Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 12 August 1932 — Page 1

FEARLESS

THE POST-DEMOCRAT “HEW TO THE BLOCK; LET THE CHIPS FALL WHERE THEY MIGHT.”

VOLUME 12—NUMBER 31.

MUNCIE, INDIANA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1932.

PRICE: TWO CENTS

=x=;

Torment

By Helfur Surton

CHAIRMAN FARLEY , MAKES REMARKS Referring to the stories of trades and deals at the convention to bring about Governor Roosevelt’s nomination. Chairman Farley declared: “There is no basis of fact for any of these stories. Nobody has Ibeen promised a Cabinet position an ambassadorship, or anything else of that sort. The Governor had no necessity for bargaining. .,. “Our candidate goes into the battle unhampered by promises except to be as efficient a Chief Executive as he is capable of being; unfettered by pledges beyond his pladge to the people of the United .States to ibe definite, courageous and above all, straightforward in his directioon of the affairs of this huge nation. No man, no corpoiai, ,n, no faction can hold a whip ... . him in favpr of any special or special interestHe is his own man, and whalt is more important, the country knows exactly What it may expect ot him.”

ttCMUSIMENI OF CHEF MOT

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CAPTURES MCCRACKEN’S MURRERERS

1 Of former National Chairman John j. Raskob and Executive Chairman Jouett Rhouse, Chairman Farley siad. “Nobody has a higher appreciation than he (Governor Roosevelt) of the work these two great Democrats did for the party. The services they rendered Jn the intervening years between the campaign of 192S and that of 1932 stand out as one of the greatest examples of efficient organization and unselfish sacrifice in the party’s history . . . These men have expressed their intention of supporting Roosevelt like the loyal Democrats they are • . . . The Governor welcomes their cooperation, fully sensible of their capacity and the vast value of that attaches to the service of two such outstanding Democratic warriors.” Of Governor Roosevelt’s attitude toward party leaders who favored some other candidate at the convention, Chairman Farley an-

nounced :

“The Governor (Roosevelt) knows no foes in the Democratic party .... Convention enmites evaporated on July 1. The Goovernor has no rancor as to anything lhat transpired before the date of his nomintitioti

HOOVER ECONOMY. President Hoover’s first m ove under the new economy act was to “abolish” by executive order the radio division of the Department, of Commerce, which, with its 189 employees, was constituted the division of field operations of the Federal Radio Commission. Net economy to date, 0.

LAW WOULD BE A DANDY IF COULD MAKE WORKABLE

Taxing Bodies Forced 1 Reduce Budget 65 (Per Cent. REDUCTION POLICE, FIRE DEPARTMENTS

City of Muncie Placed (Same Position as Chicago

By City Controller

The (Choice bit of legislation pro-

mulgated by unsound minds at the special session of the Indiana General Assembly appears to be a law that would limit the aggregate tax levy to $1.50 on each $100 assessed valuation. The law. If in anyway workable, would be a dandy , but it is sure to place every city in the state except those owning and operating municipal light and water plantts in a chaotic condition. Due ,to the unreasonable decrease in the assessed valuation of the City of 'Muncie and Delaware county, every taxing body in the county would be, forced to reduce their budgetts

at least sixty-five per cent. In the civil city of Muncie, ,this

law would permit a 38 cent tax

rate on an assMsed- valuation of pactvand easily carried without

REPUBLICAN CLUB FOR ROOSEVELT Dr. Bernard Lazarus, president of the Lenox Republican club, 231 Lenox Ave., announced that the club had adopted a resolution to support Gov- Roosevelt, Democratic nominee for President. -- New

York Times.

billTowell HAS LOTS OF FUN Screen’s (Famous Detective Turns Thief in “Jewel Robbery.” Every great detective would make a first-class criminal, if his inclinations lay that way. Contrariwise. every big league crook would make a first-rate guardian of the law, if he ever chose to turn his

talents to that end.

And now William Powell is illustrating the truth of this axiom in motion pictures. After leaping into almost overnight fame as the embodiment of fiction’s most fascinating detective, Philo Vance for years his most popular role— Powell is playing Europe’s most

irresistible robber.

“Jewel Robbery,” in which he is co-starring with Kay Francis under the direction of William Dieterle, the star flouts the law in as cultured and impeccable a manner

as before he upheld it.

When the delightful, melodramatic fantasy of “Jewel Robbery” un folds at the RivolL Theater next Sunday, you will realize that this suave, courtly thief is not only a knave of diamonds, but a knave of hearts as well. A woman’s affections are no safer, when he is around, than her jewels. He steals both with equal finesse. So irresistible is his personality, that his dazzled victims surrender both

willingly.

And did Bill Powell enjoy every minute of his romantic roguery? He reveled in it! He gloried in it! As the robber, he commits his crimes with a relish that savors of the artist conscious of giving to the world a perfect creation. Bill Powell is frank in admitting that he got more fun and enjoyment out of this role than from anything he has ever played.

$40,000,000 which would bring a total of $174,800 into the city treasury. The light ,and water bills alone for the civil city are more than $80,000 per year and the outstanding bonds maturing next year amount to over $56,000 so the balance of $38,500 would be the limit of expenditures by the civil city for the entire year. The same conditions would prevail in the school city, the county and the

township.

It would be necessary to turn off all the sireet lights in the city of Muncie, reduce the police department to 12 or 14 men, allow the fire department the services of 16 oh 18 men, cut the street department to 15 employees, abolish several departments of government, relinquish the rental of onehalf the number of fire plugs in (Continued From Page Three)

o

Declines Offset Rise in Market

Hog Price Rise Due to Shortage

and Less Selling—Farm Price 22 Points Below a Year Ago.

It. has been stated with good aulhorily that in America alone there are several million persons suffering from some trouble with iheir hearing—enough trouble so that their work is interefred with to at least some extent, or their

education is hampered.

Unfortunately, many of these persons have found that the var ions treatments have failed to restore their hearing. All deaf per sons or those partially must labor under disadvantages and are handicapped in every line of endeavor. Some have been fortunate enough, in some of our institutions to he instructed in the art of lip reading which is a wonderful aid. Those who are deaf, can also secure aid from certain heading devises. The type of device to he used will, of coruse, depend somewhat on the extent of the defect. There are two kinds of mechanical devees or aids for hearing— electric are such things as tubes, horns, etc. They depend for their electric and non electric. The non value on the fact that they collect the sound waves, and carry them to the ear. The electric devices have, however, proved more sat-

isfactory in most instances.

An electric hearing device should reproduce the speech without changing the sound. It should be powerful enough to make up for the individual’s lack of hearing. In order to be the most serviceable, it should be small, com-

Average prices of farm products received at the farms as of date July 15 advanced 5 points from June 15 as a result of an upturn in the prices paid for hogs, cattle, eggs and cotton, and minor advances of five other agricultural commodities, according to the monthly report of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics. The report

further says:

“Hog prices advanced about 50 per cent; cattle, 19 per cent; eggs, 13 per cent, and cotton, 11 per cent. These advances were partly offset by continued declines in prices for small grains. Wheat came within three-tenths of a cent of reaching the lowest price per bushel recorded during the period of 1908 to date, while farm prices of oats, barley and rye dropped to new low points for the same period.” “Stabilization” Schemes. The increase in the price of hogs is attributed to “an unusually large seasonal reduction in marketings and an indicated decrease in the spring pig crop.” In the west north central states a shortage of hogs is reported. In other words, the law of supply and demand is again at work, despite political “stabiliza-

tion” schemes.

The general index of prices, however, which is 57 per cent of the pre-war average, is still 22 points below a year ago and less than half the July average for the preceding five years. o Several of our State Senators and Representatives should be presented with a pipe and a can of hen roost tobacco when they return home, so as to take the bad taste out of their mouths.

being conspicuous This last point is important, because so many persons who are deaf, are somewhat sensitive about their misfortune—and if the hearing device is large or very noticeable they will not use it. i No device has yet been discovered which is perfect—that is, which will allow all deaf persons to hear. Many of them, however, are quite helpful and will serve a good purpose, the less powerful instruments can be used by those whose hearing troubles are less

severe.

For those who are markedly deaf, there is no device which can be carried around that is very helpful. A device has been made recently which can be attached to the telephone so that persons who are quite hard of hearing are able ot. use the telephone very satisfactory. Again some of these devices have been put in sound picture theaters and in churches and public halls, where they have proven quite useful to deaf individuals. A hearing device can only he recommended, of course, after the ears have been carefully examined and the amount of hearing present determined. When a person has defective vision the eye specialist does every thing possible to save whatever vision is left, and so it should be with deafness. Every possible effort should be

made to conserve whatever hear Ing ability the individual has left. He should be given regular physical examinations. Defective teeth md tonsils should he treated or removed and the general health improved. In so doing he may be kept from becoming totally deaf, then if he has only partial hearing, a hearing device can be procured, which many times, will give wonderful satisfaction. A COMPARISON OF CANDIDATES As Been by the Head of Big Farm Org-an-iaztion.

The following is an extract from a speech by John A. Simpson, president, National Farmers’ Union, reprinted in Congressional Record, July 25, 1932. Roosevelt. I found Governor Roosevelt thoroughly conversant on all agricultural subjects, including a knowledge of the various farm organizations of the past 50 years. He is a member of the Grange, and told me if there were a Farmers’ Union near him he would be a member. He understands and believes in our National Farmers’ Union legislalative program. All this is a very good background for a presidential candidate. ... In his acceptance speech in Chicago given to the delegates who nominated him, he developed and elaborated on the ag ricultural and unemployment planks in a way that shows he will interpret them very liberally in behalf of the common people of the country. Hoover. Unconsciously, he (Hoover) has come to a conviction of judgment that all things small are uneconomic. He believes in big-unit farming as against small homeowning farmers. He believes in merchandising on a large scale as against the small-town merchant. He believes in big banking institutions as against the little homeowned hank in every town and hamlet.

EVOLUTION

0L1GE MATRON GIVES VIEWS ON DEPRESSION

Some Pitiful (Cases Are Cited bv Mrs. Mary

Early.

HIJNCER AND WANT STALKING IN CITY Miserable Shacks Being Built of Every Conceivable Article.

*' No one, to our knowledge, comes closer in touch with the poor and mi fortunate of Muncie, than does Mrs. Mary Earley, police matron, who also has charge of the Muncie free employment bureau. In a recent interview Mrs. Earley gave out the following statement: “Old Man Depression seems to continue to stalk throughout our land, although many efforts are being made to cause him to be sidetracked. Consequently the stories of want and need go on and on,

unabated.

A Pitiable Case.

“While a great amount of good is being done daily to alleviate distress a vast amount of want continues among our people. The paramount question is that of the

housing conditions.

“An unusually pitiable case is one in which a widowed mother ru 1 three children were evicted from the small dwelling known Ti them as ‘homo, sweet home’— driven into the street. The story is ever the same. Lack of employment. They find themJselves unable to pay their house rent, long past due, and the bill mounting higher

each day.

Unable to Finance.

“The question which arises in the minds of our thinking people is, ‘what is to be done regarding housing conditions for those of our citizens who are out of employment and therefore unable to finanec their slightest needs?’ “President Hoover says: ‘Our

courageous, hopeful and happy, leading themselves to believe that behind the dark clouds there is a

silver lining.

“Families are being evicted

every day in the week with the exception of Sunday-set out. their furniture stored with the understanding that the family must produce the rental charge for storage, before the furniture may again

come into their possession.

Looking for Way OUt.

“The mothers and fathers in

One of the Assassins Still at Large, But Every Effort is Being Made to Effect His Early Capture—Head of Police Department Has Been Untiring and Unceasing in His Labor to Bring the Culprits to Justice. NO FREAKISHMETHODUSED IN HUNT FOR RUTHLESS SLAYERS

News item: Mr- Stone and Mr./ Wood were standing on the street corner talking, when an elite young lady camp tripping by. ,

Stone turned to Wood, and Wood k ftSie &e every person turned to Stone. Then both turned can conceive

to rubber, and the girl turned into

a cafe ”—Radio Digest.

HOPE LOOMS THAT PLATFORM PROMISE MAY BE REDEEMED BY PASSAGE OF UTILITIES BILL

Both branches of the special ses- construction of an intercepter and

sion of the legislature have passed, by large majorities the measure enabling cities to condemn and take over privately owned utilities and it is said the governor will sign the bill, making it a law. The new law provides that the purchase price shall be paid out of the earnings, and that on petition of twenty-five freeholders or householders, the council shall order an election at which the voters may decide whether or not the purchase shall be made. (Mayor Dale made his campaign on a promise to do everything in his power to promite municipal ownership of utilities. The mayor has been assured by Ora Shroyer, president of the council, that he stands squarely on that platform and it has been agreed that if the governor signs the bill in time, a petition will be presented to the council Monday night, and an election called at once on the question of taking over the water*

works.

As a condition precedent to the

sewage disposal plant, public ownership of waterworks is almost of paramount importance. If the bill becomes a law and the election is called, Muncie may look forward to a highly interesting campaign for votes for and against the proposal Muncie is one of the few cities in the state that does not own its own waterworks. All municipally owned water and light plants in the state are huge money makers for the various towns and cities operating them, but if we have an election here the utilities, which have not reduced rates in times of deflation, may be expected to present the usual ar

guments.

The Post-Democrat makes the prediction that if an electipn is called the “ayes” will beat the *“‘nays” about ten to one. It is time for Muncie to wake ur and demand of the utilities a qui‘ claim deed of ownership of the be'’ town in Indiana. They ask much and give little in return.

Leader of Enforcement Officers and Men Under Him, Did Not Allow the Unjust Conviction and Sentence Hanging Over Them, to Interfere With Their Duties to the Citizens of Muncie and the Country in General.

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By jGEO. R. DALE. j The clearing >ip of the mystery of the assassination pf (Patrolman Obie McCracken is the latest accomplishment of Chief pf Police Frank Massey. Three pf the miscreants who foully slew the bestloved /nan on my police force are now in custody of the law, one.^t Springfield, Ohio, and the other two

in Muncie. i

The fourth smurderer is ptill at large, hut under the direction^of .Chief Massey, every peace officer in America^ Canada and Mexico stands ready to nat him, so Jt ,will ,be pnerely a matter of a .very short Gme until the Jast pf the jnurderous quartet is brought to justice. , As (the Post-Democrat goes to press a grand jury .has been jmpaneled for the purpose of indicting Luker and Rohr, the Two self confessed murderers /vho were caught in Indianapolis Wednesday .by Chief Massey, ^Pati’olman Powell and Indianapolif

police. ■ ,

The manhunt conducted by Chief Massey and his men Jias been far-flung, extending into Mexico

people shall not be in wantr Ac-j N ew (Brunswick, the far West, the pouth and the

cording to him they are to be 7 7

i Laboring JUnder Cruel Handicap.

While less spectaular, the search for the murderers ( of Obie McCracken has been piore intensive and conducted in a more practical manner than thr

drive to catch the killer pf {the Lindbergh babyThe freakish methods employed ,by alleged de

tectives ,and /clairvoyants engaged in .the Lind berg? case, .were-not observed jn the still hunt that finally ran three pf the assassins to^earth and is relentlessly

01686 rlverTper^o^whom ttey 1 closing ( in pn the fourth man, whose doom is also at

having the least hand. \ • . This police roundup of the ,murderers and the clearing up of the mystery pf the murder, easily classifies Frank Massey as one of the great police officers of America, and jt must not be forgotten that he was laboring under a cruel handicap, whib engineering and directing the campaign of detec-

tion that was international jn it’s scope.

At the very moment when his attention shouF not have been distracted from his great, vital im pulse, to devote all his time, If necessary, to the solution pf this terrible crime, he was under indictment for,offenses he never committed, due largek to the perjured evidnee of Corbett Johnson, whosr miserable lies were exploded in circut court las'

week.

PERSONIFICATION OF THE TRUTH One of the greatest jokes today, is the oath taken by witnesses in trial cases in court, where the witness promises “to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but truth,” etc., and then proceeds to lie like a drunken sailor This is also applicable to a whole army of office holders who promise to support the constitution of the United States and the State of Indiana, and before the ink with which he attaches his signature has dried, begins to make plans to have the city hall or the court house moved on to a lot owned by him, or to a farm owned by his wife, and before his term of office has expired he has accumulated money enough to buy cork legs for a whole herd of Jerseys and a diamond collar for hie Chester White boar. Why not change the oath so that the witness would promise to tell everything but the truth? That’s what lot of them do anyway. ALSO PARTS THE HAIR IN MIDDLE. Automobiles should be so constructed that they could be guided with the feet instead of the hands. This “would enable the hatless, and we might add, brainless, young sports who drive with one hand In which is clutched a cigarette, while the other arm is wrapped around ^ome giggling female ofthe same mental calibre as her escort, as the car travels down the road at a speed of fifty to sixty miles an hour, to use both arms, to keep him girl friends from falling out of the car, or, if it was necessary, he could use the other hand to thumb his nose at the “thumbers,” who are becoming more numerous than the Smith’s. At any rate other motorists are entitled to some relief from the >ne-handed drivers, and this suggestion might help.

spark of authority, hoping to find some avenue by -which they, with their children, may be housed. “The result of these conditions brings to the surface all the resourcefulness possible to muster, often to the extent that temporary shacks are being built of barks, heavy tin and every conceivable article that might keep out the rain and wind. i “All this is very fine for summer, hut when the frosts and snows ot winter descend upon us, w’here and how are those hundreds of families

to be housed? £

What Really™oes Matter. “The question will become ser-

ious and life and health will be endangered—little children made to suffer for the desperate conditions into which our country has been plunged by this thing called ‘panic’ or ‘depression.’ The name matters not at all—it is our citizens and our coming generations that does,

really does, matter.

“Thinking minds are being called upon to act and devise ways and means to drag our country out of this delima, worse even than war.

Then—Why Not Now?

“None were hungry during the great World War, while there was sorrow and grief, because of our desperate plight and of loved ones having to leave their homes; broken-hearted mothers and fathers were counted by the tens of ‘housands in our land, when they were called upon to give their sons and sacrifice them upon the altar

af patriotism.

“Our country was able to extricate itself then. Why not now. ’rom this terrible catastrophe of

unemployment?”

Along with myself and others! who were victims of perjured evidence bought by Muncie scoundrels with money that passed through the hand of 'Councilman Bob Parkinson, Chief Massey was indicted in February by a United States grand

jury.

Free Hand Denied. Along with the rest of us he suffered the ignominy of arrest and was locked up in the local jail by a horde of Federal agents, marshals and stool pigeons. He was compelled to go to trial at Indianapolis when he should have been allowed a free hand. He spent many days in the Indianapolis jail, when bond was denied him. Members of the city administration voluntarily contributed money to his defense, and to mine and others who had been unjustly accused. Of this amount over three thousand dollars was used alone in purchasing bonds for Massey and

others, in order that they might re turn to their duties in Muncie. I had but very little money mveelf, but all I had and all I could borrow, was placed in the defense fund. To date my personal ex penses in this farce have exceeded a year’s salary as mayor of Mun-

cie.

If we had been guilty of the crime charged, that of conspiring to protect law breakers of all description, we would have had plenty of money for defence and could have secured more from the mythical gangsters we were suposed to protect. But we were all poor men, with no revenue except our salaries, and with no bootlegging syndicates gambling coteries or utility interests to finance our defense. We had to depend upon our owr resources to pay the tremendous (Continued to page two)

Here, There Everywhere

PROSPERITY’S CIRCLE MADE HIM DIZZY. Sen. Friedley, who represents or rather misrepresents Delaware County in the state senate, no doubt voted for the $1.50 tax limitation measure, and was at the same time the only Senator to jpeak In favor of the retention of he “hockshaw” loan bill, by which those who are unable to borrow money from the local banks, because of lack of security, can get it in small amounts from the loan sharks by paying 3 1-2 per cent, interest a month, or 42 per cent, interest a year. The senator must have got a hunch that prosperity has ceased traveling around in circles and was about to appear from around the corner and he was preparing to ipeet it. If--the senator was really in favor of doing something beneficial for his constituuents he never w-ould have advocated the retention of a law that permitted, the loan sharks of Indiana, to charge 42 per cent interest for the use of money borrowed by the poor and needy to feed and clothe their wives and children. Just why hank bandits haven’t turned their attention exclusively to these institutions in the past, instead of preying on banks that are a benefit to the community, is something the average person cannot comprehend. At any rate, this shows the real attitude of the senator toward the poor and helpless and how anxious he is to help banish the present depression, even to the extent of taking the last morsel of bread from the poor and needy, in order to satisfy the mortjage given to secure the payment of a .loan, which of itself, is nothing more than legalized robbery, and for w r hich the borrower must .pay 42 per cent, a year, an Impossible rate of interest Its no wonder his spech on the measure was “booed” in the Senate.

GOVERNOR LESLIE NOT SO DUMB. “Nero fiddled while Rome burned,” while the senate fiddled as a few opponents of the $1.50 tax limitation bill endeavored to have the bill recalled from the governor, but all their efforts were without avail and the steam roller .was put :o work by the proponents of the measure and after the smoke had cleared away the opponents were flattened out like one of “Aunt Dinah’s pancaks” We are of the opinion that Governor Leslie knew ais onions when he advised against -he passage of this bill, and it would not be surprising to hear before long that the old steam .oiler will need a new set of flues, a better grade of coal, more pil and a new engineer before the year is ended. The politicians can always he depended upon to do the wrong thing at the right time and the present case is no oxception to the rule.

"What a glorious opportunity this would be to try out Doc. Trent’s Sterilizaton Law r , on members oi the Senate and House who votec for the tax limitation measure. Ii would be worth $1.50 on the hun drd dallors If the Doctor voted foi this bill and was caught in ths same net.