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88th YEAR, No. 10

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CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY, THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1942

DELIVERED BY MAIL IN THE U.SJL POSTAGE PREPAID-*! JO A YEAR

Budget Amended Wrecked By Storm Tuesday By Commission; Rumors Scored

Cape May’s 1942 municipal budget was amended on Friday to conform with minor chguges required by Walter R. Darby, New Jersey Commissioner of Local Government, and was finally . adopted on Monday after , tie K amendments had been approved

■ in Trenton.

B No one but city officials and a ^^representative of the press atHRended the budget hearing, and r tiie lack of public interest in the city budget brought forth sharp criticism from members of the commission who declared that 1 false .rumors had been circulated i concerning the appropriations in;

the new budget.

Scoree Gossip I . "There has been gossip around town that the commissioners have raised their own salaries $1,000 apiece this -year,’’ declared Commissioner Scott as he observed the lack of comment concerning

the budget.

"These--rumors are insidious

propaganda emanating from people who purport to be ourfrienda. If we are to be accused of it much longer, we may be tempted to take the game, since we have the name.” Taking a lighter vein, the commissioners discussed that and other rumors concerning the budget which had been heard in Cape May since the measure was introduced several weeks ago. Racalls Split Referring to the salary increase rumor and to a commission split the previous week over the width of paving proposed for New Jerseyw|venue under the new street improvement program, Commismissioner Wentxell said he would rather take the rumored $1,000 salary increases and use the money for financing additional

paving.

The commissioners, denying the rumors of large salary increases, said that other city employees had been given salary increases recently as a result of the higher cost of living, but that their salaries have not been raised, although the law permits salaries of 60 per cent more than the

present onps.

Asks State To Take Highways The Board of Freeholders yesterday launched an attempt tc relieve Cape May County property owners of the burden of financing construction of one or more bridges which will be built across the proposed Cape May County

canal.

A resolution introduced by Freeholder Ralph T. Stevens, of Cape May, requested the State Highway Department to takeover the county roads known as the Seashore Road and the Bayshore Road as part of the state highway system. In'his resolution, Stevens pointed out that the old Seashore Road has for some time been dedicated as a state highway but has never been accepted by the Highway Department. He explained that unless state takes over the roads, the responsibility of building drawbridges over the canal will devolve upon the county. “I feel that the Board of Freeholders has at present spent all the money it can on national defense projects in view of the limited source of revenue we have. “County taxes are raised exclusively from real estate, while the state and federal governments have a much wider tax base from which to draw. “I feel it would be unfair to impose upon our property owners this additional burden when the cost should be spread over as wide a cross-section of the population as possible,’’ Stevens said.

Air Rifles Banned After Accident

May County this week by Prosecutor French B. Loveland following a shooting in Rio Grande Saturday. Elton Hewitt, 10, of Rio Grande, sustained an eye injury Saturday. He is in Atlantic City Hospital, where physicians are attempting to save the sight cf his eye, but until press time their chances were said to be onestionable. Loveland said this was the second eye injury caused by air rifle* in the last two months. H* contacted all county police rhUfm and law enforcement officers urging them to enforce strictly the state law prohibiting the possession, sale or use of air

Shown above is the Presbyterian Seaside Home at Cape May Point, which was wrecked by Tuesday’s storm tide. The large building, summer retreat for Philadelphia children and mothers, owned by the Philadelphia Presbyterian Orphanage, was broken in half, the front toppling into the sea. The picture above was taken last spring when beach erosion became serious at the foot of Alexander avenue.

City Questions -Ban On Pinball

Officials Outraged By False Rumors Of War Effect Here

Outraged by unfounded rumors concerning the effect of the war on Cape May, the City Commissioners today issued a statement in which they characterized the rumors as "baseless, misleading and definitely harmful to the resort industry around which Cape May is built.” “Cape May has been affected by the war no more than Philadelphia, Atlantic City or any other city in the East,” the Commissioners declared. “We have no enemy submarines in our harbor. We have had no more stringent emergency measures imposed upon us than the citizens of Philadelphia and other cities—in fact, in that respect, we are probably affected even less than residents of larger cities.” Declaring that he has recently heard persistent rumors of enemy submarines having been captured and brought to Cape May Harbor, where a Naval base is located. Mayor T. Hand characterized the reports as absolutely without basis. "Friends in Philadelphia have told me many unbelievable stories about the effect of the war on

Cape May and have taken my denials as ‘discreet silence’ when, as a matter of fact, there is absolutely no truth to the reports.” . “I am fearful that these ridiculoqrf rumors will have a harmful effect upon the success of Cape May’s summer vacation season unless they are refuted,” said Senator I. Grant Scott, president of the New Jersey State Senate and director of public affairs in the City of Cape May. “From the standpoint of safety in these times of war emergency, I believe that Cape May is in much less danger of attack by air or sea than large Eastern dties. Cape May is a comparatively small community. It has no defense industries, which are the logical targets of any attempted attack an this country. It seems to me that no enemy militarist would assume the risk or the expense of crossing the Atlantic Ocean to loose bombs or large (Continued on Page Four)

Place New Ban |S2,500,000MoreTo On “Outside” Be s P ent At Base

Boat Traffic

SEASIBE HOME TOPPLES INTO SEA OURING BIG STORM TIDE Mountainous storm-tossed wavdT*early X ues< i a >' morning toppled the Presbyterian Seaside Home at Cape May Point into the swirling waters of Delaware Bay, The front half of the large structure, which for years had been used as a summer retreat for children and mothers who are aided by the Philadelphia Presbyterian Orphanage, fell into the water. « . v

The rear half of the house ...ains standing, its frame twisted and bent by the terrific pounding it received from the surf. The I’onrd of Managers of the Seaside Home has for more than rear been considering a proto protect the building. An attempt was made last year to have the New Jersey Board of Commerce and Navigation sponsor i beach protection project at the Rising rapidly, the storm tide ■ wept past normal barriers early Tuesday morning, inundating large areas along the beach. Cape May. minor damage done to the boardwalk, but xtervsive damage was reported although a large section of the beachfront was flooded. At the flood tide at 9 o’clock Tuesday morning, water inundated Beach Drive in many places between Jackson street and Madison avenue, and the entire section from Madison avenue eastward is flooded to varying degrees. Along Pittsburgh avenue and ir parts of the East Cape May section. water reached as far inland i New York avenue, two blocks

om Beach Drive.

Veteran weather observers here pointed out that the strong east wind which started Monday night and which was accompanied by torrential rain, was mainly responsible for the storm tide, but they added the fact that the moon was full and was in eclipse Monday night probably also added to intensity of the storm.

Questioning the acceptance of a recent New Jersey Supreme Court dicision that pinball machines are gambling devices. Cape May’s city commission on Friday ordered City Attorney Samuel F. Eldredge to confer with County Prosecutor French B. Loveland to determine whether the decision, handed down in a civil suit, constitutes a basis for criminal action against proprietors of pinball

machines.

The commission pointed out that Supreme Court Justice Joseph B. Pcrskie’s decision, which has launched anti-pinball drives in Cape May and many other New Jersey counties, was made to sustain Teaneck Township in a civil

suit.

“The real test of whether or not pinball machines are gambling’ devices is a decision to that effect in a criminal case rather than a civil case,” the Commis-

sion declared.

Instructing Eldredge to obtain a copy of Justice Pcrskie's decision for study and to confer with Loveland on the matter, the Commission pointed out that virtually any article could be used as a gambling device and that any athletic or other contest could be gambled upon. Loveland last week announced that he would enforce a strict ban on pinball machines in Cnpe May County, giving proprietor* two to three days to have the machines taken out of their stores and places of business. Prosecutors of Camden, Gloucester and several other New Jersey countiles have announced that they will await the outcome of appeals on the pinball ban decision before taking action against proprietors of the machines.

RARE FISH CAUGHT A S6-pound tils fish, extremely rvc to northern waters, was brought to Cape May Tuesday ” ■’ commercial fishing

Twg Properties To Be Demolished Demolition of two properties, located at 742 and 722 Lafayette street, was recommended on Friday in a report to the city commission by Clifford A. Sharp, city building inspector. In his report. Sharp charged that the two buildings constituted fire hazards and were detrimental to the health and safety of the community. Receiving the report, the commissioners announced that they would immediately launch the legal procedure necessary before action can be started. City Attorney Samuel F. Eldredge was instructed to notify the owners of the properties of the complaints against them and of the city's proposed action.

22 Pass First Aid Test Sun. Twenty-two Cape May men, American Legionnaires and city firemen, completed a Red Cross first aid course Sunday afternoon when they passed their examinations after completing the 20hour instruction course. The class is planning to tinue the study of advanced first aid to qualify for Red Cross certificates. , The class was conducted at Cape May city hajl each Sunday afternoon for a period of 10 weeks under the direction of J. G. Farrell, of Wildwood, a Red Cross first aid instructor. Those who completed the course successfully are George Taylor, Carl Taylor, Wister H. Dougherty, William West, J. Thompson Hughes, Sol Needles, Harry Hess, John J. Spencer, Jr., Allan Bush, Allen Willson, Edward Hallman, Eugene Alvarez, William Whitehead, William Hess, J. D. Smeltzer, Alfred Stevens^- Ray Fite, Paul Snyder, Walter Trout, Robert Glaubit, Percy d’Romtra and Albert Little. The Legionnaires who have completed the course have applied to national Red Cross headquarters for a designation as an bulance unit.

All vessels except commercial fishing vessels that have been issued individual licenses by the Captain of the Port are prohibited from leaving South Jersey ports to go outside the limits of the inland waterway under an order issued by the Captain of the Port of Philadelphia, U.S.C.G., last Friday. The following instructions were issued addressed \o Commander G. W. Hitchens, senior Coast Guard officer at Atlantic City, who is now assistant Captain of the Port of'. Atlantic City. Commander Hitchens, before being lied back from retirement, was resident of Cape May. Commercial Boats Exempt “Direct commanding officers to station boat at all inlets to prevent all vessels from departing from inland waters except commercial fishing vessels that have been issued an individual license by the Captain of the Port,” the order said. "No individual licenses to operate on waters outside inland waters shall be issued to any pleasure boat, yacht qr other craft, except bonafide commercial vessels or' commercial fishing boats. "No licenses shall be issued except after thorough inspection of vessel and the submission of a crew list with the application for checkage against files at this office. Must Have Identification “All persons on board must lave identification card, and each essel departing must be checked for possession of such cards. "If any licenses have been issued to vessels other than commercial vessels, granting permission to depart from inland waters, such licenses shall be revoked and new license issued for inland waters only. Report to this office when action has been taken.”

E x p e n ditures approximating $2,500,000 are scheduled to be made for further expansion of the Cape May Naval air station, Congressman Elmer H. Wene announced today, following a conference with high Naval officers in

Washington.

Wene said he had been informed that that amount would be allotted for the base and the air station during the current year’s Naval appropriations. Wene said that a breakdown of the items to be included in the expenditure would be announced

later.

Wene conferred with officials of the Bureau of Yards and Docks in an effort to ascertain what further expenditures might be available for the Cape May base.

Local Men Escape Injury In Crash _ _ve Cape May bowlers escaped injury Sunday night when the car in which they were riding left the highway and crashed through s and underbrush until it came to a stop. The accident occurred near the Ocean City Country Club at Somers Point. The Cape May men were en route to Pleasantvillc for one of the weekly Seashore League bowling matches at the time of the accident. They were riding in a car owned and driven by Walter Homan when the accident occurred. Besides Homan, those who escaped unhurt are Albert B. Little, Harry Lehman, Paul Snyder and E. A. Cresse. With Homan's car badly damaged in the crash, the men walked to Somers Point from where they telephoned to Cape May for assistance. Allan R. Robson, another member of the bowling team, met them and the group proceeded to Pleasantville for the

match.

Young Refugee Wins Contest Use Schwab, a 17-year-old war refugee from Bavaria, won the first annual Cape May County oratorical contest, sponsored by the American Legion, Tuesday evening at Cape May High School. The winner of Tuesday’s contest will represent Cape May County on March 18 in a district contest in Atlantic City to determine the South Jersey representative who will compete for state honors on March 26. Miss Schwab, a junior in Woodbine High School, was adjudged the winner of the county contest in competition with four other high school students, representing Cape May, Wildwood and Middle Township schools. Miss Norma Taylor, of Cape May High School, placed second in the county contest. Miss Jean Wheaton, of Wildwood, placed third, and Robert Gee, of Middle Township, placed fourth. An extremely small audience heard the high school orators compete for county honors. Miss Schwab, who told interestingly of her life in Bavaria during her oration, was presented with a gold medal, awarded by the Cape May County Executive Committee of the American L

giorv

Each contestant will receive silver medal from the Legion post in his or her home

unity.

Paul S. Ensminger, principal of Cape May High School, was county and district chairman of the oratorical contest. Similar competitions are being held throughout the nation to pick county, district and state champions, who will compete for the national prize. Percy d'Romtra, county Legion commander, presided.

INCOME TAX REPORTS PREPARED 10 MORE DAYS TO FILE YOUR RETURN Call Kevstone Phone 900—Bell 90 Daily 9 AM. to 5 P.M. Evenings Keystone 681 Hoars Saturdays 9 A.M. to 4 P.M. Honrs Sundays 10 A M to 2 P M. PAUL SNYDER SI Perry Street, Cape May, N. J.

House Damaged As

Flames Spread

Flames from a spreading grass fire ignited the rear of the home of Seward Tubbs, Stimpson' Lane. Friday morning, causing considerable damage to the exterior of the main building, and

damaging a ahed.

Tubbs said he was burning grass around his home and that

Complete Plans For Rationing Of Sugar Here Today marks the deadline on whkh all city and county school superintendents are to complete estimates of the number of persons expected to register at each public school for sugar rationing, it was announced by Mrs. Irma Nowell, deputy state rationing administrator. All superintendents of schools have been asked to make an estimate of anticipated resigtration figures in their' respective areas, and also to deliver to the local rationing boards a list of the names and addresses of all schools located within the rationing board's area. This is the first step in the program of sugar rationing. The next step will be the registratioif of retailers, hotels, institutions and others using more than the normal family quota of sugar, to be followed by four days of civilian registration at public schools. While no definite dates for registration have been set, it is expected that sugar rationing will get under way late in March. Rationing of new passenger cars went into effect on Monday and local rationing boards - are now receiving applications for the 4,809 "hew passenger cars which compose New Jersey’s quota for the three-month period from March 2 to May 31. The new passenger car ration- _ ig regulations set up a list of eligible purchasers similar generally to the list of persons eligible to purchase new tires and retreads. Farm veterinarians and travelling salesmen engaged in selling farm equipment are eligible to purchase new cars if they can meet the strict requirements of the rationing regulations. Automobile stickers bearing t inscription "Save Rubber — Vi for Our Fighting Forces", have been sent to the state’s motor vehicle registration agents for distribution to motorists this

week.

Destroyer Off Cape May; Survivors Here TV U. S. Navy destroyer “Jacob Jones” was torpedoed and sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape May early Saturday morning, the Navy Department announced in a bulletin issued at Washington Tuesday morning. Eleven merv—the only survivors of the sinluhg—^were brought to the Cape May Naval base, where they were treated for injuries, shock and exposure. No indication as to the position of the torpedoing was released by the Navy" Department other than the designation “off Cape May". The 11 survivors were Sbrought to the Cape May base Saturday afternoon, where their presence was kept a closely guarded secret until after the official announcement of the sinking had been made in Washington. Two of the 11 survivors sustained injuries necessitating treatment which they are receiving at the base sick bay. The others were discharged from the sick bay after they had recovered from exposure. Those who survived the torpedoing are: Joseph Paul Tidwell, 22, of 1712 Eighth street, Tuscaloosa, Ala. Thomas Ryan Moody, 22, 404 E. Madison street, Franklin, Ky. Louis Hollenbeck, 26, of Albion,

N. Y.

George Pantall, 22, of 58 Como •venue, Struthers, O. Albert Oberg. 23, 12 Warner re., Proctor, VL John Struthers, 17, 193 Humboldt st n Trenton, N. J. Richard Dors, 25, 746 N. Montello street, Brockton, Mass. John Merget, 26, 1328 Bowling ffvenue, Norfolk, Va. Rudolph Jacobsen, 40, of 525 Second st., Eastport, Md. Woodrow Albert Russell, Boston, Mass. Adolph Ring Storm, Bridgeport,

Conn.

Russell and Storm were injured, the former suffering internal injuries, the latter a fractured kneecap. Interviewed Tuesday afternoon by newspapermen representing all major new9 services and metropolitan papers, the survivors told their individual stories of the sinking, from which the following ^picture was pieced together: The destroyer “Jacob Jones” as struck by a torpedo loosed from a U-boat at 4:55 Saturday morning. The first torpedo ripped through the forward part of the hull, carrying away the bow and leaving a gaping hole. (Continued on Page Four)

To Take Airport Bids Shortly With plans for the Cape May County airport progressing rapidly, it is expected that bids will be taken for the construction work during March, it was learned this week. The airport, to be constructed in the vicinity of Fishing Creek, will cost approximately $500,000 and will be controlled by the Civil Aeronautics Authority. Immediately after its construction it will be turned over to the Army for its use during the war emergency.

otaw fcnfoMJinuwt 9a (pAiat 0£. Oki&iy, Jjjvsdand ‘DadaMA.

Strict local law enforcement is the price of American victory, Prosecutor French B. Loveland declared Friday night in an address before the Cape May County League of Municipalities in session at the county seat.

Asserting that Cape May County has less crime than any other county in the state, the Prosecutor lauded municipal officials and law enforcement agencies for their part in cleaning up the county and in enforcing laws. “Today, I can say without con-

tradiction that the public officials „ __ of our county are of a higher law enforcement officers and detype than ever before in history," | fense council members, he said. “That is why we have Mr. Dickerson discussed the the cleanest county in the state, j various means by which the F.B.I. “But bear in mind that this | is combatting “that army of

he had left the fire to talk to didn't just happen—it meant a mies inside our borders who a. neighbor. Upon his return to | 0 t 0 f work and cooperative ef- he just as dangerous as the his home, he found that the f or t. Law enforcement was far mies outside.” He pointed out flames had ignited the structure, from being the first order of^Jie , that the F.B.I. needs full coopera-

officials have ever had. As a people, Americans have grown careless and soft, and have taken things for granted. The dollar sign has been too much up front What we need today is a revival of hard work, clean living and a will to keep the easy money boys from even getting started again,”

Loveland declared.

Joseph - Dickerson, agent in charge of the Atlantic City district of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, also addressed the meeting of municipal officials,

29 County Men Pass Exams Forty-four southern Cape May County draft registrants were given pre-induction physical examinations at Camden Friday, and all but 15 were accepted for military servide. Those rejected were James Bums, Cape May; Fred Cole, Jr., Wildwood; Lott Cornwell, Cape May; James F. Dennison, Wildwood Crest; Earl Fox, Wildwood; Aaron Gidding, Wildwood; William Griffin, Wildwood; Herbert McPherson, Cape May Court House; Robert Smith, Cape May; Mark Sooy, Wildwood; Francis Stout, Cape May; and John Taylor, Wildwood. All were classified 4-F registrants. Three were classified as 1-B registrants subject to call for limited service. They are Orvar Axelson, North Wildwood; Mahlon Moon, Cape May; and Joseph A. Jordan, North Wildwood. The others who passed the examination will probably be called for Army duty some time during March, although no definite date has been set by Selective Service officials. A change in the system of preinduction physical examinations was reported by Miss Margaret McCullough, clerk of the local board in charge of conscription in this area, details of which have not yet been made public. Pending revision of the entire pre-induction procedure, no preinduction examinations will be held in March.

Firemen from West Cape May d*y a few years ago. Today tion and aid of every citizen and and Cape May, summoned to the , there is no such thing as or- every local agency in the country sc^rw ouiekly extinguished the ^anized crime in our county. Put to counteract subversive activities ’conflagration. Ti'bbs said he »t won ’t *tay th»t way unless we within the confines of this nation, thought the damage to the inter- PTV ren1 rublic servants. A capacity audience filled the

ior of his home was compara-1 “You o^ieials have the greatest Freeholders' Room at Cape May the same as 1941 at the 82 lively slight. responsibility today that public Court House for the meeting. cent grade and lower.

Farmers Consider Bean Contracts After two meetings at Cold Spring and active work by a committee of the Board of Agriculture, Cape May County factory bean growers have been given a reasonably satisfactory price for

the 1942 crop.

It was planned to sign contracts at a meeting last night. The new price is one dollar per 100 pounds of shelled beans higher than in 1941 for grades down to and including 92 per cent green skinned beans.