Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 2 September 1921 — Page 1

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

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VOL. L. NUMBER 34

MUNCIE, INDIANA, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1921

SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $2.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE

Will Democrats Take Orders From Socialist Who Never Voted Ticket in His life?;

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Many democrats in Mnncie are waiting' to see what part Bill Daniels, the socialist, is to take in the campaign. Bill spoke from the platform at every Bunch meeting in the primary campaign, and although he is a socialist, and never voted the democratic ticket in his life, he was permitted to use the platform in a democratic primary contest and to assail many democrats who had refused to be hypnotized by Bill’s master’s voice. Bill had just about as much business horning into a democratic primary as a Catholic priest would in breaking into a Methodist conference to tell the Methodists where to get off. . , , Among* those assailed by Bunch and his socialist man Friday were Ray Andrews, Councilman Bingham, Milt Retherford, Mayor Kelly and many others. Bill also found considerable fault with the Post-Democrat. It isn’t run at all to suit Bill, and of course Bill had just about as much business making! a public holler about the way this newspaper is conducted as the editor of the publication would have in trying to show Bill the real way to operate a blacksmith shop. It now remains to be seen whether or not Daniels is to be permitted to pose as an important figure in Muncie democracy. The respectable democrats of Muncie will absolutely refuse to affiliate with any program which includes the aggjrasndizement of the bum poet, Daniels. It was reported some time ago that the democratic candidate for mayor was about ready to dump Daniels, but there seems to be no foundation for the report. Bill still seems to be playing hravies in Doc’s fish fries and such like, so the people may resign themselves to the fact that when fepeechmaking time arrives they will have to stand for the festive William. If there are any democrats in Muncie \ ■ tn adjsrit th'- 4 - like thougfit ot Daniels leading them, they are welcome to feel that way about it, but as for the PostDemocrat, its publisher was never fed up on that kind of democracy and won’t stand for that kind of business now or at any other time. If former Maygr Roll in H. Bunch persists in pushing this man to the. front, that is his personal business. If he can carry that kind of a load and get by with it, we will say, without fear of successful contradiction, that he will be doing right well.

ENGAGED FOR TWENTY YEARS, WEDDING AT LAST PERMITTED

—n ir— •• .V ... u - Hyde, Eng.—Twehty years after they became engaged, Miss Ethel Dowson has married her father’s gardener, Wright Baddley. Oppxjsltkm on the part of Miss Dowson’s father, minister of the Hyde Chapel, was responsible for the long engagement. When Rev. Dowson finally yielded the couple were married in his church and the bride’s mother gave them a fine home. The bridegtroom will continue his work as gardener.

91 YEARS IN ONE HOUSE Hatherleigh, England—Richard Palmer, pafish clerk, has lived for 91 years in one house and still sleeps in the room in which he was born.

Germans Pleased; Not Enthusiastic

Wait and See Results Is Attitude on Peace Treaty.

Berlin —The Nationalistic press aside from greeting the circumstance that a state of peace has been restored between the United States and Germany accorded the treaty signed here only a lukewarm reception. Its comments were severely restricted to a “wait and see” attitude. Comparing the Versailles and Berlin treaties the Tageblatt, the Liberal organ, arrives at the conclusion that the latter document does not represent a dictated peace, but is the result of negotiations carried on by contracting parties enjoying equal rigjhts. “The new oiistoinienti’U says thi« newspaper, “breathes the spirit of sober-minded, calmy calculating business men, who chiefly were concerned about the practical side of the interests involved. This spirit is the best guaranty for the speedy cementing of friendly. relations.” Vorwaerts, the Socialist organ, believes the negotiations just concluded reveal an American understanding for Germany’s physical and psychical needs and that they were carried on in a spirit of reconciliation and accommodation.

HARDING PLANNING ACTION TO REUEVE UNEMPLOYMENT

President Deeply Concerned Over Reports of Situation Brought to His Attention and Expressed Desire to Take Care of Those Suffering from Business Depression

Washington—President Harding is preparing to take action to relieve the unemployment situation. This became known following a conference between the president and Senator McCormick, of Illinois, duringi which the general unemployment situation was discussed, as well as means by which it could be relieved. President Harding was represented by Senator McCormick as showing great anxiety over the reports of unemployment which have been brought to his attention and it was said the president expressed his desire that immediate steps be taken to take care of those suffering from the present business depression. Plan Not Disclosed It is understood that both the presinent and Senator McCormick agreed that no one plan could relieve the situation and that the relief must be met through a general survey of the situation. The Illinois senate would not disclose the plan that the president has in mind. Senator McCormiik told the president that it was his belief that the figures of 5,300,000 unemployed, furnished by Secretary of Labor Davis would be too high if they were closely analyzed. McCormick does not doubt their .authenticity, but thinks they were obtained in comparison to the high peak of employment, when whole families were working in an industry as a result of war conditions. Many of these, including women and children, the senator thinks, have returned to their normal employment or have gone back to the home or school, so that they should not be reckoned in the present unemployment figures. Situation Grave One “The situation is a grave one,” said Senator McCormick, following the conference, “and will steadily become worse if something is not done to remedy it. The hardships have not been keenlyVfelt as yet because they

have their savings from the prosperous day to fall back upon, and the relief organizations which take care of those actually in want apparently have plenty of money. As winter approaches, however, and the savings diminish, many will face actual destitution. It is a problem and we must face it promptly and efficiently. President Harding is keenly interested in the matter and will undoubtedly have a plan worked out through the means of some governmental agency or department which will bring about needed relief.”

Will Come in October

Premier Briand and Marshal Foch Will be in United States at Same Time

Paris—Both Premier Briand and Marshal Foch will be in the United States at the same time in the autumn. The Matin today quoted Premier Briand as saying in an address to the American Legion delegates. “It is now a certainty that Marshal Foch will go to the United States in October. All the French marshals would be willing to go. But the people sey we are militaristic. Therefore we must also show our civilians. That is why 1 am going to America myself in November.”

MUSEUMS SWINDLED Munich—Many European museums were swindled by Heinrich von Frauendorfer, former member of the Bavarian Cabinet, who committed suicide by shooting. He had received fabulous prices for counterfeit rare coins. He ended his life when he learned that he was to be exposed. WATER DIVINERS Taunton, Eng.—Alfred Long), an invalided soldier, and his fourteen-year-old daughter Ena are getting large ifees for locating^ “water for farmers. Newspaper men who investigated Long’s ability declared that the man certainly possessed unusual powers.

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“SIX MONTHS OF HARDING” The caption of this first page editorial is not original with the writer. it was composed by the Chicago gentleman who writes editorials for the Shafer group of newspapers. SJiafer owns the Star and many other newspapers and the same editorials are made to fit all of the enterprising Chicago gentleman’s publications. Tuesday morning the Star, and presumably all the other Shafer newspapers, contained a leading editorial entitled “Six Months of Harding.” Yes, we have had six months of Harding, and it is true, as the Star says that he has accomplished many things, including a separate peace with Germany and the partial erection of a prohibitory tariff wall, and we will also agree, with the Star, that in the last paragraph! of its “Six Months of Harding” editorial it said a mouthfu when it remarked “there is much more for Harding yet to do.” We were informed, before the election last fall, that just as soon as the peopll cast their votes and the country became assured of Harding’s election, business would be*gin to boom, factories would start up, labor would be employed, farm products would advance, profiteers would be ruthlessly routed and taxes lowered. The people believed these lying promises and voted for Harding. “Normalcy” was to come with the election of Gamaliel, they were told. They have had six months of Harding and what is the real answer. Nearly six million men are out of employment in the United States, five thousand alone in the city of Muncie. Normalcy came and land prices were cut in two, the price of farm products dropped to half the cost of production, public utilities have entered upon an era of unprecedented wildcat stock inflation at the expense of the public and taxes have soared to unprecedented heights. " The Star said “the railroad mess is in a fair way to be ironed out and the shipping mess is attacked with vigor and hope.” Has anybody else, besides the Star editorial writer, learned that the “railroad mess” has been “ironed out?” With freight rates about double what they w r ere during the war, with fares increased on all roads and with railroaders now' on the verge of a general strike because of the unwarranted Reductions in wages after Harding’s election, is it likely that any one will be impressed by the cheerful news that the mess has been ironed out? Last week, through an executive order, 2,200 new government-built vessels were sold to a private speculator for $2,100 apiece. These vessels cost the government, on an average, $550,000 apiece. Is that the way Harding is ironing out the shipping mess? If so the ironiitg process was rather expensive to the general public, no matter how satisfactory it might have been for the group of speculators who gobbled up the ships for a song. We do not attempt to say that in case Governor Cox had been elected, all of our economic problems would have been solved and that we would now be going through a period of prosperity, instead of a period of business and industrial stagnation. Very likely the period of reconstruction would have presented just as serious problems to the democrats that it has to the republicans. The point is though, that Harding was elected by the use of fabulous sums of money, contributed by railroad magnates, profiteers and big business generally, and millions were spent in lying propaganda, including the normaly will-of-thewisp and the hot air about confidence to be restored as soon ^.s the election of Harding was assured. It was the sheer impudence and ( T;ontery of the thing that makes the people boil, now tliAt Lhcy-see fruw~uiey were uum^a. It takes iutsTtf fierve fomr neWspaper^to at-** tempt to praise the record of Harding, ft is hard to find anybody in Muncie these days who will come out openly and admit That he voted for Harding.

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WORLD SPENDS $1 FOR WHEAT TO EVERY 5 CENTS FOR ORANGES

Gas Company Would Dispose of Two Million Dollars Worth of Engravings

The Central Indiana Gas company has modestly requested, of the public service commission, the right to sell two million dollars worth of gaa stock to citizens living in the various communities served by the company, including Muncie. The lighting; company and the water company have been busily engaged for some time in unloading their securities on the public and the public has finally come to the conclusion that the first consideration of these institutions is to sell paper, rather than electrical current and river

water.

This week the utilities commission has been hearing the arguments for and against a twenty million dollar merger of a group of utilities and it has been shown that the actual value pf the utilities seeking to be merged is less than half of the proposed capitalization. The utilities of the state claim that

dollars worth of stock in Muncie and vicinity, has generously offered to trade its stock for government bonds! It’s pretty near time that manufacturers. professional men, busine; - men and the laboring public get together to defend themselves against the encroachments of these foreign owned utilities which seek to sap the lifeblood from our citizenship by the sale of nicely engraved stock certificates which will be shoved at them as long as printing presses continue to run and public service commissions deal out the privileges.

MIILLION-DOLLAR MEN NOT SO PLENTIFUL

New York—New York state’s crop of million-dollar income men dropped from eighty-one to twenty-five between 1917 and 1919, according to figures made public today by the bu-

reau of internal revenue.

Only three

they lost much money during the war ‘ persons in the state reported incomes period and it is evident that they are I as high as $5,000,000 dm-ing 1919. The npw trying to get it back by watering average net income of taxpayers was

stoqk and unloadng it on the public. A nation wide campaign along these lines is being conducted and the indications are that normalcy means stock inflation with the public, as usual, bearing the burden and footing

all the bills.'

Unfortunately the public takes too much for granted and the solemn propaganda of the utilities, backed by confusing masses of figures, impresses them to the point that they are generally willing to bite. The water company, in its campaign to dispose of a quarter of a million

$5,030 or $1,036 more than the average

for the country at large.

SEIZES LION’S TONGUE; BOTE

HANDS BITTEN OFF

Nairobi, British East Africa—Natives who brought in the body of Hans Klopper, a transport agent, recently killed by a lion, reported that Klopper, in his desperate struggle for life, thrust both of his hands into the beast’s mouth and seized his tongue. Both his hands were bitten off with one snap of the lion’s jaws.

NEWS OF THE FINANCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL WORLD

Adjournment of Congress for four weeks has set a period to the im-4-mediate prospects ol legisiatioi ure to enact the railroad relief legislation and inability to bring the tax bill to a definite stage of development are the outstanding points of

furthering the exportation of farr, products by Government financial as-

Underne -v measure,'thr—

War Finance Corporation may make loans either to Americans or foreigners on the strength of collateral consisting of securities or products ot

regret among the business community.! known value, which, however, must

It seems, however, reasonably certain that both matters will be attended to at no distant date after the reassembling). Steadier attention can doubtless be given to the details of pending measures during the recess. If so, nothing will be lost by the postponement. While more or less of a formality, the fact that Germany has now finally signed a treaty of peace removes another uncertain factor from the situation and ought to have a favorable effect on sentiment. Improvement of Railroad Earnings That the railroads have at last definitely started upon a movement toward better things has been evident for some weeks past. Earnings reports made public during the past few days again confirm the views previously entertained on that subject, and the same opinion is indicated by reports of traffic movements. Despite, therefore, some setbacks which have been suffered by the railroad issues

be witjiin the United "States. This greatly broadens the powers of thi-. War Finance Corporation, and since it is permitted to do business with banks, I’eally converts it into a kind of central banking institution wi n restricted powers or field of wo.-:;. Belief that this and allied measu •■?. foreign countries has been ini ment of American goods ential in holding up foreign excha>' quotations which miqfht otherv.; have gone to lower levels. How . the farmer himself will be aeti :: \ aided by the new bill may be questioned, but if operations unde it should be active, it may easily s , to strengthen the course of foreign exchange. On the other hard, continued speculation in marks and other currencies has tended to renu exchange quotations very unreliable and feverish. The impression grow stronger in many quarters that Ger many' at least must soon take some

in consequence of the unexpected decisive measures wiijh a view to the postponement of the refunding bill the 1 settling of the status of her currenreal basis of confidence in the future ! cy—this to involve, perhaps, a reof the securities remains unchanged, valuation of the mark,

or, if anything, has been strengthened.

A cloud on the hoi-izon is seen in the apparently hostile disposition of the American Federation of Labor in re- 1 spect to the readjustment of labor costs, particularly as affects the rail- | roads. Thjs is a situation which must evidently be worked out during the

coming months.

Trade Readjustment

Price indexes indicate quite clearly that, so far as money values of com-

Credit Strain Relieved

Events have shown that the sever' ty of the credit strain in many part of the country is less than had bee; 1 expected. Not only has the smallnes . of the cotton crop and the relatively smaller value of some other crop tended in this direction, but there has been an unusually early movement of products to market for cash. In consequence, the demands of borrowers upon banks in the agricul-

PR1NCE ALBERT, SASK. — Western Canada has become the agricultural rival of California. Thirty-five families, that had engaged in fruit raising in California, recently settled in the North Battleford district of Saskatchewan. Glen Randall who tried California after farming at Waseca has returned to Saskatchewan. “I am neither a knocker nor a booster so far as California is concerned,” said Mr. Randall. “California is all right. But I prefer Saskatchewan. In California I grew fruit. Fruit is a luxury. In Saskatchewan I grow wheat and livestock. Livestock and wheat are necessaries. The world will buy a dollar’s worth of wheat, beef or

THE DAIRY HERD

bacon when it would not invest five region is settling so rapidly is that cents in oranges. The farmer v who | land can be purchased here for less raises essential foods, in my opin- j than land of equal fertility can be

ion, will be far better off in the i rented in the states.

long run than the farmer who

grows luxuries.”

Settlement is a good barometer of a region’s agricultural possibilities. By far the heaviest settle-

The country is gently rolling, lightly-timbered and well watered prairie. It is a natural diversified farming region. It is an area of

_ small farms and every farmer ment in Canada at present is com-1 raises not only field crops but ing to the fertile lands along the j cattle, sheep arid hogs. In recent transcontinental lines of the Can-! years it has become a great dairyadian National Railways. Some of i ing country. Creameries built with the best lands in western Canada ; government financial assistance and

are in this belt. There is still plenty of land to be had at $20 and $30 an acre—land which gives a greater per-acre grain yield than land that costs $500 an acre in the states. One great reason that this

operated cooperatively by the farmers are responsible for this. They furnish local markets and make the production of milk and butter one of the most profitable branches of

farm industry.

modities are concerned, the genera! I reflected in the diminishing volume of bills held by Federal - Reserve

readjustment movement is about over. What remains to be done is an eoualization of prices among themselves, some of them being) evidently out of line with the general average. This, however, is not likely to be long deferred. Meantime, further industrial

dividend suspensions show that there , .. - , . . . are still postponed results of the de-. r , ^ aie being more freely supr'Y’PS'Sirm whir’ll nnt- ’rot -FnlLr P b^'^OWeTS On COiiateral.

Market Review and Outlook

Banks, which is now only $1,530,560,-. 000, a decline of nearly 50 per cent from the level of a year ago. Bankers report funds returning from the interior already and there is 1 indication

pression which have not yet fully exhibited their influence and are still to be developed, while in the same group of factors are to be mentioned the poor statements made public during the past week by the copper companies. Most of these long ago suspended dividends, but their overhead charges and fixed expenses continue, and the operating results

'Psychologically speaking, much of the news of the week, although indicating no fresh developments of broatt general sigpiificance, has been rather discouraging, but, as demonstrated on many occasions, when any fair amount of buying orders put in an appearance it is found that there is a paucity of offerings. While

of the past quarter show that they | • f OITerin p- . wmie so have been running) still further be- ^ rt l^ n

hind with thus far no definite pros pects of improvement. In the steel trade slightly better prospects may prevent the industry from reaching I the same depth of depression as the non-ferrous metals. It still remains true that the most honeful symptoms in the present situation are found in the manufacture of textiles, shoes and other immediately consumable commodities. In these a satis- 1 factory autumn trade is now confi-

dently predicted. Helping the Farmer

Passage by Congress of the Agricultural Credits bill definitely brings to a practical stage the plans for

industrial directions, buying by the general public cannot be expected to assume large proportions and, no doubt, as accounts become weakened some further scafibered, liquidation may be counted upon. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that the great run of stocks has now reached levels which are making, them attractive to those on the inside who are in a position to know what the real book values i are. A potent factor in connection ( with the market is always the money situation, and, while there may be occasional flurries in rates, everything now points to plentiful supplies for a long time ahead, as the Federal Reserve banks are in an exceedingly strong position. "