Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 22 April 1921 — Page 1

THE ONLY DEMOCRATIC NEWSPAPER IN DELAWARE COUNTY

THE MUNCIE POST-DEMOCRAT

VOL. 1. NUMBER 15

THE MUNCIE POST-DEMOCRAT, FRIDAY, APRIL 22,1921

SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $2.00 A, YEAR IN ADVANCE

Billy Williams, Poor Farm Boss Runs The Place On High Wide And Handsome Basis

A few cold blooded figures showing comparative costs at the county infirmary, might not be out of the way at this time. A comparison of figures for the past three years, under the management of a man who can crack the bull whip on the county commissioners and get what he wants, with the three years previous under the management of a democrat, Isaac Booth, ought to tell the taxpayers why it costs more to keep things going under republican management. During the years 1915, 1916, and 1917 under the superintendency of Mr. Booth, the total expense for maintenance and salaries was $34,411.14; the total expenses in 1918, 1919 and 1920, with Shroyer and Shoemaker on the board of commissioners and Williams in charge of the informary, the total expense of maintenance and salaries was $79,886.10. Mr. Booth spent in 1917, his last year at the infirmary, a total of $10,431.63; in the following year, 1918, with the republican boss in charge, the expense was $17,945.60. In 1919 the commissioners paid out the sum of $32,035.82 for maintenance and salaries and in 1920 $29,904.68. The commissioners are running true to form this year, paying without protest every claim presented by their boss, and at the present rate of expenditure the cost this year will be by far the greatest in the history of the county. Last year, for the first time in the history of the county, no revenues were received for the sale of farm products from the county farm. In 1918, Mr. Williams’ first year at the infirmary, the sales amounted to $2,226.13, this amount representing the receipts from sales of stock, eac., most of which had accumulated on the farm during the incumbency of Mr. Booth. In 1919 the sales of the farm products amounted to $955.30; in the year 1920 not one cent was received from the farm, according to the records of the auditor’s office. The total receipts during the years 1915, 1916 and 1917, under the management of Isaac Booth, amounted to $3,744.14. The total receipts for the three years Growing, with Williams in charge were $2,782.23, and the greater part of this deserved to be credited to Mr. Booth for livestock and farm products on hands when he made way for Mr. Williams. Many stores are openly told by people claiming to have first-hand information, of the loose methods employed at the infirmary. It is openly charged by some that supplies of various kinds are given to relatives of the superintendent and the records show that relatives are given employment at the infirmary. William Greenwalt, a member of the county council, with his wife spent the entire winter at the infirmary after the factory in Muncie in which Mr. Greenwalt is employed, had shut down. The commissioners’ allowance docket shows that Margaret Greenwalt (Mrs. William C. Greenwalt) was on the payroll to the tune of $80 a month, and that she received this amount three months in succession, January, February and March, on warrants ordered by the county commissioners. The county coal contract was awarded last winter to the Farmers Co-op-erative Company of Selma, and large amounts are paid out each month to this company by the county cornffiissioners. Frederick Shroyer, a son of County Commissioner Shroyer, is manager of the Farmers Co-operative Company, and it is stated by citizens of Selma that both Commissioner Shroyer and Infirmary Superintendent Williams are stockholders in the concern. If this is true a grave offense is being committed by Commissioner Shroyer. It is a criminal act for an officer to purchase supplies for the taxing unit he represents, from himself. The law makes it a crime punishable, with imprisonment in the states prison for a period not to exceed five years, for an officer to be connected, either directly or indirectly, with any contract for the purchase of*supplies or for any public work in his district. Commissioner Shroyer himself secured the blank bid at the auditor’s

office and presented it himself at the meeting of the board of commissioners at which the award was made. The bid and bond was signed by Frederick Shroyer, son of Commissioner Shroyer, and the notary attesting the signature was Billy Williams! Billy Williams is a shrewd politician. By assiduous effort he has gained complete control of the republican party machinery in the county and it was his influence which secured the election of John Hempton, the republican city chairman. He works while others sleep, but like many another political boss who took iij too much territory, he and his carefully constructed machine are doomed to fall—and fall hard. The decent republicans of Delaware County are preparing to purge their party, and when the purging process fairly sets in, there will be something doing all the way down the line.

Ready For The Fray

Wants Autoists To Pay New Tax

Washington, April 21—A total of $149,193,505.69 was collected in 1920 by the United States treasury from the manufacturers’ excise tax on the au-

tomobile industries.

Of this $83,114,340.23 was received from the 5 per cent tax on passenger cars and motorcycles, $50,944,571.32 from the 5 per cent tax on tires, inner tubes, parts and accessories, and $15,134,594.14 from the 3 per cent tax on motor trucks and wagons. The tax was collected monthly. The total receipts from all these taxes ranged from the minimum of $7,143,639.97 for the month of January to the maximum of $18,112,073.51 for the

month of April.

Members of the House ways and means committee and other leaders in Congress are casting covetous eyes on the 8,000,000 or more motor vehicles in the United States as a source of addi-

tional government revenue.

If the automotive industry can produce approximately $150,000,000 in a single year from manufacturers’ taxes on new machines alone, they believe that some sort of a federal tax on all machines might produce at least $250,-

000,000.

Congressman Good, of Iowa, chairman of the House appropriations committee, advocates a federal horsepow-

er tax.

As Ohio ranks at the top among the state in the number of motor vehicles within its borders, it would contribute a large share of the total receipts from such a tax.

CARDINAL GIBBONS’ LAST MESSAGE TO CLERGY

Columbus, Ohio—One of the last efforts of the late Cardinal Gibbons was a message to the clergy urging hearty support to the government in its campaign for thrift education. The Ohio War Savings Committee has just issued the appeal which the late Cardinal wrote just prior to his death. Concerning the War Savings movement Cardinal Gibbons said: “By continuing the sale of War Savings Stamps the government has offered to every man, woman and child an opportunity for the display of practical peace time citizenship by becoming an investor in the securities of his country. It also offers to each an opportunity for self improvement by giving a chance to save small amounts regularly and systematically and invest them wisely. I urge all the clergy to promote this campaign by every- means in their power. I urge our good people to give it their heartiest support. I shall follow with profound interest, the result of this moevment for much of the future of our beloved country will depend upon

the outcome.”

The Ohio War Savings Committee has announced that the sales of government savings securities for the first three months of this year have been larger than for the same period of time last year. Securities in denominations of $1, $5 and $100 now are being sold at all postoffices.

The city council has scrapped the petition asking for an election on the commission form of government and has called an election to be held Wednesday, June 1, to decide whether or not the city shall change to a manager-commission plan of operation. If we properly sense the sentiment of the laboring population of the city of Muncie, they are opposed to both plans but are especially active in their opposition to the socalled manager system. V . Labor has good reason for being suspicious of the intent of those who fostered the move to revolutionize the present system of government in the city of Muncie. The Muncie Star is the chief spokesman in behalf of this new and strange plan of operation and labor in Muncie long ago learned the costly lesson that any political plan backed by that corporation controlled newspaper had for its purpose an intent to soften the downy couch of ease for men of wealth and to add to the weight of the heavy cross that is borne by labor. The men who came together so “spontaneously” to place the machinery in motion for his innovation are, practically without exception, men who think the earth and fulness thereof was created for big manufacturers, bankers and capitalists. There was not a man present at the first meeting of these patriots who is employed at any sort of manual labor. When the campaign sprang into being there was not a man or woman consulted who work with their hands. The theory was, and is, that labor must take what is handed out to it by the self ordained masters of the universe and thank the omnipotent one that it has a beneficent group of highbrows to do its thinking for it. 1 But labor has no reason to be discouraged in Muncie. The commercial club has long cast covetous eyes in the direction of the city hall. This city manager monstrosity is its last desperate effort to grasp the reans of government. Four years ago the big interests picked out as their candidate for mayor one of their number. Labor sprang to the defense and he was defeated two to one. If labor stands to its guns it can, and will, defeat the plan of the commercial club to transfer the seat of city government from the city council to that holy of holies, the inner temple of the chamber of commerce at the corner of Main and Jefferson streets. From all indications the so called citizens committee which is trying to ram a non-resident “manager” down the throats of a protesting people, will have unlimited funds at their command. Those opposing their undemocratic proposal have little money, as compared with the collossal holdings of the men heading the manager movement, but they have the sentiment^ and the grit. Sentiment and grip licked Germany and it will put the final wallop to the solar plexus of the manager monstrosity, unless we are mightily mistaken. The men and women of Muncie w}io oppose the manager plan should not lose heart when they see the elaborate campaign, Staged by its proponents, get under way in Muncie. { & Speakers will be brought here from distant cities to bellow their brass lunged and paid-for platitudes at the people of Muncie and much newspaper space, paid for at so much an inch, will be devoted to preachments in behalf of the manager plan. Money will be spent like water by the selfish group who hope to drive the laboring men of Muncie with a bull whip. f The men and women of Muncie wK> work for wages are in the majority, ten to one. If they so elect they may take th° bull by the horns themselves and utterly conlound the plans oi those whb'thffnK the laoofirig men'and women should stay at home and let their bosses do their voting for them. They have two chances to spoil the little game that the commercial club crowd has cooked up for them. If the manage plan should happen to carry in the June election, the people will still have another opportunity in the November election to elect a commission composed of laboring men and women and those who are in sympathy with labor. If we are finally forced into the manager plan, let us by all means give these people who forced the issue a real belly full of management. In most of the cities of the United States where the plan is in operation, the chamber of commerce controls the manager and the big interests get everything they want, in or out of reason. That does not necessarily imply, however, that it would be impossible to secure a manager who would refuse to take orders from the high priests of p ivilege. By electing the right kind of a commission it would be possible to secure a ma i who would work for the public service rather than the private interests of a privileged few. But of course, the first thing to do is to knock the entire plan into one of Woodrow Wilson’s celebrated “cocked hats” and it can be done if those who are against it will take the trouble to go to the polls on election day. In case the election fail, and a primary is called, both parties should see to it that men favorable to the wage earner are selected as candidates. Nothing should be overlooked if the liberties of the people are to be preserved.

Low Down Conspiracy To Force Jesse Ward To Resign From His Job As School Principal

COLD STORAGE PLAN One of the dirtiest conspiracies that TO BRING LONG LIFE has come to our notice recently is the

studied and flagrant attempt to force Jesse Ward to resign as principal of

Paris—M. Gaston Danville, a French biologist, declares, as the outcome of his experiments, that by a freezingprocess somewhat similar to that used in conserving fish, the span of human life can be indefinitely extended. He points out that, by renewing the vital substance on which human life depends, and then subjecting the living body to his special freezing process, it may be possible to eclipse the longevity record of Methuselah, chemical treatment preventing the tissues from degenerating with the passage of

years.

MOUNTAINEER AT 93

London—Mrs. Mary Davies, Llangollen’s oldest inhabitant, is 93, yet she constantly crosses the mountain range between Glyn Valley and her home, negotiating the most dangerous ascents without difficulty. She refuses to travel by train as she is “afraid of engines.”

Farmers Charge

Discrimination

Resolution Adopted Asking Congress to Learn What is Wrong With Agriculture

GOING BACK TO DEAR OLD NORMALCY. The Muncie Associated Building Contractors, at a meeting held Monday night, declared that all union workmen employed in the various building trades must agree to accept a reduction in wages from twenty to twenty-five percent, or thereabouts. About the first thing that sually happens when a republican administration takes charge at Washington, is the enactment of a protective tariff act to protect workmen and guarantee them living wages, etc., etc. And then, as soon as the good old dependable tariff.is tinkered up to suit all the grafters in America, the next act is staged, namely a reduction in the wages of the dearly beloved laboring man in whose interest the dear old tariff bill is passed. Shoes are still twelve dollars a pair in Muncie, water rates have advanced and taxes are doubled, but in order to make things hum in advanced and taxes are doubled, but inor der to make things hum in Mhncie, and in order that everybody may be satisfied, wages must come down.

I’ts a shame the way laboring men have been imposing upon the 4 poor railroads, banks and public service corporations!

To Bring City and Farm Into

Close Relationship

Cleveland, O., April 21—Steps towards bringing the farmer and the city dweller into closer relationship are to have a conspicuous place on the program of the International Kiwanis Club Convention to be. held in Cleve-

land June 21-24.

Realizing the necessity of creating a feeling of real co-operation and sympathetic understanding between

the townsmen and the countrymen, in order that one may better appreciate the other, the public affairs committee of the international organization will urge adoption of constructive measures at the Cleveland convention. Fully 8,000 delegates and visitors, from clubs in 500 towns in the United States and Canada are expected at the big June gathering of Kiwanians, according to Harry H. Hoard, presi-

dent of the Cleveland Club.

“Those in our big cities have gone along, year after year, without a thought for the agriculturist,” said O. Samuel Cummings, of Chicago, international secretary. “We of the cities have not worried over the farmer’s troubles and he hasn’t particularly worried over the townsman’s troubles. We must get closer together; we must study the other fellow’s situation and we must try to arrive at a sympathet-

ic and mutual understanding.”

The public affairs committee, of which Harry E. Karr, of Baltimore is chairman, has been at work for a year on measures along this line. Chairman Karr hopes the Kiwanis or-

professional men in practically every city in the country—may be able to take the lead in the movement to aid the farmers. Although the convention is two months in the future, already 1,000 reservations for rooms have been made, according to Dean Clark, assistant international secretary, who has opened headquarters here for the convention. Clubs- in various parts of the country will run special trains to the convention.

URGES TEAMWORK OF BUREAUS AND AGENTS

Mid-West Group Farm Officials in Session Hear Views of Leaders Indianapolis—Closer co-operation

between country agents and county farm bureaus was urged by M. L. Mosher of Eureka, 111., and C. L. Brody of Michigan, in addresses at the conference of presidents and secretaries of Mid-West State Farm Bureaus at the Hotel Severin here. Mr. Mosher is president of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents, and Mr. Brody is secretary of the Michigan Farm Bureau Federa-

tion.

“The farmers’ organization of the county can assist the county agent in providing local finances for his work and by enabling him to work with groups rather than individuals,” said Mr. Mosher. He said that in a number of cases the county agent has been the principal organizer of the county farm bureau and that is a much closer relationship should exist between

the two.

Stock and Crops Main Issues “At present,” he continued, ‘a

county agent is required to know something about the business of farming as well as the technical side. The big job of the county agents and the

to establish a permanent system of crop and live stock production.” He urged frequent conferences of the county agents with officers of the farm bureaus. “The county agent is a semi-public officer,” said Mr. Brody, “and personally I fell that it will be best for him to retain this status so that his activities will not be limited to the production side of agriculture.” He then cited instances of county agents advancing the interests of agriculture in their communities by taking a part in commercial activities and said that at the present time it is difficult to interest farmers by solely talking about farm production. He said the proper relations and co-operation between county agents and the farm bureau is of the highest importance to agriculture.

Washington, April 21—Congress was urged in a resolution adopted yesterday by the National Farmers’ Union, in convention here, to appoint a joint commission to determine “what is wrong with agriculture” and to enact legislation “to correct the discovered and .established evils.” “The farmers have been branded as profiteers,” the resolution said, “and , have been accused of taking threaten- i ing measures which would result in a | dangerous diminished quantity of available products.” m the offigF'hafid'Tt rs'ffiarged that 1 the farmei’s have been discriminated against in matters of credit and transportation and that they had been forced to sell their products below | the cosjt of production while residents 1 of the city had been compelled to pay “five or six times for their food the 1 amount which the producers obtained.” Secretary of Agriculture Wallace urged the various farm organizations to take constructive steps to build up an organization to adequately protect and promote agriculture. , Members of the farmers’ union were said to have $30,000,000 invested i in co-operative organizations which did a turnover in business volume | last year of over $600,000,000. j

Jesse

the Muncie high school. Some time ago it was announced here in the daliy newspapers that Mr. Ward had tendered his resignation to the school board. This statement was followed the next day by the observation that Mr. Ward had not YET resigned but it was understood that he would do so. He was complimented highly for his efficient work and the hope was politely expressed that he would not think of quitting before the end of the present school year. The whole thing was simply a lie, as black as Hades. Mr. Ward has not resigned. The superintendent, McGibbons. wants him to, and has exerted himself to the utmost to make him quit, but he has not done

so.

The polite well wishers who are so terribly distressed for fear Mr. Ward will get mad and quit before the end of the term, have handed him his hat, figuratively speaking, and asked him “what’s the hurry?” About a month ago, according to Mr. Ward, he was asked by the superintendent if it was a fact that he was going to resign. The superintendent stated that he had been informed that Ward was to quit. Mr. Ward told him that he had never declared that he was going to quit and that he had no intention of resigning. To this the superintendent responded, Mr. Ward says, by making the statement that he might as well resign, because he, the superintendent, would not recommend him for reappointment. No sufficient reasons have been assigned for asking Mr. Ward to surrender his post as principal of the schools. As far as the Post-Democrat can learn, the superintendent wants to get rid of him on account of his popularitv with the pupils and patrons of the school. There is not a better school man in Indiana than Jesse Ward. He has taught mhny years iri Mimcie' and it will require more than the word of a pedagogue imported from the tank town of Columbus, Ind., to secure his removal. The high school pupils are one hundred per cent for Jesse Ward. If you don’t believe it, ask any of them you meet and ask them why an underhand attempt is being made to oust him from the schools. It is said that two members of the school board have indicated that they will follow the recommendation of the superintendent. The other member is strong for Ward. It is the duty of Mr. Ward to refuse to resign, and it is the duty of the citizens of Munce to warble a few words in the left hind ear of the

* school board members who favor the LAUDER. SCOTCH COMEDIAN j conspiracy to drive a reql school FINDS AMERICAN OASES j teacher off the school force.

The school board would suit the.

London—Harry Lauder returned to England recently after a four years’ tour of the British Empire and America. He was asked if he got a drink in America. “Yes,” he said “there’s no use telling lies.” And, he added, perhaps typically, “But you don’t enjoy it when you have to pay too much for it, you know. Fancy, $25 for a

bottle of Scotch!”

FOOD COST REDUCTION Boston—Westfield school authorities have discovered that children are given lumps of sugar soaked in ether to quiet the pangs of hunger by parents who find the cost of living too high to feed them well. The State health authorities have taken the matter up.

majority of the people of Muncie if they would fire McGibbons and make Ward superintendent.

WOMEN AUCTIONEERS London—For the first time in the history of the Auctioneers’ and Estate Agents’ Institution women candidates are sitting for the intermediate examination for auctioneers.

FAILING AT 102 Winnipeg—The Rev. Damase Dandurand, dean of the Obiate Fathers, and said to be the oldest Catholic priest in the world, has just celebrated his 102nd birthday. It is the first time he has been unable to read mass on his birthday.

FORMS BELIEVERS’ UNION London—John Fafren, of Birmingham, described as a “local preacher,” left his entire estate of over $35,000 to form what is to be called “The Believers’ Union.” “Brethren, put your hand to this work, and may the Lord give guidance and wisdom richly in this matter,’ - he says.

AUSTRALIAN WOMEN M. P. Melbourne—The West Austrialian elections resulted in Labor obtaining 18 votes, the Country party 17, and the Nationalists 15. The first woman to be elected to Parliament was Mrs. Cowan, who defeated Attorney-Gen-eral Draper.

LASHES FOR CRIMINALS New York—Automobiles, movies and banks which do not examine the characters of men they employ are all responsible for the increase in crime, according to William A. Pinkerton. The only way to curb crime, he says, is to bring back the whipping post and rod, as a criminal fears twenty lashes mox*e than twenty ; years. A RARE BIRD Boston—A landlord of Lynn with a “heart of gold” who had ‘not raised rents for five vears, although others all about him had raised them again and again, was presented with a purse of gold by the fourteen families who are his tenants. The occasion was the celebration of the golden wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Dana B. Durgin.

^ ganization—composed of business and , American Farm Bureau Federation is

THE ZEBRA GLOVE Paris—Six new styles of gloves have appeared in Paris this spring. One “The Zebra,” a stout gauntlet of alternate gray and black stripes of leather.

LOOKING AFTER NEEDY POLITICIANS

William Greenwalt, of Muncie, a member of the county council, which is frequently called upon to make appropriations for‘the county infirmary, was thrown out of work at a local factory on account of the Harding panic, but he was looked after by the accommodating poor farm boss, Billy Williams. For two months last winter the wife of the county councilman was placed on the monthly payroll, drawing wages for some service or other performed at the infirmary, and it is said that Greenwalt himself stayed at the infirmary during the time but his name does not appear on the payrdll. Lee Baird, another member of the conty council who was recently elected county superintendent of schools after Williams had whipped the township trustees into line for him, resigned last week and another of Billy’s close neighbors, a Selma man, was named in his place. Is there anything strange about the fact that the republican boss gets about everything he goes after ? The joke is on the repblican pai'ty of Delaware county. Unless the republicans wake up and get rid of this sinister influence they will wake up some fine morning and find their party in decidedly bad odor. As long as the republicans stand for that kind of work they will collectively be held responsible for the acts of the selfish politicians now in control of the party machinery.