Religion: Courageous Mr. Voliva

To Wilbur Glenn Voliva, frock-coated overlord of Zion, Ill. and vociferous High Priest of the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church, the world is shaped like a soup-plate. In 1931 he proved this by taking a trip around the world's periphery. When he returned he bragged to newsmen that he was "worth $10,000,000" (TIME, March 16, 1931). He owned everything in Zion, which included candy bar, cookie and lace factories, bank, department store, publishing house, cement plant, bakery. Last week Mr. Voliva was an involuntary bankrupt and his Zion industries were in receivership. Liabilities were listed at $800,000, assets at $2,000,000, mostly frozen. For two years 5,000 Zion employes had received no regular pay checks, although they had drawn food & clothing from the stores. Last week Mr. Voliva's attorney reversed the boastful talk of two years ago, stated that Mr. Voliva had drawn only $1,258 a year for 17 years. Mr. Voliva recalled that in 1907 Zion's assets were 87¢, in 1927 $10,000,000, in 1932 $6,000,000. Cried he: "I'll do the same again as soon as there's an upturn."