Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 20 May 1921 — Page 1

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THE ONLY DEMOCRATIC NEWSPAPER IN DELAWARE COUNTY THE MUNCIE POST-DEMOCRAT

VOL. 1. NUMBER 19

THE MUNCIE POST-DEMOCRAT,

FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1921

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Bugaboos Put Up By Both Sides Of Manager Question Do Not Freighten The Voters

With the election on the city manager question only a little over two weeks off, interest in the question has begun to pick up. It has been hard for either side to enthuse the mass of voters. Most of them seem to be indifferent, despite the efforts of the workers and speakers on both sides to stir up enthusiasm. As was predicted in these columns when the question first came up, the Star is supporting the manager idea and the Press is sitting on the fence, posing, as a sort of a 'judicial institu-

tion.

The Post-Democrat has announced before that it is opposed to the Knapp law, but has not taken the stand that the principle of the commission-man-

Point Out Many Possibilities Of Use Of Wireless Phone

Columbus, Ohio, May 19—Many an amateur poet at Ohio State University has written about the “boundless expanse of blue sky” and now hard headed engineers of the same institution propose to make it possible to send his words to every electrical enthusiast throughout the state, across the same expanse “of blue” by

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ager form or plan of government is ! means of the w i re i ess telephone.

wrong.

We fail to agree with some of the “anti” enthusiasts, that such a plan of government would necessarily take away the rights and privileges of an oppressed and supr-governed community. It would, of course, in case the big monied interests of Muncie should happen to elect a commission they could handle, but it is inconceivable that such a thing should happen in Muncie. Neither is the argument good that the commission-manager system deprives citizens of the^r rights as voters. To tell the plain truth about it, under our present system no voter in the city of Muncie gets to vote for more than five of the thirteen councilmen to be elected. The voter is allowed to vote only for the candidate for councilman in his own ward and for the four candidates for councilman at large. He has no opportunity to assist in the selection of- councilmen in the eight wards, other than . his own, although these councilmen, selected by the voters of their respective wards, all sit as a body to transact business for the en-

tire city.

The election of commissioners is really more democratic, for all the votefs have an opportunity to vote for any five men whose names appear on

the ticket, no_matb^wMeh ,nart : jrf.l

trie eity"They' cTaTniiTas a residence." The argument that in case a city _ manager were brought here he would ’ establish a sort of regal court, wielding the clul? of an autocrat over the heads of the submissive populace and playing hob generally with all of our notions pf democracy, is, in our opin-

ion. rather far fetched.

If a fellow of that kind would light in Muncie he would last about as long as a taller candle across the river Styx. He would be kicked out with very little ceremony, notwithstanding the fact that the Knapp law is painfully weak in the matter of providing methods of dealing with situations of that kind. The law is full of weak spots and in case that Muncie and other cities of Indiana are' to have city managers, it will be up to the citizens to use horse sense until such time as the next legislature meets, when the weak spots may be repaired. It would not be improper, in case a man of the czar or kaiser type should happen to be selected as manager to place him astride a rail and escort him to the city limits with an urgent request that he go herlce and stay hence. The Post-Democrat believes that the citizens would have a perfect right to dispose of an obnoxious pest of that description, in case the city commissioners refused to act. The PostrDemocrat knows of certain officials now filling county offices—we wouldn’t name ’em out for the world, but one of them is called Sherm and the other Jonah—who ought to be got rid of in some manner, but the people have no way of doing it before the next election. Almost any sort of government would be better than the brand of government that emanates from the county commissioners’ court, and it is following an inspection of the abominable squandering of the people’s money by theSc men, that the conclusion is forced on us that the political form of government*as administered by such dishonest and inefficient servants as these is rotten to the core, worse a thousand times than soviet

government of Russia.

Service to the people of Ohio will be the motive behind the operation of the electrical laboratories to be erected with funds recently provided for at the university by legislature appropriations. This wireless station will contain apparatus equal to that, in any university in the United States It will be used for sending wireless communications over Oh}io and for wireless research and development. Also the 'p r °ldems 0 f the telephone and telegraph companies of Ohio will be investigated and solved if

possible.

Although wireless sending apparatus is expensive and difficult to operate, the receiving mechanism is comparatively cheap and can be handled easily. Anyone who has the barest knowledge of electricity can receive messages and listen to news of the university that will be sent out from the station. Also he can “sit in” on lectures, follow a football game play by play and get the latest market reports. • The station will be of especial service to people in the isolated districts and every community or small newspaper with a wireless apparatus will be in contact with the world. If plans mature, news other than that about the university will be sent out. Blizzards or floods may destroy

wireless will always be in operation. In 1913 the flood destroyed all means of communication between Columbus and the outside world excepting thru the wireless telegraph

station at Ohio State.

STEVENSON SCHOOL COMMUNITY CLUB ORGANIZED THIS WEEK

The Stevenson School Community Club has been organized in the southeast pay! of the city. B. B. Morgan is president. The club announces its purposes as follows: “To safeguard and improve the conditions of home ownership, to protect the community against unsafe, unsightly immoral or illegal environments.

CARPENTERS EXPLAIN THEIR POSITION TO THE PEOPLE Editor Muncie Post-Democrat: Dear Sir:—Will you kindly give space in your valued paper to the end that the public may be apprised of some eroneous statements eminating from irresponsible persons and

sources?

The statements referred to were made and given to the public press for the sole and only purpose of misleading and muddling the community hs to the actual state of affairs in the

building industry.

It has been given out through the press and otherwise in all parts of the state that workmen in the various crafts in the building industry has taken reductions in wage, and that complete and amicable settlements has been consumated, when in reality, upon investigation the reports'were found to be utterly false and misleading. The reports were so arranged to appear upon days that the committees were to meet, stating that agreements had been reached in some other where reductions had been asked, and that the workmen had taken reductions, ranging from ten to twenty per cent. For example: Anderson would publish upon a certain day when the committees would meet, that Muncie, Kokomo, Marion, Fort Wayne or other cities had taken reductions and all was well, showing that there is a preconcerted movement to mislead the public and the workmen. Some person or persons not in authority in Muncie within the last few weeks has been giving to the press unfounded statements to the effect, that the carpenters have taken a cut in their minimum wage of 90 cents per hour to 80 cents per hour;; all of such statements were wholly false and tended to mislead the public and cause resentment among those who follow the trade for a meager livelihood. For the benefit of the public, we wish to say, that there has not be,en any disagreement over wages between the contractors and those who work for them: In fact they gave us to understand that we were not getting too much, (viz. 90 cents per hour minimum,) nor would they ask us to work for less. The only difference, was as tc the time of beginning work in the morning, which time was amicably adjusted, and peace and harmony, prevails in so far as the carpenters are concerned, notwithstanding the propaganda of the agitator. We had this same class of evil minded people to contend with during the war, and thanks to the ever watchful eye of Uncle Sam many of them are

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AMERICAN LEGION MAY OPPOSE RE-ELECTION OF LEE BAIRD It is said that the American Legion

v/ill actively oppose the re-election of v rc ^ VJL Lee Baird as County Superintendent j now 7 looking through the bars and „„i u. p, a i r( ] was elected to fill there are still others outside trying to

of schools,

out the unexpired term of E. J. Black and the township trustees will meet June 6 to fill the office for the next four years. The report that Baird took sides wdth Germany when the Lusitania was blown up has been investigated by members of the Legion and they say they will oppose the

selection of Baird.

break in

We therefore advise the public, that our minimum wage for carpenters is 90 cents per hour, and that it is so agreed to by those emnloying us. Ordered by Local Union No. 592, Carpenters and Joiners of America, and ordered released to the press bj* the secretary.

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COUNTY MISMANAGEMENT Much is being said and written these days about th^e city manager proposition. The Muncie Star has constituted itself the; champion of the city manager plan, but it seems to us that the Star is overlooking a good bet when it persistently ignores the rotten and criminal mismanagement of county affairs. If the Star would take the trouble to investigate the county records it would have little difficulty in finding out that under republican management a complete failure has been registered. If the Star is looking for awful examples, why bother about looking up the records of honest city officials when the life and works of Billy Williams, Sherm Shroyer and Jonah Shoemaker are open books, the pages of which are replete with a series of almost unbelievably shady transactions? , • ' The Post-Democrat makes this statpment advisedly and if either or all three of the gentlemen mentioned feel that they iave been libeled we‘ are willing to go to bat with them in any sort of a libel proceeding, criminal or otherwise. The Post-Democrat has called atte ntion to the extravagant expenditures made at the county infirmary, and of the criminal carelessness of- the county commissioners in alloying any bills or claims presented by their boss, Billy Williams, but there is one thing that has not yet been mentioned, and that is the treatment accorded to the unfortunates who are compelled, through stress of circumstances, to' seek asylum at the county institution. - Enough money has been expended^ by the superintendent, through the acquiescence of a servile board of commissioners and controlled county council, to provide for the inmates in a princely manner, but if the evidence of those who ought to know goes for anything, they are not cared properly for. One who stayed at the infirmary ‘for a year stated this week to the Post-Democrat that the bill of fare at the poor farm would hardly commend itself to one who had been in the habit of eating three square meals a day. This individual stated that although eighty-nine hogs were butchered on one occasion last winter at the infirmary, the inmates very seldom tasted meat, but were compelled to subsist on the cheapest and coarsest, food obtainable. Considering the claims allowed every month for groceries and other supplies, the question that, is uppermost in the minds of the curious concerns the disposition of the vast quantities of supplies which seemed to have been purchased at stated intervals. A well known Muncie citizen who visited tbe infirmary at meal time a short time ago, invited himself to the festal board of the initiates and he declares that there was nothing to eat but bread, potatoes, warmed over beans and coffee without sugar or cream. He asked one of the inmates if it was customary for them to sit down to a table that was not supplied with sugar and milk, and the answer was that nobody asked for things at the infirmary, they simply took what was given to them. The citizens of Delaware county should demand a complete investigation of the affairs of the county infirmary and of the connection between its superintendent, Billy Williams, and two of the county commissioners, Shoemaker and Shroyer. The records show that the commis ioners allow claims for unreasonable amounts, presented by relatives and favorites of tht superintendent, that a son-in-law of Commissioned Shoemaker, “gets his” nearly ever r month for dolling up the old tractor at the poor farm, and that the Selma concern managed by Commissioner Shroyer’s son sells the county all of its coal. • l ~7——^vee^''T^TF'son=nl^aw-"OT^mnimioner "^noemalrer geyerarTrips to the infirmary to tinker with the tractor, so Daddy-in-law Jonah can get ready to OK another •• claim for his son-in-law when the commissioners meet in June. It was shown by the Post-Democrat last week how the commissioners busted the county treasury in exactly two years and four months, reducing the county revenue fund of $207,000 to three thousand dollars less than nothing. It appears inconceivable that such a catastrophe should happen, but the cold figures in the auditor’s office tell the story. If it is questioned by some doubting Thomas, let him hike to the auditor’s office and ask to take a look at the book containing the record of monthly balances. It is all there in black and white. The money is all gone, thanks to the commissioners. One would hardly think the commissioners could find places to spend this large amount, together with the huge sums that were added to it by four tax distributions, but an examination of the register of warrants covering a period of two years back tells the story in plain terms. It tells a story of gross family and political favoritism, illegal letting of contracts and unnecessary expenditures that would pauperize John D. Rockefeller in the course of time. < It is interesting to note that deputy assessors seem to have been chosen not particularly on account of their fitness for the place, but because of their relationship either to the assessors or to Billy Williams. The record shows also that the wife of the republican city chairman is on the assessor’s payroll at one hundred dollars a month. It might be added that the republican city chairman, John Hampton, is an especial protege of Billy Williams, the republican county chainnan. Billy succeeded in making him city chairman through his control of the committeemen that put Williams over for county chairman last year. The county council, also, must not bo overlooked. The poor farm boss has not overlooked the fact that the commissioners, the disbursing body, would be sadly handicapped with a stubborn county council, the appropriating body. Therefore the busy boss saw.to it that the right kind of men sit on the county council. His brother-in-law, Lee Baird, who was recently elected county superintendent of schools, was a member of the county council subsequent to his “promotion” by the boss, and was succeeded by a Selma man who was “right.” To show how Billy reaches out for power it might be mentioned that John Hall of Gaston, one of the county councilmen, is said to have controlled the vote of Trustee Hyer of Washington tov/nship in favor of Baird, and that as a reward for his faithful adherence to the machine he is slated to be the nominee next year for county commissioner to succeed Shoemaker, who heard the can rattle and has suddenly come to the conslusion that he had better quit while the quitting is good. The independent republicans, who refuse to take orders from the poor farm boss, are demanding an investigation of the acts of the commissioners and their overlord and say they will get it if they have to appeal personally to Governor McCray. Some way we have a. hunch that the days of the republican machine are numbered and that the men who scuttled the treasury and peddled the loot out to favorites and relations will be compelled to answer to the people for their criminal misuse of the money that was entrusted to their care.

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SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $2.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE Public Is Waiting To Hear Some Real Dope From The Frenzied Camps Of Opposition

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goats, is that

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SIR THOMAS LIPTON TAKEN FOR A SHIP’S STEWARD

London—Two good stories about himself were told by Sir Thomas Lipton at a recent meeting here. “When coming away from America last year” he said, “I was preparing to sit down on a deck chair when a parson said: ‘Look here, steward, I want a deck chair put in that corner.’ I got a chair and placed it for him, when he said: ‘Here’s a bob for you.’ Being Scotch I took it.” On another occasion, when at a French port, Sir Thomas sold a copy of a London newspaper to a stranger for twopence. “When I told my friend, Lord Dewar (another SccV) that by the sale I had gained 100 per cent he replied. ‘You are a fool. This is France and the cost is threepence. You have lost a penny.’ ”

SUICIDE HOAX Paris—All Paris was touched a month ago by the story of two young girls whose parents had ’^jen killed in the war and who, having lost their employment in a factory through illness, sprang together into the river Seine, bpt were rescued. A newspaper opened a subscription and collected $10,000. The statement is now made that the gir>, are excellent swimmers who have played the same trick before.

DIVORCES ARE GRANTED

Basilo Notolai, Italian of Bradford was given a decree of divorce from his wife, Nora, on the grounds of unlawful cohabitation and gross neglect of duty. Zelma Hull of Covington was given a divorce decree from Marion Hull and also the custody of the child. The charges were extreme cruelty and gross neglect. Both divorces were granted Monday afternoon.

WITCH DOCTORS STEAL BODY J ohannesburg—Two native witch doctors have just been sentenced to prison for eighteen months each after they pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing the body of an European woman from a grave on the Swaziland border to make charms.

MEN AS GUESTS New York—Men will be admitted as guest members to the new woman’s national clubhouse which is to cost $1,000,000. They will be given the privileges of the dining room and allowed to entente in women not members of the club.

GENEVIEVE WARD ACTS AT 84 London—Genevieve Ward, at the age of 84, is appearing on the London stage once more. She was born in New York, but most of her life was spent in Europe. Age has not affected her tone or strength of her voice.

ium of a controlled commission and

rAanager.

It is apparent to the most causual

observer that there are certain big interests here that would like to gain control of the city administration. For many years they have been making that attempt but since Muncie adopted metropolitan garments, they threw off its small town clothes anA

have always met with rebuffs. It does not necessarily follow that

in case the manager plan carries that these selfish interests will name the commission. On the contrary it stands more to reason that the people will do as they have been doing for the past sixteen years, place men in charge who will represent the people,

rather than the corporations. In times past, under republican rule

the city was delivered over to the corporations. The light plant, once municipally owned, was wrecked and the remains turned over to a private corporation, by a republican mayor

and council.

Favorable franchises were secured for the public utilities and the people have been footing the bills ever since It is possible that out of this seemingly hopeless wrangle will come emancipation for the citizens of Muncie. Muncie should, first of all, own the local waterworks system. Neither the People’s Home Rule League nor the Citizens Committee have declared themselves in favor of municipal ownership. The Post-Democrat believes that ninety five percent of the people of the city of Muncie believe in municipal ownership of public utilities.We believe if the city owned the waterworks, lighting system and street car lines that inside of ten years the revenues derived would pay practically all of the city’s expenses. The People’s Home Rule League, as everybody knows, is backed and supported by the candidates for office. The Citizens’ Committee has the active support of big business, to called. There are many on each side, of course, who are neither identified with big business or especially concerned over the troubles of candi-

dates for office.

The People’s Home Rule League is fighting the proposition because, they say, the plan is undemocratic, is a departure from the orderly processes of government as ordained by the sainted fathers and a change from de-

mocracy to autocracy.

The pilgrims on the other side declare that their purposes are sincere and that they only seek the greatest good to the greatest number of peo-

ple.

Now right here is where we would like to put up a proposition for the consideration of those favoring the commission manager form of government. If those favoring the movement will come out flat footed and declare that in case of success they will only favor the election of commissioners v/ho will pledge themselves to use every available means to secure, by purchase, the local waterworks system, and operate it as a city-owned utility, the Post-Democrat will devote the rest of the time between now and June 7, campaigning in behalf of the city manager plan. The local waterworks system is owned by the American Waterworks

way. It operates in^twenty-seven different states and maintains a poison squad of lawyers who would fight to the last ditch for the New York cor-

poration.

The local system is bonded’ for

something like sevfen hundred thousand dollars, considerable more than Company, with head offices on Broadits value. The interest on this amount and dividends to the stockholders must

be paid by the people of Muncie. The city manager people say they

want to save money for the people of Muncie. They say they are for Muncie first, last and all the time. This would bp a good opportunity for a separation of the sheep from the

A good time to find out who it is willing to line the pockets

of Wall Street gamblers at the ex-

pense of the people of Muncie. The Post-Democrat wants to sup-

port a movement that really means something. Thus far the candidates themselves have spoken in glittering generalities as to what they are willing to do for Muncie. The candidates want the city manager plan defeated in order that they may have an op-

portunity to obtain office.

Will the candidates, as a whole, who are now opposing the manager plan, unanimously come out in behalf of city ownership of utilities, and especially of the waterworks system ? If they make that issue a part of their opposition to the manager plan they

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| MUNCIE BRIEFS

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♦JmJ* *♦« *j, »♦« *♦« »♦« .$♦ *j. <{t Sometimes it’s worth while to look over the statutes to see the kipfl of laws we are living under. An enactment of a republican legislature, sitting during the administration of the late Governor J. Frank Hanly, provides that police officials shall visit

and inspect

Judge Thompson Tuesday night made the “keynote” speech in behalf of the opposition to the commissionmanager form of government in the city of Muncie. He was followed by Clarence Dearth, manager of the Peoples’ Home Rule League, who made a very able address on the subject. The remarks of the judge were delivered in a sarcastic and ironic vein, and the audience had no difficulty in discerning the fact that the court is filled with undying opposition to the present form of government. He very surprisingly devoted considerable time in lauding a cjty administration of which he has in times past had things to say which w r ere not altogether complimentary. He spoke of our streets, which, he says, compare favorably with streets of city managed communities and declared that a change would spell municipal

ruin.

The judge also took over, and appropriated to his own use in the course of his remarks, the thunder which Dr. Rollin H. Bunch used in making his campaign four years ago. He flayed the big corporations alive for their support of the manager movement and for the first time in his life awoke to the fact that the chamber of commerce is a menace to democratic form of government. He took occasion to rap the Star frequently and was plainly of the opinion that that newspaper was not acting wholly from disinterested motives and that it was being supplied with literature hy the National Municipal League with headquarters at 261 Broadway. As the campaign progresses it is becoming more apparent each day that the people in general view with suspicion the inner circles of the management of both sides of the ques-

tion.

Those opposing the manager plan declare that the commercial club and

the big interests are behind the an( j inspect all gambling houses, samovement and that i is the intent of loons, houses of prostitution, cock pits

P 17 ' 005 whpvr. poM;-: are sold ’"here

drErr^e ot the citv ^firotlgh the med-[ pi a ” ces abound in the community^

Since this is the law of the state the Muncie police should regularly inspect cock pits, crap games, bawdy houses and blind tigers, if such places, of iniquity are to be found on their beats. The law does not say anything about suppressing them or making arrests. It merely confines itself to the requirement of inspecting them.

Speaking of gamblers the question .came up recently as to which should be regarded as a punishable offense, gambling on the first or second floors. Some of our very best posted gamblers, men who ought to be regarded as authority, say that the unwi’itten law in Muncie for the past ,twentyfive years has been that no gambler shall open up on the ground floor. Playing draw poker and shooting craps on the second floor is regarded by the best authorities in Muncie as being a harmless indoor sport, something like tiddle de wink or who’s got the button. Incidentally, one sportively inclined individual, who opened a “do or don’t” crap game on the sacred ground floor in Muncie last week was put out of business before he got started. The' constables waited on him, the police were a close second and he board of safety held a special n leting to discuss his case. After th-1 gamblers who want to open their stores in Muncie should remember that safety lies in the altitudes.

All is not serene among the politicians. A persistent report, which will not down, is to the effect that Dr. Rollin H. Bunch will shoot his.hat into the mayoralty ring in the case the city manager election falls down. This is causing some of the candidates to lie awake at night wondering whether after all, their strenuous effort to defeat the commission plan will be worth while, after all.

If some poor devel gets drunk or is caught in a gambling raid, his name appears the next day in the Muncie daily newspaper. When some rich guy gets pinched it doesn’t seem to be news. A Muncie proligate worth two or three hundred thousand dollars was thrown in jail the other night by the police. He remained in the lockup over night, and was released the next morning after paying a fine. The name of this rich bum was not mentioned in the dailies, but several working men who got in trouble were played up strong. The Post-Democrat does not print police court news, otherwise it would give the name of the fellow who was so tenderly cared for by the knee-bending dailies.

Judge Anderson, between jabs at the city of Muncie, has laid off long enough to have a kidney operation at Mayo Brothers and it is said he is getting along fine. This is a great relief to Muncie people. Without Judge Anderson on the bench who would he qualified to give Muncie her periodical cleaning? The jedge has the happy faculty of sitting serenely on the bench at Indianapolis, the home of boot leggers, blind tiger operators, gamblers and prostitutes and looking way over yander at Muncie, where laws that do not seem applicable at Indianapolis, are in full force and effect.