Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 9 August 1935 — Page 1

T riW||iidiff r uTtirii—mfr'-nn ■ iTmT nii r» . “We must make American individualism what it was intended to be—equality of opportunity for all, the right of exploitation for none.” —Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt.

THE POST-DEMOCRAT

.Mini, hi ,,111.^1...nrr i , . ,lr in,, “In the long run this country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless it is a reasonably good place for all of us to livelin.” —Pr4s. Theodore Roosevelt.

VOLUME 16—NUMBER 29.

MUNCIE, INDIANA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 9, 1935.

PRICE: FIVE CENTS

Russell Eley G-Man Of Ball Beverage At The Big County Fair

Delaware County Agricultural and Mechanical Society in the Holding Company Class—Former Bootlegger and Federal Convict Competes With Ladies Aid at the Big Show—At That Ely is a Gentleman Compared With Some Who Featured in the Federal Court.

The Delaware Agricultural and Mechanical Society, which secured a license to sell beer at the county fair, had almost as many affiliates as the American Gas and Electric Association, whose holding company activities are now being probed by a senatorial investigating committee. As a matter of fact, there are some who believe that the senatorial committee ought to come to Mun-cie-and find out who really sold Ball Bearing Beer at George Ball’s fairground beer garden. Since the Ball crowd began making LIEBER LAGER, with Arthur as the head brewmaster, some are inclined to regard that sacred fluid as a public utility, to be squirted through pipelines from Indianapolis to Balltown, where all water mains in the city will be paralleled by lager lines, with a spigot in every home.

1 Undisputed Facts Are Set Forth. In the matter of the fairground beer garden pei

mit, there seems, however, to be some of that holdin company funny business. Maybe it is a simple case o the Ball slogan, “Hold Everything,” and then it ma

have a meaning of its own.

In unraveling the mystery, though, it would firs ^ (lut which is the holding compan and which is the main generating plant. This migl rf -i 11 ^ o? Wn ^ ve sc ^ 00 ^ children instead of fiv

United States Senators.

^ Here are the undisputed facts;

The Muncie fair board, of whica George Ball is chairman, entered

into a contract with Ross Dowden, granting him a monopoly on toe sale of beer at the fairgrounds Mr. Dowden is one of the incoiporators and manager of a wholesale beer establishment in Muncie. The' state beer law explicitly prohibits wholesalers from selling

beer at retail.

A license from the excise department was issued to the Delaware County Agricultural and Mechanical Society to sell beer at

the fair grounds.

Al Capone A Piker Just prior to the extraordinary decision pf George Ball to allow the sale of beer at his fair and on his own grounds, the Lieber Brewp *y, a Ball-owned and controlled suds factory, withdrew its Muncie agency from the wholesaler that

had established its business hei and named the agency represente by Mr. Dowden as its local di:

tributor.

Al Capone, authority on U ethics of beerdom, has not y been asked for an opinion as t the constitutionalit> of a procee< ing of that character. But Scarfac is a piker. He never tried to ste; all the coal in Alaska and has bee in jail for so long that when h gets out he will come to MuncJ and sit humbly at the feet bet racketeers who mix hops and phi anthropy, endow colleges, dodg taxes and stay out of jail. But to resume: The beer garde opened Monday morning under tb grand stand. It was operated a week by Rus Eley, the gentlema who wanted to move Muncie oi (Continued to Page Four)

ACHIEVEMENT!

With a flock of deputies, chainmen, inspectors, stenographers and advisers in the city engineer’s office working so earnestly that the engineer’s budget for 1935 was exhausted in seven months, one lasting monument stands to the credit of the engineer brain trust. The boards have quit rattling on the Walnut street bridge and Wilbur Sutton can sleep at night, without being disturbed by the noise. It is true that the repair of the Walnut street bridge seems to be sole actual accomplishment of our army of engineers and deputies, but that does not mean that there is no heavy thinking being done by these experts on the third floor of the city hall. The boards on the bridge were nailed down all right, .the noise stopped and Wilbur had a good night’s sleep. But as yet nobody has explained just why the hump runs down the middle of the bridge. Some say that there was some lumber and a keg of nails lefi over after the floor was fixed and the hump was built to match the wailing wall of Wheeling avenue. Others think the women are to drive on one side of the dividing wall and the men on the other. The majority of the drivers, men and women, admire the wooden ridge as a work of art, but admit that they never saw anything like it before on a bridge. It is a particularly dangerous obstruction in the center of the bridge and drivers unaware of the brain fag which produced it, cuss heartily every time their tires go wobbling around the bridge. But Wilbur sleeps soundly, so let ’em wobble.

4 Other Witnesses To Aid Tom Mooney Will Swear That Famous Prisoner Had Been Unjustly Punished. San Francisco, Calif., Aug. 8.— The State Supreme Court has post poned Tom Mooney’s habeas corpus hearing from September 3 to September 18. The famous defendant’s attorneys promise to produce four new witnesses to prove that their client has been unjustly imprisoned for 19 years. * Two will swear that the Preparedness Day bomb was thrown from a building, instead of being left in a suitcase on a street corner, as the state’s witnesses testified at Mooney’s trial. Mr. and Mrs. E. K. Hatcher will testify that the late Frank C. Osman, who “identified” Mooney as the actual bomber, was in Woodland, miles from the scene of the tragedy, at the time of the blast. WAR CLOUDS HANG HEAVY OVER EUROPE

Danger Greater Than in 1914—Can the United States Keep Out? Washington, Aug. 1.—Two questions are puzzling the American diplomatic colony thesj 1 days: first, is general warfare coming in Europe, and if so, can the United States keep out? For years now, as statesmen invented new peace machinery, warriors have gone forward with thenpreparations, for conflict. Mussolini in Ethiopia, the Hitler demands in Germany, the age-old battle for a balance of power—all of these have finally brought the Continent to a point where observers fear that a casually dropped spark might touch off another conflagration. The danger spots are more numerous than in 1914 when an isolated assassination in the Balkans precipitated the world in the war and finally into the depression from which it is still trying to emerge. France Ready to Fight Uncounted billions of dollars have been poured into armaments. France, admittedly, is an armed camp surrounded by great steel and concrete fortresses. The pangs of the World War apparently forgotten, she is ready to fight. Hitler’s military strength is still an unknown quantity, but he too has mustered the war spirit in a drooping nation. Mussolini’s Italian troops are already on the march in search of the conquest. Great Britain admits her frontiers no longer are on the North Sea, but on the Rhipe, and she is building her air fleet accordingly. Austria, threatened by the Nazis, is still a tinder box. In Asia, Russia and Japan still are sparring. According to many observers, these preparations mean war inevitably will break out sooner or later, with America struggling again to hold aloof. Secretary of State Hull has been praised for his deft turning aside of an attempt by Ethiopia to entangle this country in her controversy with Italy. -o Green Pillories Nazi Persecution Boycott of Hitler Government Has Been Justified, Declare Labor Chief. Organized labor’s two-year-old boycott against eGrman goods has been fully vindicated by the recent “brutal action of the Hitler government” against Jews and Catholics, President William Green of the A. F. of L. declared in a formal statement this week. Green recalled how the Nazis had wiped out the German trade unions by violent methods two years ago, and then, 12 months later, “shocked the entire world ’ with the “blood purge” inaugurated by Hitler. “Now,” said the A. F. of L. chieftain, “all of this horrible treatment is being supplemented by further persecution and further drives against the Jews and Catholics residing in Germany. “The time has arrived when Germany ought to be boycotted, not only by labor and its friends, but by all the people of the United States.”

WAGE SGALE IS SET FOR WORK ON HIGHWAYS

New Rates Will Not Apply to Works Under

Contract.

Indianapolis, Ind., Aug. 8—Wage scales to apply on all state high- | way contracts for construction and j maintenance work which arc I financed by Normal Federal-Aid j WPA or state funds, were an nounced today by James D. Adams, chairman of the State Highway Commission. The. new rates will not apply to work under contract or to work being financed with other funds. In establishing wage scales for unskilled, intermediate and skilled labor, the highway commission acted in accordance with an order issued by President Roosevelt ou May 20, and with an Act of the Indiana General Assembly. Rates adopted by the State Highway Commission are slightly higher than the minimum established tor Region One of which Indiana is a part but are lower than the scale in effect since May, under which the present construction program

is operating.

Based On Population The new wage scales are based on population of the various counties and will apply on all highway contracts in the counties. In tne event a project is located in twd~ counties having different wage scales, the scale of the county in which the major portion of the work is to be done, will apply. In the event of a bridge or structure being constructed across a county line when the counties have different wage scales, the higher scale will prevail. On the Federal-Aid program, workers will be employed 40 hours a week while workers on WPA projects will be employed 130 hours a month. SEGONOCAMP TO OPEN AT FT, HARRISON

Duration Will be From August 2nd to August 31st. Ft. Benj. Harrison, Ind., Aug. 9. —Colonel O. P. Robinson, camp commander, today announced that the second Citizens’ Military Training Camp to be held at Fort Harrison this year opened officially on the morning of August 2. The youths and young men comprising this camp were drawn from the states of Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia, numbering approximately 1,800. The duration of the camp will be from August 2 to August 31, and consist of instruction iiy infantry subjects. Assisting Colonel Robinson is a staff of regular army officers who have been selected to take charge of the various activities incident to so large a camp. Training Chiefly Military While the training of the boys will consist chiefly of military subjects, the recreational side of the youths will not be overlooked, as a well organized welfare unit will arrange various games and diversions. The schedule of instruction has arranged a liberal amount of athletics in the afternoons so that the candidates will not feel the lack of the necessary change in camp life routine. A course in citizenship will he given to all members of the camp and an examination held, the winner to receive a medal awarded by the Sons of the American Revolution. In addition, a course in life saving will be held by an authorized member of the American Red Cross. This course has always been very popular, and many of the candidates have availed themselves of the opportunity to enroll in this interesting and instructive class. The program of instruction has been carefully arranged so that the young men will benefit from their period of training both mentally and physically.

-^{gnS of yhese yimes

• • • e

Notation* and Comments on th* Progress of the New Deal and Recovery in Indiana.

• • • •

By DUDLEY A. SMITH, It is significant to note that issues between the two major political parties have not changed since the campaign of 1932. It was then a fight between the Reactionaries and the Liberals, and it is pow. It is the age-old fight between those who the standpatters and those who are the Progres sives. As Emerson wrote in one of his essays, it is “the eternal conflict,” in governmental thought, kngwn to all ages, all nations and all peoples. When rulers become too resistant to change, then the rulers are changed by the uprising of the people. Change is inevitable, as is attested by the enactment of 21 amendments to the Constitution of the United States. Without them we would not have guaranty of religiuos freedom, freedom of speech and press, security against search and seizure, trial by jury and in fact most of those rights we value as personal liberties.

America was in a fast moving age of changes during the world war and then settled back into the idling, coasting, do-nothing leadership of Harding, Collidge and Hoover. The Hoover conservatism was almost fatal to a nrftion which was in acute distress- It brought the country to the brink of ruin and to a vivid realization that the political, social and economic systems of this nation were in dire need of modernization. President Roosevelt was forced with a task as formidible as any ever undertaken by the guiding head of a nation. He promised trial and change. He has given them and has just about completed the program. But here, in the final drive to complete his program, he is met by the Storm Troops of the Reactionaries. Do these present hour antagonists of President Roosevelt, present anything new or different from ‘\yhat we have heard before? The -Tj» not, Their wlu>le cam(paign is intended to create excitement about the rapidity of changes which have been made _ for the good of the masses of American People. They are not using specific argument against anyone phase of the New Deal, for they know that it would be useless to argue with the farmer, the laborer and home owners about the so-called failures of the New Deal. The game, therefore, is one to apply generalities and innuendoes with such effect as will create a public suspicion that the New Deal is unsoimd, foolish, poorly conceived and contrary to American principles. Not one of these can he established as fact in any single instances, so the accusing generalities continue and are bolstered by such pricks as whispering cam-

paign.

Most reprehensible is the whispering campaign which has spread lies about the President’s personal health. The Senate committee investigating public utility lobbyists uncovered, correspondence addressed by a publicity man to a utility official which proposed as one way to harness and defeat the President the spreading of a rumor that he was “crazy.” Senator Sherman Minton from Indiana, member of the investigating committee, labelled the stunt a “despicable” one. All fair-minded American’s will agree with Senator

Minton.

As for the efforts to make President Roosevelt appear to be unsound of purpose and too hasty with his progressive ideas for bringing the more abundant life to American citizens, those too are doomed to failure. Mr. Roosevelt as a superior student of American statescraft and political history will not be misdirected into making the errors some of his predecessors have made. He is a man of cool and even temperment. That he was able to lead the country out of the Hoover panic and to restore confidence and hope in the breasts of 130 million American people in such a time as early as 1933 is proof enough that he will be able to handle the duel with his enemies. AIL Democrats, progressives, liberals, and New Dealers should be happy that the antagonists have chosen for their current issue “Mr. Roosevelt, the President himself.” o — CAN'T STOP ROOSEVELT National Democratic Chairman Jim Farley wonders why the G. O. P. Reactionaries didn’t raise their cry of “Un-Constitutional'’ when the 18th Amendment was being nullified. He gives the answer by saying they didn’t have the nerve to he Constitution defenders then. They wouldn’t have it now if they were not pretty weil satisfied that nothing can stop Roosevelt Recovery. o There is only about one and onefourth pounds of radium in the world. It is valued at about $1,500,000 per ounce.

Pocketbooks To Receive Terrific Jolt

If Proposed Budget Goes Through, Tax

Levy will be almost Doubled—All Departments Ask for Huge Increases Except City Judge, City Treasurer and Auditor —Mayor Wants Messenger Boy. As urged by The Post-Democrat several weeks

ago, for the taxpayers of Muncie to prepare themselves for a good jolt on their pocketbooks, the notice of budgets and tax levies for the civil city which are advertised today, will verify the facts and show the requested amount of money to be raised for the present city administration for next year to be more than eighty per cent increase over expenditures of the former administration. The total tax levy for the civil city, if allowed as requested, will jump from the present 89 cents on each $100 of assessed valuation, to $1.62 on the same valuation. The amount of money asked for next year shows an increase of $343,000, or more than double of that amount raised in 1933 and

on increase of $287,000 over the 1934 levy.

Mayor Wants Messenger

COUGHLIN FIGHT HITS LABOR DAY CELEBRATION Union Officials Repel Invasion of Rights by Park Commission.

Chioago, Aug. 8.—No Labor Day celebration will be held here this year because of a curious turn in the fight of Robert J. Dunham, president of the Chicago Parks Commission, against Father F. J. Coughlin, Detroit “radio priest.” For five years the Chicago Federation of Labor has had the us* of Soldier’s Field, on the lake front, for Labor Day, and it was intended to hold a similar eelebra tion there next month. Federation officials filled om the usual contract, posted the reouired $10,000 bond, and submit.e.t the program drafted for the day. Dunham, however, insisted on the Federation agreeing with him that Father Coughlin would not be invited or permitted io be one of the speakers. Invasion Resented The Federation explained that It had no connection whatever with the “radio priest” and had not the slightest intention of booking him as one of the speakers, but that it regarded Dunham’s demand as “a preposterous imposition on labor’s right to select its own speakers” and would not agree to such “an uncalled for invasion of the right of free speech and assemblage." Dunham, a millionaire, has been carrying on a one-man war against the Detroit priest. The latter recently wanted to hold a meeting at Soldier’s Field, but Dunham refused to issue the permit. The priest went into court and won a decision, but Dunham took an appeal and the case is now pending. REDUCTION IN FIRE LOSS IS SLOW, STEADY

At Least 80 Per Cent of Fires Investigated are Unnecessary. During the past few years there has been a slow, but steady, decrease in the nation’s fire loss. The decrease is extending into 1935, according to figures by the National Board of Fire Underwriters- During the first six months of this year, loss totaled $136,460,000, as compared with $158,064,000 during the same period in 1934. The trend is encouraging—about a decade ago the annual fire loss ran in excess of $500,000,000 a year. However, it is still much too high. At least eighty per cent of fires are unnecessary—at least eighty per cent of them could be prevented by thought, care, perhaps the expenditure of a little money. Periodical Inspection Every citizen should voluntarily enlist in the fire-fighting army in an effort to further reduce this useless waste. He should periodically inspect his property, and correct any hazzards that exist from basement to attic. Piles of papers, improperly stored inflammables, old or amateur electric wiring, defective furnaces, pipes and flues— these are among the great causes of fire in dwellings. And a prolific outside source of fire that is especially dangerous during the summer months, is dry, uncut grass. Any local fire marshal or fire department is glad to give a citizen assistance in the matter of discovering and eliminating fire hazards. Insurance companies are equally co-operative. Ignorance of hazards, like ignorance of the law, is no excuse—the knowledge that will prevent fire can be easily obtained. In the long run, fire loss determines the cost of insurance, and if we lower losses it will be reflected in our premium rate as soon as it is proved that the waste is going to stay down. Fire loss increases taxes and is a burden to every member of the community. Fire prevention and preserves irreplaceable resources.

WPA PROGRAM IN OPERATION SAYS E.A. BALL

All Projects to Be Administered by District Headquarters. District offices of the Works Progress Administration of Indiana are now in full operation, in each of the eleven WPA districts of the state, it was announced today by E. Arthur Ball, director of WPA District No. 3, and hereafter the district offices will be responsible for the handling of all local project applications and the execution and direct supervision of projects in the field. The major functions of coordination, planning and final approval of projects and general supervision will be the responsibly ity of the state WPA, the announcement said. • “This means,” Mr. Ball said, “That all projects, field operations and other activities within the districts will be administered directly from the WPA district headquarters, except any state projects which may properly be administer--(Continued to Page Four)

The budget for next year shows increases in every department of the administration except for the city judge, the city treasurer and auditor. The mayor’s office is asking for a secretary-police at a salary of $1,742.40 and a messenger boy to be paid $520, an expense never allotted to former mayors. The city clerk has requeslfed an additional assistant to be paid by the city, an illegal expense if granted since the state law provide for only one deputy clerk or assistant in second -class cities. The city attorney has included in his budget for 1935 an expense of $2,500 for special assistants, an expense never used by the former ad-

ministration.

The board of public works and safety has increased their appropriations for street department services almost double the present provided budget. The city engineer’s office has more than doubled its expenditures due to the employment of numerous assistant engineers. The building commissioner is requiring approximately $1,500 more money than was needed by the former administration while the police department is asking for more than $40,000 in excess of last years budget. This amount is due to the employment of 67 members of the department with increased wages as compared with 39 police used last year. Expenditures Almost Double The fire department payroll has been greatly increased due to the request for higher wages and the (Continued to Page Four)

AH Good Bluffers It looks very much like John Gubbins is being given the merry runaround.' In his campaign for election Mayor Bunch in a radio talk praised the former mayor for “putting Gubbins out of the contracting business” and promised that he would close the books by putting John out of the beer business. Last spring Curtis & Gubbins lost their wholesalers’ permit, and the mayor said “I told you so.” John was assured that Arthur Ball would see to it that he got his wholesalers’ permit and really thought he was getting help from that source. But Arthur had his fingers crossed. The permit went exactly where Arthur and Roll wanted it to go, to Ross Dowden and his associates. Then Mr. Gubbins applied for a license to sell package liquor and had no trouble getting it. About the only reason that he was not opposed was that nobody else cared to take a gamble on a rather perilous business venture. But the forces that dislodged John from the wholesale beer business, blandly took the credit of handing him a good thing in return. In 1929 the Hampton board of works issued “certificates of indebtedness” to Gubbins and his contractor affiliates. Former Mayor Dale doubted the validity of these certificates and they were not paid and no suit was ever filed against the city to enforce the.claim. Now the Bunch administration added seven cents to the tax levy for the ostensible purpose of paying these claims. Although this bluff has been made, it is said that Mayor Bunch has a secret agreement with the council to lop off this seven cents and Doc will tell John he did the best he could but “couldn’t make the grade.” However John is a pretty good bluffer himself.