dap? ilag ito mb Uaa?

88th YEAR, No. 45

Cam Hat Wam. Eataawahao 1854. Star of tm* Cam Eatarlishko 1868. Cam May Star 8 Wavk. Conroiipatro 1807-

CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1942

DELIVERED 6Y MAIL IN THE U.SJL J*OS-r£GE^^REFAID^^<^^YEAR

FIVE <

Motorists Must Register For Mileage Ration NEWARK — A change of procedure in the plan for registering passengei car owners for mileage rationing was announced by James Kerney, Jr., state director of the Office of Price Administration. Instead of mailing the registration forms (R-534) to the rationing boards after picking them up at schools on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (November 12, 13 and 14) passenger car owners will be registered immediately on those dates by school teachers who will act as registrars. Car owners are asked to bring jvith them their motor vehicle registration cards, gasoline ration books, and the serial numbers of their tires when they go to the school registration site today, tomorrow or Saturday. Kerney explained that the change in the original plan was decided upon in order “to speed

City Pays State Tax Before Due Date A month before they became due, Cape May’s 1942 state taxes ere paid in full by the city immission on Friday. At its regular meeting Friday morning, the commission authorized the city treasurer to pay current state taxes of $16,699.88 in full. The city paid its 1942 county taxes in full several months ago, and has met all current payments i its debt retirement obligations. Mayor T. Millet Hand, director of ftvenue and finance, reported at Friday's meeting that the city’s financial condition at present is sound.

Registration of automobile owners will take place between 4 and 8 p.m. today and tomorrow and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at the local school. Cape May faculty members will take charge of the clerical work. A schedule of hours and room numbers for teachers was issued this week by Dr. Edward E. Pickard, city school superintendent, assigning each teacher a two-hour period. The registration is required of all holders of A, B, C and D gasoline ration books.

up the r „ eliminate inconvenience and delay to the public resulting from incompletely and incorrectly filledout registration forms." In addition to the registration days there will be another registration day for late registrants on November 21. For the guidance of car owners the registration procedure was outlined as follows: 1. On November 12, 13, and 14, each passenger car or motorcycle owner will go to a designated school in his community to register for mileage rationing. 2. Each registrant is required to bring with him: — Continued On Page Five —

Ask Defense Council To Discuss Problems Following a generally unsatisfactory showing in Monday night's surprise blackout, the local Defense Council was invited to confer with the City Commission on Friday to discuss defense problems. During the 18-minute statewide blackout between 8:59 and 9:17 Monday night, numerous violations were reported by air raid wardens and other volunteer defense workers. In a number of zones, emergency stations were thinly manned, and many complaints have been made by residents in some ■ections of the- city to the effect that the city’s alarm signal is inaudible. Alter the blackout test, a Statement from City Hall indicated that the Defense Council or its chairman have been invited to attend tomorrow’s meeting to discuss their difficulties with the Commissioners. Complete revision of the local defense organization' was an pounced' as one of the council’ aims some time ago in order to fill numerous vacancies in various branches of the defense setup caused by transfers of service men’s families, a number of local residents leaving for military service or defense work and a number of younger members of various units gping to college or to other cities for employment.

Churches Plan Union Thanksgiving Rites The annual Thanksgiving service will be held this year in the First Methodist Church with the First Presbyterian and the Cape Island Baptist Churches joining in the sendee, which will start at 10:30 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The Rev. Samuel Blair, pastor of the host church, will preside and conduct the worship. The Rev. Albert Lenz, of the Presbyterian Church, will preach the sermon, taking for his subject “The Goodness of God". Mrs. Hazel Butler will sing, and Miss Dorothy Blair will preside at the organ console during the service. The offering credited to < of the participating churches will be given to charitable institutions.

Local Industry Organizes To Unearth Scrap BURLEIGH — An intensive campaign to unearth all industrial scrap in Cape May County was launched last Thursday at a luncheon meeting at the Wildwood Golf Club. Representatives of the majority of the county’s industrial concerns attended the meeting to hear R. Merrill Decker, regional director of the War Production Board, outline the organization plan. Under the chairmanship of Paul 0. Schuster, of Cape May Court House, a couqty committee was appointed to contact all industrial establishments, requesting the appointment of a salvage chief in each plant, who will supervise the salvaging of all obsolete and unused machinery sa well as production waste. Committee members named at Thursday's meeting are Luther C. Ogden, Cape May. C. F. Holtz, 1. V. Stone, Samuel Kravitz, Boyd Tyler, A. W. Shoemaker, Charles Aspenberg, A. M. Davis, Harry Cinalli, George B. Ho6d and Otto Wunder. Each committee member was assigned a group of firms in his locality to be contacted within a week. Following the naming of salvage chiefs in individual plants, the campaign will be conducted on a voluntary basis under the supervision of the county executive committee, and scrap unearthed in the drive will be sold to junk dealers. The Industrial Salvage Section of the Conseiwation Division under the War Production Board is charged with the responsibility of developing salvage programs for waste materials, including iron and steel scrap, non-ferrous metals, rubber, manila rope, bur‘»o and commercial solvents 'herever they can be found — Continued On Page Five —

Woman Burned During Blackout Monday WEST CAPE MAY — This community’s first blackout casualty occurred during Monday night’s test blackout when Mrs. " L. Yocum, of 272 Sixth avefell against an oil heater in her home and sustained a severe Srm burn. Mrs. Yocum was given first aid at the emergency dressing station located in the ' West Cape May school. She was taken there by ler son-in-law, Henry Bennett, rho returned to the house to get flashlight while he was policing the district. - Mrs. Yocum was given first aid by Mrs. Henry Brown, Mrs. Henry Bennett, Mrs. Cordelia Bounds, and Mrs. Ottier Howard attendants at the dressing station. Bennett said the accident occurd as'Mrs. Yocum was moving about in the house during the blackout.

Mail ’42 Yule Gifts Early, Miller Urges Urging early Christmas shopping and mailing to avoid lastminute rushes during a period when scarcity of labor will be felt keenly, Postmaster Lemuel E. Miller, Jr., of Cape May, today asked local residents to cooperate with postal employees. “The Post Office Department >w is starting the most gigantic task in its history—the movement of a deluge of Christmas pdrcels, cards and letters while "itaining the regular flow of ions of pieces of mail daily to and from our armed forces all ;r the world," Mr. Miller said. ‘Indications are that the volume of Christmas mail wilHbe the largest on record. Already in September, latest month for which figures are available, retail sales had reached a level,, second only to the record month of December, 1941, according 1 Department of Commerce, sales are rising. Such heavy purchases always presage heavy mailings. “If thousands of our soldiers, sailors, marines and civilian friends are not to be disappointed at Christmas time, the public must cooperate by mailing earlier than ever before and by addressing letters and parcels properly," Miller continued. “The best efforts of the Post Office Department alone cannot'be enough, in view of wartime difficulties faced by the postal system. The public must assist “About 25,000 experienced postal workers already have been taken by the war services. Arrangements are under way to add thousands of temporary personnel to postal staffs, but this man — Continued On Page Four —

November 28 Final Registration Day COURT HOUSE — Saturday, November 28. has been set as the final day for permanent registration in Cape May County, the county imard of elections nounced this week. Registrars will be at polling places throughout the county from 1 to 9 p.m. on that date. At North Cape May registrars will be on duty from 1 to 4 p. and at • South Cape May t hours of registration will be from 6 to 9 p.m. “Only such voters will be permanently registered as present themselves personally,” the board explained. “Naturalized citizens must produce their citizenship papers. "Voters are urged to appear for registering at their respective polling places at early as possible after 1 p.m. on the date specified in order to^ avoid the evening congestion," the board continued.

Kiwanians Inspect Canal Project Cape May Kiwanians on Wednesday made a tour of inspection of the Cape May County canal, now under construction, in place of their regular dinner-meeting. The club members met ai o'clock - yesterday afternoon when they boarded a tug boat which took them for a sight-seeing trip through the canal. At thi> conclusion of the trip, they enjoyed luncheon aboard the huge pipeli dredge “Baltimore" which is ( ing the excavation work for the canal. A meeting of the club's board of directors was held Monday at the office of the Atlantic City Electric Company.

Farm Labor Stabilization Plan Affects Many On Cape

Curfew May Be Discussed At Town Meeting A town meeting to discuss possible solutions of community social problems, particularly those involving '* " • ~ - will proba * iture, it conference between Dr. Edwai Pickard, city school superintendent, and the city commission i Friday. After a discussion of the relative merits and disadvantages of a general, community-wide curfew law, the officials suggested that a town meeting be called to discuss the problem in detail and to ascertain from interested citithe sentiment of the community. Dr. Pickard told the commissioners that he had been approached indirectly on several occasions with a suggestion that a curfew law be enacted in an attempt—toremove children under tbs' age ornTTrirm the streets after 9:30 unless they were accompanied by their parents or guardians. “UP TO CITIZENS" Following, a lengthy discussion of social problems affecting the youth oLjhe community. Senator I. Grant Scott, commissioner of public affairs, suggested calling a town meeting to give all interested persons an opportunity to express their views before any definite action is taken. Continued On Page Four —

Million-Dollar Chemical Plant Nears Completion; Production Expected To Start December 1 Swinging into the final stages of construction, the million-dollar chemical plant of the] Northwest Magnesite Company, on the shores of Delaware Bay near Here, is expected to begin full production on December 1. The newest and largest Cape May County industry will extract valuable chemicals from sea water and combine them with dolomite by a novel chemical process to produce dead-burned magnesite for use in the manufacture of steel. With three of the five principal units of the plant already operating, C. T. Morrow, plant

announced today

250th Anniversary Of Cape May County Observed Today

COURT HOUSE — Cape May County is 250 years old today, and the historic event is being celebrated quietly but impressively in many communities. Heeding the request of' the County Board of Freeholders, made by Director Percy H. Jackson and through advertisements sponsored by the Department of Public Affairs, observance of the anniversary _ in the various communities is strict-

ly local.

Most of the celebrations are taking place in the schools, where special programs — some r brief, others lengthy—are being carried out by faculties and pupils. Daniel J, Ricker, county school superintendent, principals and teachers have cooperated with Director Jackson in seeiiig that the anni-

proper$ commemorat-

Michel, Visitor At Point, Succumbs CAMDEN — Firmin Michel, prosecutor of Camden County and for many years a summer resident of Cape May Poijit, died Saturday night following a heart attack at Camden. Mr. Michel, who was 41, lived at 315 South Sixth street, Camden. He was a former Camden city solicitor and police court judge. He had also served as solicitor for the borough of Runnemede and tlje Gloucester City Board of Education. He succeeded Samuel P. Orlando as county prosecutor, on appointment by Governor Edison. Solemn Requiem Mass will be sung this morning at 10 o’clock at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Broadway and Market streets. Mr. Michel is survived by his wife, Gertrude; two children, Marie and Firmin, Jr.; his mother, Mrs. Marion Michel, and a sister, Miss Mae Michel, both of Gloucester.

Pigeon Shooting Ban Announced By Warden Warning local gunners to refrain from shooting pigeons, Francis Jones, State Fish and Game Commission warden for Cape May County, declared today that Army authorities had requested prohibition of pigeon shooting. Jones emphasized that continuation of the practice of shooting pigeons wjll be considered unpatriotic. He .urged local gunners to cooperate in the conservation movement.

COURT HOUSE — Details of the program for stabilizing employment on the nation’s dairy, livestock and poultry farms, which was announced by the War Manpower Commission recently, were explained here this wek by County Farm Agent Henry H. White, who said that about 100, or a quarter of the forms of the county, are affected. According to a memorandum from the USDA war board, the Selective Service system has been requested to: 1. Classify into Group 3-B those dairy, livestock and poultry farm workers who are now deferred on the ground of dependency. 2. Grant occupational deferment to dairy, livestock and poultry farmers, and farm hands, who have no dependents but who are necessary men for whom replacements are not available. 3. Refer all workers skilled in these farm operations but who are not necessary .men in their present employment to the U. S. Employment Service for place-

ment on other dairy, livestock and poultry farms as their order numbers are reached and they come up for review. Arrangements have also been made with the War and Navy Departments to refrain from recruiting or accepting for voluntary' enlistment essential livestock, dairy or poultry workers and to refrain from initiating programs to encourage these enlistments in areas where critical shortages of these workers exist. According to White, for the purpose of this program, a dairy, livestock or poultry farm is defined as one which has at least eight dairy cows, milking or dry, and a minimum annual . production of 36,000 pounds of milk, or the equivalent in livestock or poultry., or a combination of animal units which meet this standard. For example, the equivalent of one dairy cow is defined to be any one of the following: 74 hens, 250 chickens raised, 500 broilers raised or- 40 turkeys.

Permits Sought For Two Jetty Projects PHILADELPHIA — Applications for permits td construct two jetties in Cape May County resorts were considered on Tuesday by U. S. Army engineers, Lientenant Colonel P. T. Surtiuel, acting district engineer, disclosed today. No announcement of the engineers’ decisions, was made. ^ One application sought permission to construct a stone jetty ir the ocean at the foot of- 114th street,. Stone Harbor. The other called for a similar project at the foot of Fifth street, Ocean City. The Stone Harbor jetty would be -12 feet wide at the top and would extend 170 feet oceanward from the mean low water line, according to present plans. The .Ocean City jetty would be 12 feet wide at the top and would tend 330 feet oceanward.

Hughes Appointed To Fire Department J. Thompson Hughes, for five years a substitute driver in Cape May’s fire department, was appointed to a permanent, position as driver by the city commission on Friday. Hughes succeeds Wister H. Dougherty, a driver for nine years, who died two weeks ago. During his service as a substitute driver, Hughes has served as vacation relief and has worked during illnesses of regular drivers.

2 yet

versary i

ed.

Among the groups that to hold their celebration „ Cape May County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, which will emphasize the anniversary when it meets at Cape May Court House on Saturday. The short, but comprehensive chronological history of Cape May County, prepared in booklet form by the F'fefeholders under Director Jackson’s supervision, has been distributed to schools as well as to organizations preparing anniversary programs.

manager,

that construction work will be completed by J the end of

November.

Each school pupil in the county has received one of the booklets. Of assistance to the lower grades in familiarizing, the pupils with county history has been the social science unit, prepared bv the teachers in cooperation with the County Superintendent’s office, and for several years used as part of the regular study in the county's third grades.. The county historical exhibit is iw on display at Sea Isle City. It was on November 12, 1692 that Cape May County was created by an Act of Assembly. Since that time, it has had, as the Freeholders put it, “250 years of remarkable growth as a fine place to live and a grand place to play”. Its population has increased from 668 in 1726, when the first census was taken, to 28,919 in 1940, when the last census was taken. The assessed valuations have soared from $872,000 in 1860 to $51,775,783 in 1940. In the latter part of the 18th century, educational facilities consisted of itinerant teachers who traveleld about the county. In 1830 drude school houses made their appearance, with additional teachers, but very few books. In 1860, with 27 schools, 32 teachers and 2373 scholars, the appropriation for schools was $6,128. By 1935 the county had 249 teachers and 6,314 scholars.

Operating now are the rotary kiln plant for calcining rock, and sea water purification plant. These, with other sections of the extraction equipment, will produce dead-burned magnesite to be used ' i refractory bricks. ~ First in the United States to use the extraction process, the local plant is similar to several plants now in operation in England, which were designed by Dr. H. H. Chesny, the originator of the process. The Northwest Magnesite Company has the exclusive American rights to produce refractories under English patents 6n the process. With imports of natural magnesite .from Austria, Greece and Manchukuo halted by the war, and with a limited supply of high quality natural magnesite in this . country, the new plant will play an increasingly important role in the manufacture of magnesia refractories, without which steel cannot be produced. The English process combines elements of sea water with dolomite to produce magnesite of a particularly high quality, comtrable with the best that has ien quarried in its natural state. Output of the local plant will augment the quantity of natural magnesite which is produced in quarrying and refining nlants owned and operated by the Northwest Magnesite Company in the state of Washington. The Northwest Magnesite Company is a subsidiary of the Har-bison-Walker Refractories Company and the General Refractories Company, two of the leading producers of refractories in this

country.

Briefly outlining the details of e new plant, Mr. Morrow explained: t 'Crushed dolomite and sea waare the prime ingredients, and id-burned magnesite is the product. The dolomite is received by rail, unloaded from cars, conveyed to storage, ^rthen reclaimed by means of conveyors and elevators and fed to rotary kilns where it

calcined.

"The calcined material is reactContinued on Page Four

Erma Man Promoted To Rank Of Captain ERMA — The War Department announced today the promotion of Raymond E. Hickman from the rank of first lieutenant to captain in the Adjutant General’s -branch of the Army. Captain Hickman is a resident of Erma. He attended Middle Township High School and was graduated in 1934. He has been active in War Department work since that time, hiving served in connection with the Civilian Conservation Corps and Army activities. Captain Hickman ip now stationed at Fort Washington, Md. in the capacity of assistant adjutant of the Adjutant General’s School at that station.

Priorities Prevent Fire Alarm Repair Replying to widespread criticism of Cape May's fire alarm signal system,* Commissioner I. Grant Scott, director of public safety, explained on Friday that the city is unable to obtain necessary repair materials because of war-time priorities. "For several months the fire alarm signal system has been badly in -need of repair, and the condition has steadily grown worse, resulting in unintelligible signals on many occasions,” .Scott explained. “After a survey of the system and a determination of the needs, the commission included in Us 1942 budget an item amounting to $1,500 which was to have financed the work, but.?because of priorities on critical war materials we are unable to purchase the necessary repair parts. “It is unfortunate that the present situation should occur, and that we should be unable to .purchase the necesary parts, but for the duration it appears that we shall have to struggle along ns best we can,” the Commissioner concluded. He explained -that the jumble of alarm signals results from a mix-up of electrical impulses, between the various alarm boxes and the lire house.

Navy To Re-appraise 88-Acre Tract Soon The Navy Department is planning to re-appraise an 88-acre tract of city-owned land in Plan B,' adjoining the Cape May Naval Base and now occupied by the Navy under a lease, the city commission was informed on Fri-

day.

In a letter to Mayor T. Millet Hand, who had conferred with him in Washington several months ago. Lieutenant Wildermuth, of the procurement division of the Navy, announced that plans are now being considered for a general re-appraisal of the land with a view toward purchasing it from the city. At present the 88-acre tract is the subject of a condemnation suit instituted by the Navy Department. According to original terms, the. Navy agreed to pay a total of $17,160 for the land. Tlie commissioners rejected the offer as too low. They cited Navy acquisition of 11 acres for the site now occupied by the Navy housing project for which the Navy paid $4,200, or approximately $400 per acre. At the conference in Washington, the Mayor compromised with the Navy on the 11-acre price, eliminating the necessity of demnation, and obtained v an agreement that, the 8?-acre tract would be re-appraised.

Township PTA Has Trial Discussion COLD SPRING — A trial discussion group meeting was held recently by the Parent-Teachers Association of Lower Township’s Consolidated .School to illustrate the operation of the plan. It is planned to hbve three similar meetings so the association might obtain a goal in parent education. Subject of the trial discussion was "Your Child arid-His Appetite". based on a study course issued by the Home Economics Extension Service. Many practical ideas were exchanged by members of the group of parents at^d teach-

NOTICE

ALL BILLS AGAINST THE CITY OF CAPE MAY MUST BE. IN THE OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK BY DECEMBER 15, 1942. BILLS RECEIVED AFTER THAT TIME CANNOT BE PAID.

: of

Alumni Association To Meet On Friday The initial business meeting the recently revived Cape May High School Alumni Association will be held at the high school auditorium on Friday evening, November 13, at 9 o’clock, association officers announced thin

week.

An intensive campaign members ’

tion will I Dancing and entertainment in tlie high school cafeteria will follow the meeting. AH' graduates of Cape May High School are urged to attend the session and to bring their husbands, wives or friends. Tomorrow’s meeting will be the final session of the group before the expensive Thanksgiving holiday activities which are planned. It is Manned to .have a Thanksgiving^ dance and an Alumni - High School football game on Thanksgiving Day.

Workers Needed At RedCrossWorkRooms Called upon to fill a new garment quota for the Cape May County Red Cross Chapter, the local Red Cross branch today issued another appeal for volunteer workers.- , The quota received this week from the county chapter / -mcludes 500 children’s--slips. 25 children’s nightgowns, boys’ pajamas, 50 women’s slips, men’s nightshirts, women’s petticoats. The garments must be made .in the workrooms during the sewing hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesijpys and Wednesdays. Mors sewers and cutters are needed. Branch officers urged all local women to volunteer their services to help fill the quota. Surgical dressings are made at the Red Cross workrooms on Mondays from 9 to 4 and _from 8 to 10:30; Tuesdays from~9 to 4; Thursdays 9, to 4 and 7:30 to 10:30; Fridays 9 to 4.