Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 13 May 1921 — Page 1

THE ONLY DEMOCRATIC NEWSPAPER IN DELAWARE COUNTY

I

VOL. 1. NUMBER 18

THE MUNCIE POST-DEMOCRAT, FRIDAY, MAY 13, 1921

SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $2.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE

City Manager Campaign Is Now On And The Legions Are Firing The Heavy Guns

cr Well, comrades, the battle is on. The legions are assembling, outposts are being stormed and taken, sharp skirmishing is reported in all sectors and prospects of a general engagement with casualties galore are exceptionally good. We refer, of course, to the battle between the city manager crowd ana those who believe the commissionmanger form of government spells the end of democracy and the beginning of empire. The lineup in this campaing is somewhat queer. Within the ranks of each side, fraternizing in a common cause, are found democrats, republicans, Bull Moosers, wets, dr^, laboring men and bankers. Those favoring the commissionmanager form of government declare with great positiveness that in case success crowns their efforts, the bright and happy dawn of a new day will have arrived in Muncie. They say that in case the election carries it will spell the end of the politicians in our fair city, and confidentially it looks like they might be right about this for practically all the politicians of all parties have lined up in opposition to the plan. If, with the combined efforts of all the experienced political workers in Muncie, the opposition fails to secure a majority of the votes the prophets who say that it will put them out of business for keeps know what they are talking about. If the politicians are licked it w’/. mean that another set of politicians have merely stepped in to take their place. The Post-Democrat does not believe that a commission-manager from of government here or any other place will change the nature of the men who perform the functions of government. Summed up the two parties have the following to say for the commis-sion-manager plan: Those favoring it say “takes everything out of politics.” That it simplifies government. That it gets things done promptly with'vrtIts opponents declare it breeds rotten politics. That it increases taxes and deprives citizens of the ballot. ..That the monied interests of Muncie afe behind it to enslave labor. Neither side is wholly right, or wholly‘wrong. Some of the best and some of the worst people in iVIuncie are found on each side of the proposition. The first gun of the campaign was fired Tuesday night when Clarence B. Green of Dayton, favoring city man-, agement, and John J. Hoover of the same city, opposing, held a joint debate in the court room. The debate was characterized by unfair rulings by the chair, Mrs. Gill, and uhgentlemanly statements by Green, who is a professional city manager promoter, going all over the country and working in the cause for the money that is to be derived from it. The Star unfairly stated that Mr. Green won the debate. In fact there was no decision, but if applause counted for anything, those opposing the city manager plan were considerably in the majority.

2,000 COLUMNS FREE ADS Manufacturers Appeal for Dues on Showing Made in the Daily Papers Officers of the National Association' of Manufacturers are growing alarmed at the reluctance with which members are paying their dues and earnest efforts are being made to show the errant ones the folly of delinquency, says the American Federationist. The dues are $50 per year. Among the inducements to pay up and help along the work is an exhibit of 2,000 newspaper columns of reading matter, consisting of editorial comment and news stories reflecting the viewpoint of the Natioanl Association of Manufacturers on labor questions. ' The chairman of the membership committee writes that if this material has been paid for at advertising rates it would have cost many millions of dollars. The boast of the association is that it has been able to get this advertising opposing labor in the capitalistic press without paying for it.

BELGIAN QUEEN TAUGHT COULON’S “LIFT” TRICK Paris—Elizabeth. Queen of the Belgians, has been gifted with some occult power by Johnny Coulon, the “lift ing” expert who gave an exhibition to the royal family. Following his exhibition the Queen suggested that Johnny teach her the trick. He did so. Subsequently King Albert tried to lift the Queen from the floor, but his efforts were in vain.

MORAN IS DIPLOMATIC New York—Frank Moran still is immensely popular in England, although he has done no fighting since he flattened Joe Beckett in two rounds last winter. Frank made a big hit with the boxing critics by praising the English heavies instead of knocking them. He refers to all his opponents and prospective opponents as “nice boys” and his diplomacy has won him many friends. Moran is going to challenge the winner of the DempseyCarpentier bout.

♦{♦ «j* «$♦ *J» «$♦ *%* <{»»}» ♦JmJ* *i* ♦}• I MUNCIE BRIEFS | ❖ ♦> *J« ‘J* ‘J* •$« »$• ‘J* »J» »$• «$* **« ,J« »*« ‘*4 **4 4*4 4*4 4*4 Reading the Muncie building code is an exciting occupation. It contains about four hundred pages and when you get started to reading you can't stop. We read a lot of it the other day. The last lap is devoted to the plumbers, or rather sanitary engineers. They call them that now. They used to be road agents. One rvN quirement that has to be lived up to impressed us greatly. Beer pumps must get their air from a pipe extending out of doors. By all means, brother, see that your beer pump has an outdoor air shaft. The building inspector is hereby instructed to inspect all the beer pumps in Muncie to see that they are getting outdoor air. We refuse to drink beer that is pumped by air that has. been Cooped up in a close room. Give us air, and likewise give us beer, ere we turn and rend the constitution into ribbons.

Let’s see. If we remember right all the newspapers, including our local daily uplifters, had a great deal to say before the election about the unrest which prevailed all over the country. Since the election they have all quit talking about the unrest. The days of unrest are over, brother, and nearly everybody is resting.

One of the head uplifters connected with the city manager movement proposed this week to one of the leaders of the opposition that both sides agree to cut out all reference to “capital and labor” in the campaign that is now on. That would be something like playing Uncle Tom’s cabin without Marks and Little Eva. Since the brother has attracted notice to the city manager sore toe, let’s all try to tramp on it at once.

The republic county commissioners have made a fine record, I don’t think. J&ay -started in qh_-January -L r lQl^ r with about $175,000 in the county operating fund and on May day, 1921, just three years and four month later, they had spent every dam cent of it and three thousand dollars besides. Efficiency and Economy, what crimes are committed in thy name! Did it ever occur to you that it is not necessary for a real American to stand on the housetops waving a flag in order to establish his patriotism and love of country? The mayor of Elwood came in for considerable criticism this week because he told Oswald Ryan, of Anderson, chairman of the Americanization day exercises here, that he believed the people had a right to overthrow our present form of government by the ballot. Right here in Muncie the commercial club crowd is trying to overthrow our present form of government in the city of Muncie by the ballot. If the socialist mayor of Elwood is unpatriotic in his desire to overthrow the national form of government by the ballot, then he is not alone in his unpatriotism. This is a democracy, and the people have a right to say, by their votes, what kind of a government they shall have. It is time for professional patrioteers to quit seeing ghosts and act sensibly.

Speaking of unrest. Governor McGray in his speech here Monday night declared that the “wave of unrest” which has afflicted the people is a dangerous indication of a possible spread of bolshevism. There are thousands of men out of work in Muncie. In many instances their families are deprived of the very necessities of life. Hundreds of poor devils right here in Muncie have a feeling of unrest in the pit of the stomach, caused by lack of food. Can a hungry people remain content and suffer their tribulations to be soothed by orators who are possessed of plenty and who seemingly fail to realize the woe and misery incidental to poverty? If some of the pious frauds who profess to be following the Master would read the New Testament instead of Harding’s inauguration speech, they v/ould find that the crucified Son of God spent His entire life with the humblest of earth’s creatures. It was not the common people whom He feared-^-it was the whited sepulcher who nrayed from the housetops. We are living now in an age of hypocrisy and deceit never equalled in the to one—to whom, therefore, is deleworld’s history. The “common people” are in the majority, one hundred gated the authority to do their thinking for them, and regulate for them their mode of living?

LIVING COST UP 10,000 P. C. Paris—The cost of living in Hungary is now forty-six times greater than before the war. The largest increase is in clothing prices, which are 1.0,000 per cent higher than in 1914. Rent has remained almost stationary. Wages have increased 2,100 per cent. MUST HAVE WOMEN Chicago—Grand juries for which women have not been impaneled cannot return legal indictments, according to the contention of James C. O’Brien and John Owen, both former 1 assistant State’s attorneys of Chicago.

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Jonas and Sherm Basted the Treasury In the county election held in November, 191G, Jonas Shoemaker and the late John Retherford, republicans, were elected county comnJssioners. On the first day of January, 1917, Shoemaker took office. On January i, 1918, Mr. Retherford took his place on the county body. In November, 1918, Shoemaker was elected for another term and along with him Sherm Shroyer of Liberty township. Shroyer took office on January 1, 1919 and for the first time in a long period the county commissioners’ court was solidly republican, the democrats having been in control for over six years. After a long period of honorable service, in which the affairs of Delaware county had been looked after in an honest, business like way, the democrats were forced to step aside and turn the ship of state over to republican management. On New Years day, in the year 1919, when the solid republican board of commissioners met for the first time, they found thenrselves at the head of a going concern. Delaware county was in firstclass condition, financially and otherwise. On that date the county revenu in the county treasury amounted to exactly $207,696.10. The democrats had served the people wisely and well and-there was the money in the bank to show it. The county revenue is the sum set apart to pay the running expense of the county—salaries, upkeep of public institutions and all incidental expense. On January 1, 1920, after the Shoemaker-Shroyer combine had been in the saddle for one year, the county revenue in the county treasury had dwindled from $207,696.10 to $148,410.63, a total loss for the year of $59, 185.47. On January 1, 1921, there remained in the county revenue the sum of $77,946.19. The amount on hands a year previous had dwindled $70,464.44. On February 1, 1921, the diminishing process still going strong, there was but $63,103.30 in the treasury. On March 1 a month later, the sum had dwindled to $48,-* 530.16. The clerical force at the auditor’s office have not yet completed the monthly balance sheets for April but when the figures are entered on the record it will be shown that THE BALANCE IN THE TREASURE HAS BEEN ENTIRELY WIPED OUT AND THAT TO PAY CURRENT EXPENSES IT BECAME NECESSARY TO AUTHORIZE AN OVERDRAFT OF SOMETHING LIKE THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS! In other words it had taken Commissioners Shoemaker and Shroyer just two years and four months to reduce the county from affluence to postive bankruptcy! In justice to the late John Retherford, who served during most of that period on the board, it may be said that the state of his health prevented him from actively participating in the county’s business the greater portion of his time. If he had been physically fit during that period it is believed that the disgraceful disaster to the county’s finances would have been partially averted, at least. Thus we have the example of a perfectly solvent business institution, Delaware county, being placed in the hands of incompetents, who spent the people’s money in a criminally reckless manner, without t Jought or fear of consequences. It must be remembered also that it was spent during the two years and four months. The treasury during that period had been replenished by four different tax distributions, two in 1919 and two in 1920. It was a care, however, of trying to fill a barrel which not only had the bung hole open, but the bottom knocked out by t: lly Williams and his conscienceless gang of political freebooters. ^ rl ' *' The fig'ureFgiven In this article were taken from The records in the county auditor’s office. Any tax payer has a perfect right to take a look at the records. They are public property. Unfortunately for Billy Williams and Commissioners’ Shoemaker and Shroyer the law provides that records be made of county expenditures—records which provide an indeliable index to the character and capabilities of the officials to whom the tax payers entrust their business. If Billy and Sherm and Jonas had their way about it they would no doubt inaugurate a new system, something like that in use at Monte Carlo, where no books are kept and mum’s the word. In the light of what happened to the county bank roll during the past three years, what may reasonably be expected if these men are permitted to remain in office for three years longer? The Fost-Democrat has from time to time called attention to the way the county commissioners allow claims presented by their boss, Billy Williams. Last week we told how the expense of maintenance at the infirmary increased year by year under Williams’ management and how the receipts from the poor farm kept diminishing each year until last year they reached the vanishing point. We have shown how members of Williams’ family are taken care of out of the county money and how even a member of the county council took his share of the swag. It has been shown how a son-in-law of Commissioner Shoemaker drew over eight hundred dollars during the past year for keeping the infirmary tractor in running order and how a Selma concern managed by Commissioner Shroyhr’s son has/ been made the beneficiary of county patronage. ' * The state board of accounts has made public its estimate of the county commissioners and their way pf doing business. Mr. Tax payer, how do you feel about it, anyway? Do you want such people as Shoemaker and Shroyer to look after your business any longer? In what shape will Delaware county be in three years from now if they are not removed from office? They have not only demonstrated their unfitness in a business way to conduct the business of the county, but they are also subjected to the suspicion which always attaches to servile officials who take orders from an unscrupulous political boss. Having helped, through the aid of numerous relatives and henchmen who have been paid large salaries out of the county funds, to disipate the entire reserve fund in the county revenue, and leave the fund three thousand dollars in debt, Billy’s aunt joke ought to be highly appreciated by the "ictirns who furnished the money.

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TWO COLLEGE WOMEN TO HIKE SIX YEARS

Baltimore—A hike that will take them around the world will be the aim of Miss Myrtle King, a Curtis College graduate and Dr. Emma Curtis Tucker, a former teacher in the college. The wardrobe of the hikers includes heavy army breeches, shoes and woolen shirts and thick wollen stockings. They carry a camping outfit, and each carries a revolver. They plan to earn enough money as they go to pay their way. The hike will take between five and six years.

DEAD HEROS WRITE A UNIQUE BOOK OF WAR

Paris—The sti'angest war book yet published is about to make its appearance in France. It was written by scores of men, not one of whom is now alive. The idea was conceived by the Union of French Fathers and Mothers an organization of parents who lost sons in the war. Tho the book is composed entirely of letters written from the front, published in chronological order and reciting episodes of the big battles. It concludes with two letters written by young Frenchman who were killed the day the armistice was signed.

TEARS AT MULE’S GRAVE

McDonald, Miss.—Thirty-one years ago during the administration of President Benjamin Harrison “Old Pete” a faithful mule was born. He is dead and on the farm where he first saw light, without change of owner, O. M. Hitt. The five sons of the latter were taught to go up and down the furrow behind “Old Pete” and when the animal was buried three of the young men, now married, with families, stood around the grave and shed tears.

WOMEN ADMIRE BLUEBEARD, WANT TO MARRY HIM Paris—Perhaps the strangest development in the quaint story of Landru, the alleged “Bluebeard” charged with murdering eleven fiances, is that he has recently received proposals of marriage from women who have never seen him. Landru’s hunger strike has been shortlived. He refused food when he was informed he would be transferred to another prison. But the authorities have now allowed him to remain in the same prison. Landi’U is undoubtedly ill. He sleeps most of the time and eats very little. He is weak when he walks and declares his one wish is for the day of his trial to arrive.

PENNSY REDUCES ITS ANNUAL DIVVY

Wall Street was shocked this week when the official announcement came that the Pennsylvania Railroad company had cut annual dividends to a 4 per cent basis. This is the first time in 21 years that the company has paid annual dividends below 6 per cent. Shares broke sharply and fell to a low 33% on the New York Stock Exchange. Profits that should have gone to the legitimate stockholders went to the Baldwin Locomotive Works, as shown in the recent Interstate Commerce Commission investigation at Philadelphia. President Rea and Vice President Atterbury will perhaps find it as difficult to su.|.ain their policy before those who have invested savings in their road as they did at the I. C. C. hearings.

HAS EIGHTEENTH CHILD Ironwood, Mich.—When a physician went to the home of John Mattson he found him pondering over a name for the eighteenth baby in the family, a girl. Fifteen of the children are alive. The mother is 44 and the father 46.

Starvation Marks Open Shop Course; Children Victims

Unemployed Compelled to Sit and Watch Their Families Sucumb to Privation Employers of Connecticut have more than realized their ambition to make the workers “eat out of their hands.” They have brought thousands of people to a state of actual destitution. Perhaps similar situations exist elsewhere, but there are no enterprising reporters present to record these epics of human misery {>id suffering. The New York Herald has been investigating conditions in. manufacturing districts contiguous to the metropolis and recites a heart-breaking story of abject privation and want. It finds in Stratford, where 8,000 workers have been idle since last fall, “a condition of poverty amon.g her populace without parallel in tne industrial history of New England.” Women and children are starving and emergency charity organizations have been formed to give relief before many of them succumb. It was not realized that conditions were so bad until five children fainted on day in a public school. School officials made an investigation and found that they had been without food for days, and that hundreds of other children were undernourished. More than half of the pupils in public schools have since been fed at the beginning of the daily sessions. Workers Watch Families Starve The workers, the Herald reports, are industrious and thrifty and saved money during the war, but the protracted period of idleness has exhaustsitting and watching their families ed their resources “and they are now slowly starve to death.” Families of five subsist on a bottle of milk and a loaf of bread per day. Many families alternate in eating meals, those who have breakfast fast until supper time, and those who eat? luncheon must get along until breakfast next morning. The charity appropriation of Stratford was exhausted before winter was half over and it is necessary to make appeals to humane citizens if scores of children and infirm adults are to be saved. A survey of the Waterbury schoVs disclosed that more than l,00u children are in a dangerous state of undernrnmMvment. The Red Cress--ttoct-opened food stations in several schools and has been distributing 700 quarts of milk a day to children. Charity Workers Swamped Fifteen hundred persons have been registered as unemployed in the Municipal employment office at New Britain. An almost impossible task has been imposed on the city charity department. Many applicants for aid have been found to be without food or adequate clothing. Miss Elizabeth Boswell, secretary of organized charities ht Meriden, says that in scores of homes small children have lived since Christmas on bread and coffee. Little children crying for food, their parents and older brothers and sisters unemployed and hungry, is the pathetic problem that charity workers in New Haven, Danbury, and industrial towns are endeavoring to meet to the best of their ability.

SLIDE OF OLD H. C. L. HAS STRUCK SNAG;RETAILER GETTING HIS’ AS USUAL

Somebody has sandeu the incline of which II. C. L. was scheduled to slide gracefully back to normalcy. The actual facts are not up to the advance notices, the Federal Reserve Board reports in its April review of general business conditions. Wholesale prices have dropped, sometimes precipitately, it is stated, but the downward tendency has been arrested, April having held firmly. The next move is expected to be upward. But the retailer remains unrepentant and unreformed. He is taking “his” as per usual, the Reserve Board declai'es, and cites classic illustrations of gourging. Raw cotton is lower than the 1913 level, but cotton good are at least 20 per cent higher. ’Wool is about a third higher than before the war, while woolen goods is twice as high as the pre-war level. The shoe dealer, however, continues king of the profiteers. Wit}» th_ price of skins one-third under the 1913 prices, the price of shoes is more than double the 1913 quotations.

MUNCIE WATERWORKS COMPANY COMPELLED TO COME THROUGH WITH REDUCTION IN RATE

Through the persistent efforts of City Attorney John McPhee the local waterworks company was forced last week by the public service commission to change its rates in accordanca with the original agreement made with the city. Instead of charging a meter rent of nine dollars a year, the company must be satisfied with five dollars. Now that the price of water has been established in Muncie, something might be done in the way of getting pure water, instead of filtered White River sewage. The American Waterworks company, with office at 51 Broadway, New York, is a tremendous corporation, doing business in twenty-seven states and capitalized at hundreds of millions. It should not be allowed to plead poverty when Muncie asks it to do the square .thing. system. Whether we are to have a city commission or keep on plugging away with a mayor as before, the Post-Democrat favors men in office who will pledge themselves in favor of municipal ownership.

BANG, IN THE MOUTH

London—An explosion of ether vapor in a man’s mouth, with reports like pistol shots, was described to the Royal Society of Medicine by Dr. W. J. McCardle. While giving ether to a patient through the nose. Dr. McCardle introduced an electric laryngoscope to illuminate the throat. Immediately two or three reports like small pistol shots were heard and flames five and six inches long issued from the mouth. There was no obvious burning of the mouth, and the operation was completed with chloroform, which is not inflammable.

FARMERS HAVE A KICK COMING It is high time that a new county manager be selected for Delaware county. William H. Williams Jr., is now serving in the quadruple capacity of boss of the county republican organization, superintendent of the county infirmary, master of the commissioners’ court and county manager. Unfortunately there is no “commission of five” on hands to check up on the didoes of the above mentioned William. The Farmers Federation, a body of men composed of representative farmers of Delaware county, having watched the performances of Williams’ trained commissioners from afar for some time, took a hand in the game last week and sent a committee of its members to wait on the commissioners, then in session, to expostulate with them for their past extravagances and their contemplated r^ids on the county treasury. Never before in the history of Delaware county has a board of commissioners been thus publicly branded as unfit and unable to transact the business of the county with safety. Commissioners Shroyer a,nd Shoemaker should instantly resign from office. If they serve out the three years they have before them, God help the tax payers of Delaware county. The Post-Democrat is the only newspaper in the county that dares to expose the incredible performances of these official misfits. This newspaper is not doing it because' of the fact that these men are republicans. If there are any democrats in Muncie or Delaware county who attempt to pull off the kind of stuff that gets over continually in the county commissioners’ court, we will take their hides off with the greatest pleasure. The Star and Press are both republican newspapers and that must be the only reason that they are keeping silent in the face of a scandal which will finally reach such proportions that the men who are squandering the county’s money will be brought to book for it. The Post-Democrat first called attention here to the crookedness of Alpha Holaday. After the government had got after Holaday and indicted him, the two great daily truth tellers printed columns and columns about him. Apparently they had just discovered that Alpha was doing business in our beautiful little city, notwithstanding the fact that hd had been bleeding the working people of Muncie on his crazy Ponzi bubble for a year and a half. Later on, when the misdoings of Billy Williams and his henchmen, Shroyer and Shoemaker, become matters of court record, these newspapers will find out what has been going 1 on. If they were really friends of the people, as they claim to be, they would expose wrong doing in republicans as well as democrats. They never overlook an opportunity to find fault with democratic officials and to aid in their prosecution on far fetched charges, but according to their creed all republicans are saints with spotless robes. The best way to save the horse is to lock the door before the thief gets him. Delaware county has permitted the stable door to remain open too long. Instead of merely expostulating with the commissioners, the Farmers Federation should demand their instant resignaiton. Shroyer and Shoemaker are not qualified, in a business way, to run a junk wagon, much less to be placed at the head of a one hundred million corportion like Delaware county.

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