Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 4 May 1934 — Page 6

FRIDAY, MAY 4, 1934.

High Spots Brought Out By Cary A. Tanghinbaugh

Street Department Head Broadcasts Some Facts

(Below Is Given the Broadcast Made by City Attorney Cary A. Taughinbaugh, Over Station WLBC, Wednesday Evening, May 2. It Hits Only High Spots arid Brings to Light Activities of Legal Department of

the City During the Past Four Years.)

persons, who formerly depended upon the operation of such places, now engaged in lawful pursuits and the more vicious driven from the city.

Unlawful Element Shows Teeth.

In 1929 the Honorable George R. Dale promised yon that he would * stop the vicious, and immoral conduct and drive such business out of

I the city, and that he would not permit known thieves or racketeers to Citizens, Democratic and Republican voters of the city of Muncie: i become located in our city. This pledge has been carried out, and in

(Street Commissioner, W. J. Daniel, on Monday, May 1, Made the Broadcast Printed Below, Over the Local Radio Station, WLBC. A Concise Outline of the Activities of Work Performed by His Department. Action, Not Promises, Is What Counts With “Bill.”

Since I talked to you on a former occasion, the city controller has explained more fully the workings and operations of the controller’s office. In my former talk, I called your attention to the airport title in which the deed and contract under gift to the city, was defective. That

the $125,000 bond issue was vetoed by Mayor George R. Dale, and that the court afterwards ordered the return of the property to the donor. I think that you are fully informed on such subjects as taxation and I feel it my duty, not being a candidate, and a representative, as city attorney, of all of the citizens of the city of Muncie, to more fully inform you in the relation pf tl^e duties that I perform for you and our city, and I feel it my duty that irrespective upon whom it may fall to correctly inform you as to what has been wrongfully designated to be turmoil in the city in the management of its affairs, and I wish to say that I cannot go into but a few high spots concerning litigation within the city. Just a Few of the High Spots. I think it sufficient to say to you now, and I desire you to understand, that in the five years that 1 have been city attorney, the apR. Dale, mayor, during said time,

This is the open season for political promises,, and many candidates

doing so, the mayor and his administration have been made to suffer by are making many promises. If you will look back over the records of that same element, who have pledged themselves, as such violators, to many of these candidates, you will find that their promises are iike dispose of or impeach the mayor, and in their effort and endeavor to | good pie crust—very easily broken—and some promises are made just humiliate, disgrace and financially break the mayor of the city, and ! to catch your vote. The promiser has no intention of keeping his in theii effoit to destroy the efticiency of the police department, this promise. We have had enough promises. What we want now is acelement, co-operating with certain discharged police officers, who you tion, so that the “new deal” our President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, well know, assisted in the procuring of indictments in the Federal Court I started, may be brought to a victorious conclusion for all of the people.’

To show you \^hat a little REAL action by the street department has accomplished for the citizens of Muncie, under the administration of Mayor George R. Dale, we are going to give you a few facts that can be verified by taking a few minutes of your time in looking over the books kept in the office of the board of public works, or coming to the

city barns,.

When Mayor Dale appointed me street commissicmer, there were 26 fire hydrants in the city of Muncie for which the taxpayers were paying $41.60 per year, each. They were almost useless on account of the streets being in such a condition that the fire wagons could not get to them. Today there is not a single fire hydrant but what can be

Cary A. Taughinbaugh.

pointee of the Honorable George

George R. Dale has not brought or authorized a single suit against the city. Personal suits have been brought against him, as mayor, of sufficient importance to warrant your consideration, these suits were brought by members of the common council. They attempted to remove the mayor from office, alleging as reason for a removal, that he had been convicted in the Federal Court of violating the liquor law. Sufficient to say that said actions were of such a flimsy character that

they were thrown out of court.

Another suit was instituted by the council termed “quo warranto,” endeavoring to confirm an act of the common council in attempting to remove the mayor and city controller from office and installing a member of the common council in this high office. Sufficient to say that this, with other proceedings, were promptly thrown out of court by various judges acting in said cases. It might be well, at this time, to inform my hearers, that there have been in the course of the four years or more, large numbers of cases field in which the different employes of the city especially the police department have been sued. The suits against the police department have been brought by persons who have been arrested upon vagrancy : barges, gambling charges and operating of dancing halls on the Sabbath day. These arrests were made at various times and places by the police in their endeavor to clean the city of the lawless and vicious elements that they found in the city during the year of 1930. This element has been so completely suppressed and driven from the city that for more than two years not a single suit has been brought against the policemen. Your city court is now confined to a few minor misde-

meanors.

All of the gambling places and so-called bootlegging joints and blind tigers have been suppressed, and you will find a great many of those

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under the liquor law, of the Hosorable George R. Dale, mayor, who has fought the illegal liquor interests for more than twenty years and the indictment of Frank Massey, chief of police; Harry Nelson, Dan Davis, Fred Ellis, Ray Powell and “Pete” Horstman. Sufficient to say that the court of the United States have freed all of the policemen of said charges and in addition the President of the United States issued his pardon to the Honorable George R. Dale, and ■in commenting thereon, says: WHEREAS, IT HAS BEEN MADE TO APPEAR TO ME THAT THE SAID GEORGE R. DALE, WAS CONVICTED ON PERJURED TESTIMONY AND THERE IS GRAVE DOUBT OF HIS GUILT.” So closes the chapter of the conspiracy to destroy the good name of your officers. As synopsis of the Federal cases, it might be well to inform you that this same element, not Satisfied with their effort, caused the indictment, by local grand jury, of the mayor, the,controller and the city attorney, setting out as cause for indictment, that they had received money from various employes of the city of Muncie, from time to time, and that this was illegal. I might say to my hearers that the court promptly kicked these indictments out as being of a trivial and inconsequential importance. No Denial of Collecting Funds. I would have my hearers understand that I did during the time that police officers were under arrest Tn the Federal Court, and from time to time thereafter, assist in procuring money for their defense which amounted to a very large sum of money. These policemen, like many of you, needed financial help and most naturally should be assisted by their friends and fellow employes. Dontions were made by various employes of the city and public •spirited citizens, to assist in the procuring of bonds and attorney fees,

in the litigation.

It may surprise you to know that members of the council have' caused this office more trouble, and expense, than all of the departments of the city of Muncie combined. It is impossible for me to set out in a fifteen-minute talk more than these high spots. <> Suit July, 1951, by Robert L. Parkinson, Charles F. Please, against Lester Holloway, Joseph T. Meredith and members of the board of public works, injunction restraining the board of works from using the gasoline fund, approximate amount, $30,000. Temporary restraining order obtained and the money tied up until the following year. Case decided for the 'city against the plaintiffs. A bond was given by these councilmen to pay the cost and damages. These costs and the damage to the city have never been paid. You have read of the other suits. You know t*he results. In every instance these men have failed. A number of suits have been brought by material men, whose claims w r ere just, but where the appropriation was exhausted or was insufficient to pay the bills, the council refused to make these appropriations. Interests and costs were added on to the city, matters were dragged, a threat of mandate from the courts, council made appropriation to pay these claims with interest and costs added. Antics of Clerk an Councilmen. ' In April of 1931, Linton Ridgeway, clerk of the city, brought an iction against the city of Muncie, endeavoring to enjoin the city and its board of works from using $15,000 on streets. In asking for an injunction, an affidavit was made by Hubert L. Parkinson. C. F. Please, Frank James, Ora T. Shroyer, Robert F. Tumelson. This matter was submitted to the court, who decided in favor of the city and kicked

the case out.

My hearers might as well known that in 1931, my attention was I called to the salary then being paid to the councilmen. They had been drawing excess pay for a long period of time. I instructed the conI roller to stop their pay until the city was reimbursed for the money so | overdrawn. I found that in the city clerk’s office a salary was being | paid for a clerk. This, in addition to his and his deputy’s hire. That said salary, so paid, w r as in violation of the law. At City attorney, I | ordered this salary discontinued, which was done. These acts of mine left a very bad feeling on the part of the city clerk and the common 'council, who, by the way of retaliation, have practically boycotted the j city attorney and his office since that time. Ridgeway sued the con- ! troller for mandate to pay extra salary. This was thrown out by court. I do not desire this to be considered in the light of any ill-feeling that I have, personally, or that it is to be considered “mud-slinging.” I j give you these high spots for the sole purpose of assisting you in dei termining who you want for your councilmen, and to inform you that irrespective of any statement by any persons, the mayor, George R Dale, has instructed the various departments to avoid, if possible, anj law suit, but in event the city or any department, or any employe is sued, that he be given the very best defense. What One Councilman Attempted. Now, citizens, there are a number of minor suits that have been filed involving the rights of the city, and property rights of the residents, and I call your attention to cause number 7393, filed in the September term of 1931. This action is entitled "Charles F. Please vs. City of Muncie, and Holloway.” Please asks for an injunction endeavoring in bis proceedings to force the city to operate under a different budget from that approved by the state tax board. In other words, an action to disorganize the city in its operation for the year 1932. I might say to you this suit has no merit. Councilman Please’s case does not amount to anything now, hut at the time caused considerable embarrassment to the city controller, the county auditor and the county treasurer. In glancing through the files of the minor suits, T find that nearly every individual police officer has been sued during the year 1930 and 1931, during the clean-up period. The plaintiffs -were persons arrested and detained on various charges, gambling, vagrancy charges and other

matters.

The plaintiffs were very liberal in their demands, asking the policemen to pay them damages in sums from $1,000 to $10,000, alleging injury from the humiliation they suffered by being taken into custody by the officers. Dozens of these cases have been thrown out. No one has received a penny on such a suit. An ex-member of the hoard of works joined litigants: he sued policemen for only $1,000. In closing, I think it fair to the general public, that I should state and inform them that during the period of four years mv office has extpn-dpd and received the courtesy and good will from all the members of the bar in this county and the adjoining counties. That the judges of this county and adjoining counties, and those judges, coming from a distance to sit in our cases, have been considerate j and patient, and have decided our cass without any fear or prejudice.

of the street department and will continue to be the motto a's long as I

retain the office of commissioner.

Do you remember the heavy sleet storm we had in January, 1930? If yon do remember, you know how hard and steady the men of the street department worked to protect the citizens from the danger of failing limbs and fire hazards. In about one week, the damage done by King Winter was cleared away, nd this, too,, when the funds in the city treasury was at a very low ebb. There was not enough money to pay for the help it took to clean up after the storm. We knew limbs and trees had to be hauled away, and money or no money, the work was done. As I stated before, “service” was the motto of the department then, and has been its motto from that time on. The department in former years was not much but a political playhouse, where “lame ducks” of the politicians were taken care of in a meagre way. Today, and ever since Mayor Dale.took office, the street department has been a workshop and lazy one of the political playhouse have been discarded, and in their places are men who are willing to serve you with the best of their bility.

Willing to Let People Be Judge.

The department has had an uphill pull in giving service, on account of insufficient funds, but we are willing to leave it to you, whether

or not you have received service.

When I first took charge of the department, we received from 100 to 200 calls a day from citizens who wanted their garbage or trash

reached at an> time. 1 l(e / stieet.s have been graded and either gravel I hauled away. In less than six months the calls began to diminish until 01 stone placed ovei the grads. Over 5,000 blocks ot streets within the j t oc } a y we g e f f en ca u s a month. Most of these calls‘are from city limits have been tepaiied in this way, and no property owner was j citizens who failed to have their garbage or trash in place when the assessed one penny for the streets that were;repaired with stone orJ city trucks passed their place of residence. The people are learning sravel ‘ '. more and more each year, that co-operation with the street department Some of the Things That Have Been Done. j means better service each year, and this co-operation has been a great In order to make it more safe for the motorists, 1,502 corners were ‘ factor in cutting down your taxes for the street department.

cut back, making it less hazardous in making a turn from one street into another. Five new r storm sewers have been built, with no extra cost to the property ow-ners. Forty new manholes have been built, the catch basins cleaned, roots have been taken out of the sewers, and today, where a heavy rain comes, the water soon vanishes from the

streets.

You remember how you used to have to beg to leave your ashes and garbage hauled away. I have know r n the time when a garbage wagon was seen but once in si w r eeks or two months. The ashes and cans were picked up once a year, in what was then know as the “spring clean-up.” Now- every day is clean-up day in the street department, and the entire city is covered every two months. Garbage is picked up every w T eek in all parts of the city, unless the weather is so cold that, it can not be gotten out of the cans. In 1929, the last year of the previous administration, the budget for the street department was $83,250. In 1934 the budget for the same department is $36,470—just $46,780 less money the taxpayers had to dig up for the services of the street department. Action or Promises. Which Do You Want? You got prom^es in 1929. You are getting action now! Which do you like best? In 1932 the department had $43,000 in gasoline money That is, after it was pried loose from the city council. Yet one political speaker said recently that only $8,000 of that money went into the pockets of Muncie workers. The facts show that over $30,000 w-ent into the pockets of Muncie workers. During past administrations all but a few of the employes of the street department were laid off during the w inter months. However, under the Dale administration, a full force of workers are kept at work during the whole of the year. Today there are 60 men working for the department and that does not include the men furnished by the government. Have you forgotten how the snow piled up just before Christmas in the year of 1929? It w-as left lying in the streets because someone said there w^as no money to buy gasoline for the trucks. Well, in 1932 the department ran out of money to boy gasoline, and the council refused to appropriate more money for that purpose. The board of works told me to lay off the men and close the barn. That, order worried me so that I could not sleep, knowing those men did not have money to live on. I finally figured out d way to keep them at work. When they came after their checks that Saturday, I told them that if they would rather have $18.75 a w T eek than go to the trustee, they could give me $1.25 a week and I Would give $2 a w r eek, and we would buy our own gasoline. They w r ere “tickled pink” at the prospect. They cashed the checks and donated their part of the fund, and I ordered 400 gallons' of gasoline, so.they could go to work Monay. We kept on giving you service for twm months. It takea from 400 to 500 gallons of gasoline a week to run the motor vehicles of the department. The good part of that tw-o months was that a “sugar daddy” came to my rescue. He handed me a roll of bills and told me to give the boys back the money they had advanced to buy gasoline. Also, that be would buy all the gasoline w r e needed until the city provided funds for the precious volatile fluid. The boys w r ere very glad, of course, to get the money back, and also glad to know- they would continue at w r ork. I say, GOD BLESS THAT

“SUGAR DADDY.”

Needy Families Provided With Wood. In 1932 the street department saw r ed up thousands of old railroad ties and hauled 5,000 loads of wood to hundreds of needy families. Some citizens bought some for kindling, and when I had sold enough to get $4, I gave some needy man a day’s work, so that he could buy food for his loved ones. Each man that received a day’s work in this manner, was required to sign a receipt for the money, and on that receipt -was w-ritten: “paid for one day’s work out of the wood fund.” I still have those receipts and will show them to any person wishing to verify this statement. During one winter a soup house was conducted at the city barns. From 250 to 300 people w-ere fed daily during that winter. The street department employes donated 25 cents a week for the fund, and I “kicked in” the rest, costing me from $2 to $10 a week—out of my salary. I had to quit the soup business or get into

line myself.

I have just finished putting in a new floor In the West Jackson street bridge and am now engaged in the same operation on the North Walnut street bridge. Up until 1933 the county took care of all the bridges and the streets that were built under the 3-mile road law. But now that the budget of my department has been cut from $83,250, to $36,470, the county officials say: “Bill, you do it.” It makes me scratch! my grey hairs some to know- how r to get the work done. But action counts, and we are getting it done. Promises w-on’t do it, so we just keep on working. Take a Ride. See for Yourself. If any person really wishes to know just how- many streets have been repaired during the administration of George R. Dale, let him take a drive through Congerville, Avondale, “Shedtown,” Whltely, Belmont; or, in fact, in all parts of the city. They can, that way, satisfy themselves that the streets of the outlying districts of the city are in better condition than they have ever been known to be since hey became a part of the city proper. Any candidate will have a hard time convincing the citizens of the south side that they have not received a sqare deal from the Dale ad--

ministration.

Some citizens of the south side never knew what a city truck looked like until Mayor Dale took over the reins'of the city government. There have been no politics played by the street department. Every citizen has been treated alike. I have no enemie to punish, nor friends to pat on the back. “Equal service vo all" has been the motto

Do not let candidates fool you with promises. Demand service. However, if you are a w r ise voter, you will look up the records of all office seekers. Then compare their records with the record of the Dale administration. If you do this I am willing to wager my chances to become President to a hole in a doughnut, Jhat you will put Mayor George R. Dale back in office for four years more and keep the street department a workshop "and not a political playhouse for lame ducks. You will keep him in office in order Jhat thousands of people w-ill come here to enjoy our beautiful parks and the entertainment they afford to the thousands that visit them each week during the summer months. Think, Mr. and Mrs. Voter, before you. cast your vote against Mayor Dale, w-bo has cut your city taxes almost in half, and appointed men at the head of each city department w r ho have given you more real service than you have known since old Chief Munsey watched his squaw- cook fish that came out White River.

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