ustxtxb_obs_1955_03_28_50_00001-00000_000.pdf

The one great rule of composition is to speak the truth. Thoreau PHILLIPS Mrs. George W. Haggard 2-56 1507 Har d ouin Austin, Texas O’rxas Otistrurr An Independent Liberal Weekly Newspaper We will serve no group or party but will hew hard to the truth as we find it and the right as we see it. VOL. 46 MARCH 28, 1955AUSTIN, TEXAS NO. 50 Beard Faction Wins In Election By 316 Votes Dallas Correspondent The Texas Observer IRVING Now that the Irving School District has been abolished by the voters, people around here are settling down to the task of selecting a new board and unraveling the legal ialess that the school fight here brought about. *e l k Fired School Superintendent Dr. John A. Beard has filed an appeal of his dismissal by the now-abol hed board. He has also filed a it against that group for slander. About a hundred teachers who were fired after walking off their nn behalf of various principles persaialities in the contro rsy have filed appeals to the :’exas Education Agency in Austin. Just what will become of these actions is now the question. Irving voters decided, 1,962 to ,646, to abolish the school district Saturday. The election was quiet, but it attracted 89 percent of the city’s registered voters. The vote means in effect that the seven till. member Board which fired Beard, nine principals and school executives, and 200 school teachers and pall members has been junked. The board members are expected to step down after the vote is canvassed this week. 11. The schools will be administered by the Dallas County school offi*tab until a new district can be ablished and new school board mbers chosen. leard says he feels vindicated. teachers and principals said y were not protesting on his beE but rather on behalf of the it of school people to say what y wished and to conduct themes as free citizens in political other matters. veston Island, the Maceo gambling syndicate is so confident there will be no new deal that they plan to begin rebuilding their Balinese Room within 60 days. However, according to a plan announced by the operators, Vic and Anthony Fertitta, reconstruction of the syndicate’s number one gambling spot and night club will be partially financed by the patrons through a sort of ultra-swank dinner ticket sale. The Fertittas have mailed personal letters and multi-colored, eight-page brochures to “select” members of the Turf Athletic Club. In brief, the letter blandly suggests that the prospective member send in at least $100 for “deposit coupons” that can be spent at the rate of $20 per year \(no discount or ining sword steaks, or what not. Islanders were so overwhelmed by the idea that it wasn’t possible to get a fair representation of reaction to the suggestion that they contribute $100 in advance for dinners to be served them from one to five years from now. The letter explained: “We have ‘decided to rebuild the Balinese Room. We anticipate construction will begin within the next 60 days and completion is expected around August 15. 1955. “With a program of this type and scope it is necessary that we prevail upon a certain group of Turf Athletic Club members … our new policy will place membership on a more exclusive basis. We are happy to tell you that a screening committee has selected you to be included in this group. “It is our plan to issue deposit coupons amounting to not less than $100 to each selected member. Each book will with the first coupon redeemable on or after June 1st, 1956, and the remainder of the coupons being honored each succeeding year of operation. These coupons are good for both food and service.” In the brochure is a blank check, which all interested recipients can use to send in their donation, or contribution, or meal ticket money. The letter and brochure also explained that if for some reason, construction was not started by September 1st, the money would be promptly refunded. The brochure failed to mention how much the bigger Balinese Room is expected to cost, how big it will be, how many of the select invitations were sent out, and how much of the total cash the Fertittas are hoping to borrow in advance in the form of meal ticket sales to prospective customers. The B-Room, as it is known throughout most of the South, burned down last October, reportedly from a fire which was touched off by faulty wiring. About a year earlier, it had almost suffered the same fate when it caught fire from one of its own famous Flaming Sword dinners. The management discontinued the dinners for a while after that. Special to The Texas Observer WACO Loyal Texas Democrats deemed here Sunday to strengthen and organize for the 1956 elections. The Democratic Advisory Council of Texas voted to establish a 16member steering committee “to strengthen and organize the Democratic Party in Texas.” And Judge James Sewell, reelected chairman of the group, announced that Senator Estes Kefauver of Tennessee will speak in San Antonio May 6 and in Houston May 7. Kefauver’s appearance will “accentuate the Democratic Party’s great resurgence in Texas,” Sewell said. The Council, meeting in the The B-Room has long been recognized as the syndicate’s most lucrative gambling establishment. It was once raided by the Rangers. Oldtimers say as near as they recall it happened in the early 40’s or perhaps late ’30’s. No one can remember what brought it on, but some point out it was one of the few times the Rangers really seriously penetrated the mythical M “MaceoDickinson Line.” Countians are regarding the new Balinese Room announcement with mixed emotions. They don’t know whether to accept the membership plan as an indication the gamblers’ bank is actually running low, or whether it is just another way of shading the dice. Mainland Attorney Jim Simpson, a former FBI agent who sought the county attorney’s office on a “clean up gambling ticket,” only lost by eight votes in 25,000 cast. Inside sources say the gamblers have been a little reticent to re-invest their B ,-Room insurance money in the face of such untoward developments. Roosevelt Hotel here, also elected Mrs. R. D. Randolph of Houston vice-chairman; Byron Skelton of Temple, chairman of the 62-member executive committee; Mrs. A. L. Voigt of San Antonio, executive secretary; Mrs. Jud Collier of Mumford, director of women’s activities; and Truett Smith of Wylie, treasurer. The decision on political organization culminated several months of preliminary work on the subject. The executive committee of the Council is to designate ten regions for organizational purposes. The committee members in the regions will then select one member from their number for the steering com Profiteering By Senators Is Charged DeWitt Grand Jury Says Influence Peddling Should Be Studied AUSTIN DeWitt County’s angry grand jury has criticized State Senators for taking money “for various types of representation” on matters affecting a state program and has called attention to a federal law against Congressmen a n d government officials practicing before any government agency on a matter in which the Government might be interested. They called for serious legislative study “of the widespread practice of profiteering from public position.” Congressman John J. Bell and State Senator Gus J. Strauss have appeared before the jury. Bell testified in Austin last week that when he was a state senator he took more than $27,000 from group land promoters under the State’s veterans’ land program. Strauss received $11,500 under the same circumstances. Both said the money they got was for legal ss.rvices. “Influence peddling by public officials has been soundly discredited, publicly condemned, and should, we feel, be made illegal by the laws of this State,” the grand jury said. “Our investigation has disclosed payment of large sums of money to certain State Senators for various types of representation on matters directly affecting State Funds and a State program. To conveniently designate said sums as ‘Legal Fees’ does not, in our opinion, satisfactorily explain them. “We feel that such practice is in direct conflict with the duty of said \(Continued on Page Buildings May Fly ill Flag, House Decides AUSTIN A Senate-approved resolution that would have barred the American flag from display on the State Capitol, other state-owned buildings, and state parks was slapped down in the House last week. Rep. Maury Maverick called the attention of the House to the provisionadopted as an amendment by Senator Searcy Bracewell to Senator Dorsey Hardeman’s resolutionwith the statement: “I would like to remind Senator Hardernan that while we are all Texans, in the last analysis our allegiance is to the United States of America. This is too much.” The House agreed with Maverick by a voice vote. The Hardeman resolution as passed by the House says that the Texas flag shall always occupy “the position of honor” in Texas ahead of the flags of other states, nations, and international organizationsxcept for the U. S. \(We delay our series on Galveston Island for this special story from our Galveston correspondent. Next week the series resumes with an article on “That Special to The Texas Observer GALVESTON Despite recurrent rumors of a pending Ranger crackdown on Gal Legal Situation Tangled in Irving If anyone in the Legislature could be called a prototype of the Texas politician, it would certainly be Jimmy Phillips, Angleton’s puckish-faced, lantern-jawed senator with the trademark black cigar, bow tie and polka-dot handkerchief. It’s easy to spot him on the Senate floOr. You might notice the cigar or the tie or the handkerchief, which he occasionally mops his seemingly untroubled brow with. But more than likely you’d spot him because he would be talking. tainly didn’t hurt Phillips. One re He’s the talkingest lawmaker in the porter described him as a man who history of the Nnited States. can never be content unless he has They call him Jimmy Phillibusa bear by the tail. ter, now, because he’s the champ. Last week Phillips couldn’t find a He talked 23 hours and 35 minutes bear, but he had an issue and he last week an fractured the world was going after it: “The poor cripfilibuster record. Oregon’s Senator pled children of Texas who can’t Wayne Morse set the old record by afford to have their little legs talking 22 hours and 26 minutes on straightened.” tidelands oil last year. He was seeking “a measly mil Jimmy is a politician. He admits lion dollars” extra for Galveston’s it, enjoys the distinction immensely John Sealy Hospital to tack onto and works hard to play it straight. the giant general appropriations He has never made any bones about bill. “What could be more worthy!” it, because he’s always running for boomed Phillips. officeany office. A number of his colleagues didn’t He once cracked: “Give me agree with himnotably Senators enough money and I’ll make W. Lee George Parkhouse of Dallas, WilO’Daniel’s campaigns look tame.” Liam Shireman of Corpus Christi When the veterans’ land investiand Dorsey Hardeman of San Angations were dragging along in the gelo. He had some support, though, early weeks, Phillips livened things so he got the floor just before noon, up by giving Attorney General Wednesday, and started talking. AfJohn Ben Shepperd a ruthless goter five hours of warmup Wednesing-over in questioning. It definday, he took the floor again ThursLoyal Democrats Plan Organization for ’56 MORSE IS UNDONE Polka Dots and Orange Juice . . PAY NOW FOR YOUR 1960 SUPPER Balinese Opening Rushed