Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 28 April 1922 — Page 1

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

VOL. 2. NUMBER 17

MUNCIE, INDIANA, FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1922

SUBSCRIPTION PRICE $2.00 A YEAR IN ADVANCE

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Nigger in the Woodpile in New Building Code, But Not in the Council’s Woodpile

It looks rather queer to see one of the local republitan dailies devote columns of editorial space in defending, the building code that was adopted by a democratic council and in condemning* the code that was formulated by the present republican council, after voting the old one out of existence. The local daily kept insisting, in its editorial barrages, that there was a “Senegambian in the wood pile,” and finally Councilman Frank Budd, in a signed statement, took considerable wind out of the sails of the journalistic critics of the republican council, by very deffinitely locating the colored gentleman in the woodpile, but the woodpile seemed to belong, according to Councilman Budd, to a group of gentlemen formerly known as plumbers, but who not long since blossomed forth under the euphonious title of “Sanitary Engineers.” This body of patriots and self sacrificing friends of the public, have for some reason conceived a violent antipathy to the code which was recently adopted by the council and, coincidentally with their impression of dislike to the code, they began an advertising campaign in the two local dailies, using a large amount of space. These display advertisements were signed by all the “Sanitary Eng|inneers” belonging to the Muncie organization, and it is fair to assume that the cost of the advertising was apportioned among the various signatories of these illuminating paid sermons on sanitary engineering!, ;alial plumbing. Since the recent newspaper attack upon the new code, which failed to suit the “sanitary engineers’’^ t,he disqoieting qoetion arises as to whether or not the sanitary engineers, in ordering their advertising did not include an order for the newspapers “step out” for them, editor^Xially. \The newspaper, in attacking the '^bewailed the fact that the coun--.sanitary engineers and others interested in the hnancilla way in house construction, to prepare the code for them. In other words, the council should have permitted the plumbers to make the code, not particularly because such an arrangement would be advantageous to the public, but because the plumbers’ trust had put quite a wad of money in the kettle and had become remarkably good advertisers at a time when the public needed education that would prejudice the public against the building code that was in the process of formation. We do not know much about the new building code, but considering the source from which the objections to it seem to be coming, it ought to be all right. BABY IN SQUIRREL COAT ATTACKED BY 8 HOUNDS

PLANTS WIFE, NOT TREE Derby, Eng.—Percy J. Atkins was convicted here of murdering his wife and buryingi her body in the hole he had.,dug to plant an apple tree.

Hogs About Due for a Decline in Price

Can’t Well Stay High With Corn So Cheap, and Pigs Plentiful, Economists Say

Vienna—While Countess Elsa von Schoenck was paying a bill in a ''jeweler’s shop, her 2-year-old daughter Margherita, dressed in a cap and coat made of squirrel skins, toddled onto the sidewalk. There the child was attacked by eight greyhounds which apparently mistook the furclad child for an animal of some kind. The baby was badly lacerated and her clothing torn to shreds before she was rescued.

Arundel, Eng.—The Duchess of Norfolk was fined $2.50 for failing to report the residence of a French governess in her home.

Comparisons of corn and hog) prices over a period of years confirm rural economists of the Ohio State University in an opion, previously expressed, that the farmer is wise who refuses to plunge on hogs at this time. “According to economic history a high point in hogs when opposed to a low point in corn prices means a reversal within 18 months,” says /R. F. Taber, extension economist, who conducted the study. It is explained thaj; hog and corn price ratios are figured by assuming, 11.2 bushels of corn equivalent to 100 pounds live weight in hogfs under Ohio conditions. On this basis, hogs sold in 1915 at 9 times the corn equivalent, and in 1916, at 11 times this price. For succeeding years the ratio ran around 10 to 11 up to 1921, when it jumped to 14. “Last February, hogs were quoted at a price 19 times that of corn. This is the widest ratio between corn and hog prices that has existed in the past 12 years,” Mr. Taber says. “Also a chart of hog prices shows them hitting bottom once every four to six years. The last low mark was in 1917. “Again, the crop and carry-over of corn last season was the largest in years, and Government statistics show uiat 17 per cent more iTd'tos were bred in the fall of 1921 than in the fall of 1920, and although unusual numbers of the latest crop of young pigs are reported to have died, there are probably still more than a normal number on American farms.”

VOTE FOR FERNANDO SILVERS AND LOWER TAXES

With his ear tuned to catch the slightest pulsation of the heart-beat of the oppressed tax payer, Fernando Silvers pledges his time and efforts, after he is elected to office, to the lowering of the taxes in Delaware County and the inaugurating of the policy of a SQUARE DEAL to every person regardless of race, color, rank or station. Poperty in Delaware County has Been Appraised too HighThe Assessor should be the friend of the assessed and not of the. money grabbers. The grievances of the taxpayer should receive careful consideration and proper adjustments made. The policy of the Assessor, should be conducted in the interest of the tax-payer;—the voters who elected him to office, and not in the interest of party politics and Higher Up political Bosses. Any person who wants the government to destroy the people is as great ah anarchist as the person who wants the people to destroy the government. Let’s not destroy the people nor the government, but let’s do our best to preserve both by voting for Fernando Silvers and Lower Taxes.

Boanaasmi

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IT’S AN ILL WIND-

The political campaign has been a godsend to certain law violators who have been able to escape punishment through convenient dismissals of the cases against them. During the past two weeks Prosecutor Benadum has caused to be dismissed many cases both in the city and circuit court, and, of course, it is only to be expected that the beneficiaries will put in their time for Van Ogle, the candidate selected by Prosecutor Benadum to succeed himself. One glaring instance was that of four young men, who admitted that they had burglarized a hardware store for the purpose of stealing revolvers, which they used in robbing a local grocer, when they entered his store, armed and masked. They stole an automobile to make the trip and shot the grocer, but, in the city court, Prosecutor Benadum dismissed the felony charges and charged the youths with assault and battery, and then had the gall to warn the boys that they might later be indicted by the grand jury! The grand jury was in session when the crimes were committed but the matter was not presented to them and thus the matter was kept in the city court, where Benadum could handle the case as he saw fit. It might be stated that the father of one of the youths “had it on” the gang that used money and whisky in 1920 to put over the Billy Williams slate, including Benadum and other notables. Of course, the threat of later grand jury action was buncomb. Benadum, himself, had just dismissed the felony charges and knew that the young men could not be placed in jeopardy the second time.

Machine Will Attempt to Control At this writing everything points to a machine victory in the coming primary. Everything is cut and dried by the Billy Williams organization to run the road roller over all former progressives who aspire to office. There is absolutely no question but that the Beveridge forces, who, of course, are favorable to the list of candidates who are opposing those backed by the “organization,” are greatly in the majority in the county, but unscrupulous politicians are in control of the election machinery, a fact which makes things look serious for the bull moosers. The fact that there are few, if any, real contests in the democratic ranks, is going to make it easy for democrats who have no regard for their party standing, to ask for republican ballots in order to assist the New organization. It is a known fact, which can be proved to the satisfaction of any individual who is interested enough to make an investigation, that the herd of law breakers who infest South Walnut Street and other portions of the city south of the railroad, are, almost to a man and woman, going to call for republican ballots. These people have no politics. The political creed of the bootlegger, mule maker, gambler or prostitute is: “Vote for the party that promises protection.” In the primary last summer these people were democrats, because one of the democratic candidates for the nomination for mayor had proved himself to be their friend. In the primary which takes place Tuesday these same people, who went to the polls as democrats less than a year ago, will vote as republicans this year because the candidates presented by Billy Williams are more satisfactory to the lawless element than those who are opposing the Williams slate. The three contests which stand out distinctly, above all others, are the race for the nomination for auditor, the contest for commissioner in the first district and, the scrap between Van Ogle and Roll Bennington for the nomination for prosecuting attorney. Frank James, a well known Muncie barber, who was formerly an anti-Billy Williams republican, was selected by the Williams forces to defeat Jim Dragoo and John Hall of Washington Township, a member of the county council, and one of Billy William’s most ardent henchmen, has been picked out to take the measure of John W. McCreery, also of Washington Township, who is open in his condemnation of Williams and his corrupt political outfit. Van Ogle is now deputy prosecutor under Clarence Benadum, and the latter is responsible for his candidacy and is pushing "t to the limit. Williams and his crowd have indorsed Ogle and so inspired are the law breakers of Muncie with dread of Benadum and Ogle that they are practically unanimous in their endorsement of Ogle for prosecuting attorney ! It certainly ought to be food for refle< tyon on the part of law abiding republicans, when the “organization” of their grand o>4 party gets behind a candidate for prosecutor who is favored by the law breakers. It rJso ought to teach them to NOT to vote for, but this is really expecting too much, remembering the childlike faith with which they seated Murphy as prosecutor and their sta 1 ipede to the polls in behalf of Benadum after Murphy had been sent to the penitentiary. The republicans of Delaware county arc* divided into two armed camps, the Harry New outfit with general headquarters over the Manok shoe store, and the Beveridge army, with rooms in Kirby hotpl. As fa , however, as having any voice in republican affairs if concerned, the Beveridge crowd r ight just as well be in Guinea or in the middle of the Sahara desert. To all intents and purposes the New headquarters is general headquarters for the county republican organization. The rep- hvac county chairman, Billy Williams, is the real neau 6T the iNew Organization ancf'il was irfNew Headquarters, ’instead of tne regular republican headquarters in the Patterson block, that the various members of the thirty five election boards were held. In every precinct in Delaware county the republican election boards will be solidly for New and with Red McClellan and a few others in the democratic ranks taking orders from the republican Williams, it is apparent that the New gang will not only control all republican election officers, but a fair proportion of the democratic election boards as well. With this sort of a frame up in action, it ought to be clear to the voters that the stage setting is here, at least, for the theft of an election. If the republicans were allowed to vote as they wished, and if everything were allowed to go on the square, there would be “nothing to it”. The Beveridge crowd would win, hands down and Billy Williams would be the deadest duck, politically, that ever ruled a muddy pond. As it is, however, it is generally predicted that the Beveridge forces will not be able to meet the situation Tuesday and that the road roller will get them. This, of course, will be greatly to the interest of the democrats, for if the Williams road roller gets in its work democratic victory in the fall is -assured.

SENATOR PEPPER’S CURVE FOOLED THE PHILLIES WHEN HE THREW OUT BALL AT OPENING GAME The practice of having prominent public men toss out the ball at the opening of the baseball season brought a new thrill to Philadelphia fans this year when Senator George Wharton Pepper, chosen to toss out the ball, fooled ’em and pitched out a hot one with a twist on it. Pcpp -■ is a baseball fan. Not only that but he puts up a good game himself. He caught nine straight innings behind the bat in a game that his office team played against a rival office team last summer. In his college days at Old Penn he played on his class baseball team for two years and was for two years on the Varsity football, track and cricket teams. senator Pepper is, perhaps, the best example of rugged pnysieal manhood m the Urnteu ibtates Senate. tie is as nard as nans. As an outdoor man ne ramts wan th. late LAUonel tvooseveu. He does 1.-. content himsell with golf, but, goes in lor swimming, inking anu base-

ball.

benator Pepper is counsel for the National .baseball .League, 'the benator s idea oi tne national game is summed up in tne loreword lie wrote ror the constitution and rules lor organized baseball. In this he said: "Play fair, play hard, plav lor the team—these are ttie inexorable requirements that America makes 01 the professional l .1 player. He gives to tne American people a pledge of conformity to nign standards of fair play and good sportsmanship. llie club owners and officers explicitly accept the same high standard. If any special responsibility rests upon the ball player it is responsibility to young America. The boy on the bleachers is in school, even if he doesn’t realize it. The heroes of the diamond are his teachers. By them his ideals of sport anpowerfully affecte'’. And t ti

Senator Pepper pitched a curve when he threw out the first ball when

Connie Mack’s team opened the season at Philadelphia.

tandards which he accepts on tel As the national game is played so

•«fners he will carry into life. 1 the life of the nation will be lived.”

GIPSIES CAUSE TERROR Gifford, Eng.—Sixty bands of gipsies have invaded the Billericay district, robbing many homes. A reign of terror exists in several villages, the police being outnumbered.

WHY NOT? New York—A little girl appeared at the license bureau here and asked “If dad could have a dog license and pay for it at the rate of a quarter a week.”

ARCH-MURDERESS SUICIDE Constantinople—A woman who killed herself in the Pera quarter is believed to have been Feodora Tschakowa, who murdehed eight Russian families in Petrograd in 1914.

Jonas, the Silly Old Fox, Siill Has Designs on the County Road Job

It migliht be of interest to the men and women whose votes will name the candidates Tuesday that the republican machine is making plans for the future, but it looks as it some of these plans are likely to be frustrated. It will be ‘recalled that the PostDemocrat a few weeks ago informed its readers of the plot whereby Coun-. ty Commissioner Jonas Shoemaker expected to grab off the job of county road superintendent, and of his failure to accomplish it because of the opposition of Commissioner Clarence Retherford. The job went to Martin Yoakem, one of Billy Williams’ henchmen, and Borter Ross, an anti-machine republican, was fired, bodily. Apparently Commissioner Shoemaker was foiled in his attempt to get the job himself, but it is now stated, on what appears to be the very best authority, that in case John Hall, the Williams candidate for commissioner from the first district, is nominated and elected, Yoakem will at once resign as road superintendent and Shoemaker, whose term of commissioner expires the first of next January, will be named in his place. It is declared that Yoakem took the job with that understanding and with the further understanding that having held the job for Shoemaker a year and then having) turned it over to him on a silver platter, he, Yoakem, would be “taken care of” by the machine. The road superintendent’s office in Delaware County is now but little more than one of the political headquarters of Billy Williams’ organiation. The thirty three assistant superintendents have been given their orders and those who refuse to step out for Harry New and the slate of committeemen and candidates bearing the Williams brand, will be fired without • ceremony. Martin Yoakem, the county road superintendent, a resident of the. second precinct in the city of Muncie, is the Billy Williams’ candidate for committeeman in that prpciuct and several of the assistant superintendents are candidates for committee men. These men are all being paid by the tax payers of Delaware county

to keep the roads in good repair, 1 but they are now drawing their money, seemingly, not lor smoothing the bumps out of the highways, but rather for making) the pathway clear for the free and unobstructed passage of Billy Williams’s road roller on May 2. John Hall, v^se candidacy means so much to Billy Williamst Jonas Shoemaker and a few other members of the Delaware county Tax Eaters Association, Ltd., is now a member of the county council. He is one of the men who freely gave whatever Billy asked, and who \vere called by the state board of accounts because of what the accounts board declared to be their lack of judgement.

Lack of Demand Is Real Cause of Cut in Coal Production Washington, April 27—Lack of demand, rather than strike conditions, continue to hold down bituminous coal production, according to latest figures assembled by the United States geological survey. On Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, however, the output jumped to above 11,000 carloads per day, against 7,917 aars on Monday, the low point registered by the effect of the Easter holidays. For the week ended April 15. the bituminous output for the country was placed at 3,675,000 tons, and the survey report observed that “more coal could be produced if the demand increased” since the full capacity of non-union fields has not yet been brought out. Say Strike is “Normal” From the union standpoint, “the strike is running along in a normal fashion,” the United Mine Workers declared today. Efforts to get nonunion miners to join their organized craft fellows wp rr> progressing' most satisfactorily, with approximately 80,0(;*> of them now out, “and good reason for the prediction that the coming week will add 25,000 more.”

Rai Freight Rates on Farm Products Declared Too High

Investigating Congressmen Find Immediate Reduction in Charges Necessary.

Washington, April 27—Transportation rates on products of agriculture, as on many other commodities, now “bear a disproportionate relation to the price of such commodities,” and should be immediately reduced, according to findings of the joint congressional commission of agricultural inquh*y, announced today by Chairman Anderson. Not only should these freight charges come down, the report declared, but in the future rate making bodies and railroad traffic officers should give “greater consideration to the relative value of commodities in the making of rates, and let existing charges on high priced finished products stand, if necessary, to remove cost burdens from basic materials. Lost Sight of Relative Values Exhaustive review of the transportation situation has convinced the commission, Chairman Anderson said, that “pyramided per cent advances” of freight rates during the war and following! years, “caused dislocation of long-standing relationships between rates on agricultural and industrial products and competitive territories,” which dislocations should now be removed. The object of the rate making bodies should be, he said, in presenting commission views, “to readjust rates so far as practicable *** to the relationship existing prior to 1918.” Effects of the freight rates are emphasized, it is said, because on perishables “they amount normally to one-third of the selling price, and frequently to two-thirds,” and “purchasers and farmers are dependent in a marked degree upon transportation charges” in prices. The general result of the increase in railroad rates and depressed railroad commodity prices was to bring railroad rates and depressed commodity prices was to bring rail road rates on farm products in October, 1921, to an index average of 169, or roughly 69 per was to bring railroad rates on farm products stood at 102, or barely 2 per cent above pre-war. Make Three Suggestions Outside of its general conclusions, the commission advanced three specific proposals to better transportation service for farmers, the first being the enlargement of “competitive avenues of distribution through which the largest number of consumers can reasonably be reached;” the second was the extension of thru rates on grain “to points of consump-

tion through two or more competitive primary markets.” and the third the extension of the principle that coarse grains, such as corn, should take lower chargjes than bread-stuffs. Adequate car equipment should also be maintained, it was added. Further the commission found that “live stock shows marked fluctuations in shipment volume” and that rail roads stock yards and shippers should co-operate to even cut the supply at market points, thus preventing price and charge impositions, while hay, as the bulkiest farm commodity, required a reduction in both freight and sales margins before there can be resumption of normal shipments. “Costs on live stock distributions also must be brought down, it was held. Rap Wool Growers On dairy products and on cotton, the commission concluded that freight charges had not had so serious effect as upon some other farm products, and as to wool, Mr. Anderson remarked that its price “to the producer had been depressed somewhat by freight rates, but primarilly by disorderly and unscientific marketing.” Moving to the study of indirect freight costs affect,mg farmers as they enhance prices of things farmers buy. Chairman Anderson said that “fertilizer prices were found to be close to pre-war basis except for freight costs.” Factory prices of farm implements, it was concluded, ‘.‘are now rapidly receding to a lower price level, “but freight rates now accumulate to the point of beingf 15 per cent of the price farmers pay for machinery, while before the war the freight charge constituted 11 per cent. Want Steel Rates Cut Coal and steel being of “infiinate interest” to the farming population, the commission also declared that freight charges on steel represented 41 per cent of its cost, while bituminous coal should be subjected to “reductions in mine prices, freight rates and sales margins.” Wagjes in the last named industry, it was added, “should i-be considered in the light of prevailing economic conditions,” and marketing methods improved. As to lumber, it was suggested that railroads could “better afford * assessment of relatively higher rates on short-haul business to give needed relief to longj-haul traffic,”* while petroleum products were found to be influenced little, if at all, by freight exactions. Dry goods and other commodities were in this category, too, in the commission’s expressed opinion.