The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1959-01-01

While the public schools, the
farmers and Bluffton college all
benefited from added funds, the
village council had its hopes
dynamited when the public re-
fused to approve a two-mill tax
levy.
But the story which struck
most people involved the lack of
money - the payroll of the Ex-
Cello corporation, slowed down
by layoffs, then completely stop
ped by a strike which was still in
progress as the year ended.
Employment at the new plant
slackened early in the year, then
began to recover in July. The
agreement between the company
and the United Automobile Work.
ers union expired at the end OF
August, but workers remained or
their jobs without a contract
until the strike began October 20
The union sought a contract
covering the five plants hit by
the strike, while the company
hoped to negotiate a separate
contract for each of the five
plants.
Both groups presented their
viewpoints in open meetings with
the Bluffton Business Mems
association, but no headway to,
wards bringing the groups to.
gether was apparent as the year
closed.
On December 19 a National
Labor Relations Board examiner
issued a charge that the union
was following unfair practices by
refusing to bargain with manage
mertt of the local plant. A hear
ing on the charge was scheduled
for February II.
Schools Active
The public schools benefited,
first from $39,OOO bequest from
the estate of T. r. Schoonover,
then from solid approval of a
ten-miil tax levy.
In December the school board
announced they hoped to improve
Harmon field and increase
physical facilities in both school
buildings with the Schoonover be-
quest.
During the fall a 21-member
Citizens Committee studied four
phases of the local school pro-
gram, as part of a statewide
program. They studied teaching
personnel, district organization,
the school program and school
finance.
The committee reported that a
stronger curriculum would i'm
prove the schools. They found
that facilities were excellent, and
expressed a hope that school
should remain on a
local level.
In line with a committee sug-
gestion to provide greater in
centive for scholarship, the
school board announced in De-
cember that they were consider
ing a program to provide top
students a chance to earn college
credit while still in high school.
Bluffton college also prospered,
reaching a new enrolment peak
at the start of the fall semester,
as 354 full time students enrolled.
At homecoming, president L. L.
Ramseyer described a $750,000
program which the col
lege hoped to follow in the future.
The college also was slated to
receive a substantial share of
the Schoonover estate.
After heavy rains threatened
the summer wheat harvest, area
farmers relaxed as the weather
slackened, permitting them to
harvest a bumper crop, valued at
over $4O0,OO0 in the immediate
area alone.
The farm economy took an
other upturn in the fall as the
corn and soy bean harvests also
hit highly satisfactory levels.
1dACS
Voters were asked to approve
two local tax levies in November
but they rejected one of them.
The school board asked for re-
of their present seven-mill
levy and three-mil increase.
With the backing of strong
campaign, the levy passed but
the 63 percent support it pulled
from the voters was the lowest
vote given a school bond issue in
Bluffton for several years.
Village council, who asked for
only two-mill levy, got majority
support, but not the SIS percent
majority required for passage.
Financially wobbly, they had
hoped to finance a major pro-
gram of street repairs.
Airport
Receiving wide public notice
during the middle of the year
was a proposal for the establish
ment of a four-county expires"
DI..rnAo.. TIL xolo,.