-ins as a method of combating racial discrimination.
A civil rights suggestion made by Judith Jamison, Ottawa sophomore, was informally approved by the assembly. Miss Jamison's suggestion called for condemnation of violent action and over emphasis on civil rights and encouraged peaceful settlement of existing problems.
The platform committee is scheduled to meet tomorrow morning to consider the civil rights suggestions of the General Assembly.
GRACE was accepted as a member of the General Assembly by recommendation of the Executive Council and unanimous approval of the assembly. Grace represents a group of 56 students designated as unmarried and unaffiliated.
Gov. Anderson Hears Pleas For Convicted Killer Andrews
Roberts said that if all goes well the slate of candidates will be presented to the General Assembly for approval at a meeting early next week.
A major Spring storm for the central plains is now developing with snow falling in northern Colorado and southwestern Nebraska. Kansans can expect a cold rain to gradually spread across the state tonight beginning in the northwest part this afternoon. The rain will continue through Saturday.
TOPEKA (UPI)—Hanging tripleslayer Lowell Lee Andrews would be an injustice "more pernicious than the crimes he committed" because of the youth's severe mental illness, Gov. John Anderson was told today.
The Governor also was told by attorneyns and a psychiatrist the scheduled March 9 execution would rob the state of an opportunity to look deeply into the motivation which causes such outrages.
Today's temperature is expected to range from the 40s in the northwest to the 60s in the southeast. Lows tonight should be around 30 in the northwest to 50 in the southeast.
Weather
Andrews, 20 - year - old former University of Kansas student, was sentenced to hang for the Nov. 29, 1958, killing of his parents and sister at their Wyandotte County home.
A LARGE CROWD jammed into the governor's office today for the clementy hearing which likely will be the last effort to head off the hanging. Anderson, who conducted the entire hearing, told the crowd
Dr. Joseph Satten, senior psychiatrist in the division of law and psychology at the Meninger Foundation here, said there was no question of deeply-rooted and probably incurable psychotic tendencies in the youth.
he would announce his decision Monday.
(Continued on page 3)
IN AGONY—An English proficiency hopeful works out details of his masterpiece.
Test Delay Brings Jitters
The students slowly filtered into the testing room, dictionaries tucked under their arms. Some appeared nervous. For others the English proficiency examination was old hat.
"Now that you're all here, we want you to leave and come back in half an hour," the proctor of the examination said. He wanted time to distribute the examination materials.
Students left the room, some happy the agony had been postponed, others hoping the half hour would pass quickly so they could finish the examination and leave.
About 20 per cent fewer students wrote the test this time than last fall.
"552 students registered for the test," James E. Seaver, assistant professor of history and director of the examination, said. "However, I would guess that only about 500 showed up to take it."
LAST FALL 877 students took the examination. At that time 672 passed and 205 were required to take it again.
The highest passing percentage of the examination was in the Fall semester of 1957, when 80 percent of 558 students passed. Reactions to the examination were varied
Julia Thomas, Macon, Mo., junior, said the test was a good plan, but added that there were fallacies in it.
"It seems strange to me that Fulbright scholars and English majors who make good grades, still fail the test," she said. "Mavbe if the English department graded the papers, this wouldn't happen."
(Continued on page 3)
Mine Explosion Kills 22 Men; No Survivors
WEST TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — (UPI) — Exhausted rescue crews today brought up the bodies of 22 men killed in a massive explosion in a coal mine on the banks of the Wabash River.
The miners were felled where they worked late last night — their bodies charred and torn — when the terrific blast shattered a quarter-mile-long section 180 feet below ground in the Viking Coal Company mine.
Throughout the night there had been hope that some might have found an air pocket and survived. But it proved to be a vain hope. The last miner was found at 7:35 a.m.—dead.
INVESTIGATORS said the 22 men working on the 4 p.m. to midnight shift never had a chance.
"We found the men lying where they fell along the sides of the tracks where they must have been working at the time of the explosion." State Mine Inspector R. E. Hudson said.
The blast unloosened tons of coal and earth, twisted coal moles and loading machines into crumpled masses of metal and knocked out the raine's ventilating system, slowing rescue operations.
"A couple of them apparently tried to crawl. They got only about 20 feet. The rest dropped dead on the spot."
Company Vice President Birch Brooks said, "We don't know what caused the explosion for certain — we have our suspicions." He did not elaborate.
CORONER D. M. Ferguson said the men were killed by "a violent type concussion explosion."
Brooks said a joint investigation would be opened tomorrow by representatives of the U.-S. Bureau of Mines, state mine investigators, the United Mine Workers, insurance investigators and company officials.
Rescue crews carried the burned, mangleed bodies out one by one through the long, chill night and carted them away in ambulances to a mortuary chapel.
The grim operation was slowed, Hudson said, by the "poisoned air and the darkness." Crews worked with only the lights on their helmets and rebuilt the ventilating system step by step to force fresh air ahead of them.
Odd Jobs Part of Book Store Routine
By Kelly Smith
The slender man turned around, pushed his glasses up closer to his eyes, smiled, then laid the hammer down on the window sill.
"Just finishing nailing the molding," he said. "One of those little jobs that we haven't had time to complete."
The speaker was James H. Stoner, who is in his third day as manager of the KU Book Store.
Mr. Stoner, who was graduated from the University in 1952, has worked with the bookstore since his graduation. He was appointed assistant manager in October, 1955. A week ago, when J. J. Newcomb resigned to go to the University of Southern California, Mr. Stoner was chosen to replace him.
As he leaned back in his chair and lit a cigarette, Mr. Stoner said, "No one ever really plans to go into bookstore work. I guess you just fall into it."
"I majored in jewelry and sil-
James H. Stoner
versmithing in the school of fine arts, and certainly had no intention while I was in school of doing sales work."
"I like the work, though," he added. "It's interesting and stimulating. The class of customers here at the University is intelligent and easy to get along with. This is certainly not true of all aspects of sales work."
The 31-year-old administrator has been trained under two former managers. He says he plans no major policy changes.
"Our main duty here is to be of service to the student body at a price at least competitive with other stores.
"The rebate system functions to make us a profit-sharing organization.
He is friendly, as is obvious to those who see him chatting with the employees or asking across one of the counters "hi, is everything going all right?"
A busy man, Mr. Stoner was interrupted more than once to answer questions, or to speak to book dealers.
Although his working day begins and ends after store hours, he has time to spend with his wife Anne and their four-year-old daughter and six-year-old son. Mrs. Stoner was graduated from the University in 1954.
"We like the Midwest, and hope to continue living in this part of the country," said Mr. Stoner. He was raised in Leavenworth and attended schools there.
As he leaned over to straighten a pile of papers on his desk, he went on to say that his new job consisted of waiting on customers, ordering supplies, acting as public relations manager, taking care of personnel problems and listening to private difficulties.
"I'm proud of the University," he said, "and I'm glad I can be a working part of its organization."
As Mr. Stoner got up from his chair, he motioned to the hammer on the window sill, smiled again and commented, "almost done."