Muncie Post-Democrat, Muncie, Delaware County, 31 March 1939 — Page 1

THE POST-DEMOCRAT

VOLUME 18—NUMBER 45.

MUNCIE, INDIANA, FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1939.

PRICE: FIVE CENT&

oord Dismisses

Political Pressure and Public Opinion Blamed for Shifting In Police Department; ExFireman Given Job Back, Thirty - Day Leave of Absence for Sickness Is Rule Adopted By City Administration; Lundherg Removed As Sanitary Officer and Chamness Let Go From Detective Squad.

WEALTH DRIFTS TO HANDS OF FEW

Anti-Trust Statutes Fail to Halt Wealth Concentration, Price Fixing

over

“AHhon>E;h Congress,

long period of years, lias enacted j so-called ‘anti-trust laws’, none of j tliem prevented the steady development of concentrated private ! control over business and indus-

Within three months since the present city administration has assumed charge of our civil city affairs, two new members of the police department have been appointed and dismissed by the board ofjn-y.

public works and safety. It was reported last we ek j fro T J; a r Vec n l b h e a n ?ings ^The ‘‘Amr that Walter Lundberg who was named at the be- Monopoly” investigating commitginning of the year as sanitary officer had been let | ^ k in by a ^^m^^senltw out and this week an announcement is made that Lee j Joseph c. o-Mahoney. Chamness, recently appointed detective, has been j t .;;The^ trmM m^rd ra-

ti cal pressure is the cause for these changes in the

police personnel.

tion,” O’Mahoney said,

trated particularly by the whisky

dismissed. Reasons for the dismissals have not been

made public hut it is understood that too much poll- i “ (1 i u t 8t i l s y ‘ W jndust

revived only since the repeal of prohibition. In the short space of five years, four companies have emerged controlling much more than half the entire “business.”

Evils Widespread

So far, the committee has prob-

ed monopolies and price fixing in the whisky, sulphur, steel, milk, J glass container, life insurance and

industries, and has intro-

Democrats

Kirillin

NO DISHONESTY IN ‘38 ELECTION

Charges Made By Raymond E. Willis Severely Criticized

“7* 5-»

Indianapolis, March 24!—When , Raymond E. Willis, defeated candi- j date for the United States Senate, .asked that body to go on a fishing expedition and conduct a recount i of votes in six Indiana counties,)

Omer Jackson Wishes to Resign After Five Years of Splendid Service to Party and Retain Attorney-Generalship of Indiana; Bays and McConnell Mentioned As Probable Successors to Head State Organization; Republicans Continue With Factional Strife and Would Oust Bobbitt From Post.

The resignation of Ray Wilkinson, patrolman named to the department during the Bunch administration, becomes effective Saturday and Oscar Miller has been appointed to fill this vacancy. The jolt of sanitary officer has been filled with the transfer of Frank Janies from the detective force and Ed Shepherd, patrolman, was promoted to replace James as a detective. Sam Goodpasture who was reappointed as a member of the police department by the new administration was assigned duty as a police officer at the sewage disposal plant which is now tinder

construction.

Frank James, the newly appointed sanitary officer, was a Republican councilman during the Dale administration and was made a member of the detective squad in Rkir. by former mayor Bunch. He has been retainea oy the present Republican city administration. Ed Shepherd, who replaces James as a detective, was also a Bunch appointee and kept, on the department by the new administration. Goodpasture was a former policeman who was dismissed during the Bunch regime but re-appointed since the first.of this year. Besides the changes announced on the police department one former member of the fire department, Walter McDonald, has been placed back on (he payroll. He fills the vacancy left by Clement Hobbs who became a member of the fire department under Iflie Bunch administration and whose resignation has been accepted by the present, hoard of safety. According to City Controller John Lewis, president of the board of public works and .safety, the records v .slicnv. . that McDonald had been’ giVen a hearing at the time of his dismissal from the department in 193& but that no judgment was ever- entered against him. A compromise settlement for any salary claim by McDonald is reported to have been made and he has been returned to his old job. The board adopted a rule which provides for a thirty day leave

from duty with pay in the case of sickness by any member of the police or fire departments. Cer7ified statements from physicians

who attend the sick policeman or foreman must accompany the j other

leave of absence request. The rule duced evidence that there are few does not effect any officer who j producing or distributing busines-

might be injured in line of duty since their benefits continue as long as they are unable to return

to duty.

Considerable public comment has been heard during

police

not

weeks concerning

ment appointments. Reference is made to several new appointees whose past records would not justify their membership to that department. Joking rumors to the effect that applicants for a police job under the new administration seem to have a better chance to receive consideration if they have ben slated in the past as police characters are widely heard. To -date several appointments have caused disappointment to those citizens who expected a clean-up in the personnel of the police department and it is believed that such opposition has caused reaction which has brought about such changes already made and some others that should be made.

ses in which these evils are

known to exist.

O’Mahoney pointed out that “the Federal Trade Commission listed 45 major types of commercial

recent I practices employed by business to depart-1 restrain competitors and destroy

competition.”—Labor

Appearing at senate judiciary sub-committee hearing on his nomination to Supreme Court, William 0. Douglas (right) listens as the committee approves the nomination. With the SEC chairman is Attorney General Frank Murnhv.

Bingo Excepted In Drive On Gambling Brazil, Ind., March 30. — The gambling lid is on here today as a result of orders issued and enforced by Chief of Police Harry Hilton. Pqnchboards and card games in downtown establishments were the principal targets of the ban. Chief Hilton said that he had re-

Arctic Heroine Drives Huskies At Sun Valley Sun Valley, Ida.—Mary Joyce, the girl who drove a nog team 1,000 miles from Taku to Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1935, now spends her time taking Easterners into, the nearby Sawtooth mountains on short treks from Hie Sun Valley Lodge ski resort. The girl drives her team of Alaska huskies and malemutes of the same breed she used in her Arctic

exploits.

Born in Wisconsin and trained as a nurse, Miss Joyce fell an easy victim to the spell of the Yukon 10 years ago after ^several hunting trips into (he Taku river country, north of Juneau, Alaska. The girl discusses her trek through north Alaska freely. She said the temperature was GO*below zero most of the time. Parts of .the territory she crossed were unmapped areas never before visited by

a white person.

An Indian guide accompanied

ceiyed complaints that men and f or 250 miles, but the rest of

hoys who could not afford it have been squandering their money on gambling. But. the chief said the older did not extend to bingo

games.

TAX EXEiPTIONS EQUALIZED A ruling of the United States Supreme court handed down last Monday abolishes the tax exemptions against salaries paid to state and federal employees. Heretofore, state employees including municipal and county officials were exempt; from paying federal income taxes on salaries received hy them in their official capacies. Also, federal employees were exempted from paying the state gross income taxes on their incomes from the government but now all fmbTic officials are required to file both state and federal ihcome tax reports and pay taxes on their incomes received from their official positions. This ruling is regarded fair inasmuch as public opinion has always resented the payment of taxes on incomes, when others were exempted from such taxes. All public officials in Indiana with the exception of federal employees have had to pay the state gross income taxes but they have been exempted from the federal income tax on their salaries. It is estimated that nearly 900 residents of this county ‘will be effected by the new ruling and that both the state and federal tax revenues will be materially inCl'GHSGCl The decision of the Supreme Court will place all citizens and taxpayers on an equa] basis whether they be employed by any governmental unit or not. It is generally thought that if tax exemptions are to be given to all citizens and taxpayers alike rather than to exclude a certain class \vho may be drawing a salary from federal, state, or local governments. After all those persons on the public pay roll, are receiving incomes furnished by the taxpayers themselves and why they should be exempted from contributing to their own source of incomes has been a puzzle to the general public. The collection of past due taxes from public officials is not expected but such payments will begin from the date of the court ruling.

the long, frozen trek she made

alone.

Another exploit which brought her fame was the red cue in 1936 of Father Hubbard, the “Glacier Priest” of Alaska. She took him off a slippery rock where hd had been marooned after his boat was i wrecked in the Twin Glacier river. L Special Movies Used To Raise Reading Speed Cambridge, Mass.—A new mo tion-picture technique is beinF used successfully at Harvard Graduate School of Education t< speed students’ reading ability. In the first eight-week experi mental test, 16 freshmen showed marked improvement in reading skill and some advance in scholas tic standing. The subjects increased reading speed 50 per cent, gained in read ing accuracy and improved theii habits of eye movement. Through the special movies, lh< spectator’s eyes are forced to fol low the movements that a skillful reader’s eyes would follow. Th< movie shows successive phrases flashed rapidly across and down the screen in such a way that the spectator’s eyes involuntarily are attracted to each word-group as it

appears.

The technique has been devel oped by Prof. Walter F. Dearborn, dirctor of Harvard’s Psycho-Edu-cational Clinic, and Dr. Irving H. Anderson, education instructor, with the aid of Director James R. Brewster of the Harvard Film

Service.

Argentina exported over 12 per cent more wool in 1938 than in 1937.

BOON TO SOUTH IN NEW COHON TYPE FORESEEN

Variety Developed With Seed Richer in Oil Content Little Rock, Ark., March 26.— Cotton producers of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas are searehiHg the dictionary ior adjectives to describe a revolutionary new variety of “cottonless” cotton developed at a Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. For years, cotton-oil manufacturers of the South have dreamed of a type of cotton which would produce an over-large succulent seed, rich in oil content, which could be grown without detracting from the grade of lint. It is a fact that long-staple cotton always has relatively small ^eed in the boll, because most, of the space in the pod is taken up by lint fibers. And in the ginning of most varieties of cotton, the small seeds often are crushed in the ginsaws, with the result that, much of their oil content is lost. Developed at Texas Station Then, last fall from South Texas came news that cotton experts oi Texas A. & M.’s station had developed a variety of cotton having large bolls—with little or no lint fibers wrapped about the large, oil rich seeds. j Described by leading cotton-oil men of this section as potentially one of the greatest developments of modern agricultural science, the new cotton will be placed on the market next year. It is expected to develop an entirely new farm industry in Hie (Continued On Page Four) Salvation Army Cadets In Muncie On Easter Week A * brigade of young women cadets from the Salvation Army’s William Booth Memorial Training college in Chicago will come to Muncie to conduct meetings through Eastef week. The services will open on Saturday, April 1, and continue through Easter Sunday. Brigadier H. G. Robb, officer in charge of the Muncie corps, 201 East Seymour street, will be host to the visiting brigade, which is headed by Lt. Ann Polachek. The cadets will be joined on Tuesday, April 4, by Lt.-Colonel Edwin Clayton, training college principal, who will assist with meetings on that day. The brigade visiting Moline is one of six groups going out from the Chicago training college to conduct Easter week services at six j different Army corps scattered I throughout the Central States terI ritory. Other corps to be visited are the Highland Park corps, Detroit, Michigan, the corps in Madison, Wisconsin, Springfield, "Missouri, Moline, Illinois, and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Local officers at each of the corps have planned a busy week for the cadets which will include, in addition to religious services at porps headquarters, a series of factory meetings, cottage prayer meetings, and house to house visitation.

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO GIVE LAST CONCERTS

Residents of Indiana will bid a temporary farewell to their great symphony orchestra next week-end when Fabien Sevitzky ascends the Muria theater podium to conduct the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in its last pair of concerts Saturday night April 1, and Sunday

ajfternoon April 2.

The Sunday afternoon concert

represents a change from the usual custom of holding subscription concerts on Friday afternoon and Saturday evening; state subscribers to the concert series are notiffed their Friday afternoon tickets

t It is forecast that soon the Democratic state orthe reply made by the Democratic! 2!anization will bo headed hy a new leader who Will county chairmen in these counties replace state chairman Omer S. Jackson of Green-

field. Jackson has led his party through the past three successful state campaigns but desires to re-

one or the Mho e,eelio„ offlcial* the chairmanship Jpg to Some C-itidsm of that party made any, suggestion that be is holding 1 that poslt'on alontT with his ap-

pointment as attorney-general of Indiana. He was named to head the state committee in 1933 durinu the administration of former governor Paul V. McNutt,

was blistering and conclusive. They called attention to the fact that no Republican chairman had made much charges nor had any

that men become so ambitious Hiat they would smear the name of a fine county in endeavoring to obtain public reward. Senator Van Nays’ majority of nearly 4,000 votes in our country was due to a better Senator for Indiana than

that there had been fraud or dis-

honesty.

From Marion founty, Ira Haymaker, county chairman, said:

“Every vote was honestly cast) , . .. .

and honestly counted. The charge WhO HOW IS WO’l Ollt IP front US <1 Cimdldlltp for the

is slanderous and absurd ” Quite j p res ] c ] ency in as promptly, County Chairman . ^

Fred F. Bays of Sullivan county! wo Prospective candidates to

presented the statement of W. N. : succeed Jackson Ringer, Sullivan county Repub'ii-1 stale chairman, are can chairman, which was printed ; RuI)j an(1 Tom

immediately after the election in:

which the Republican chairman j F °wler. Bays is a present member said: “We were very much pleas-j of iPe nubile sen' *e -ammission ed with the attitude, fairness and ' and McConnell was a former ashonesty of the election hoards ofisistant to R. Earl Peters, head of the opposition.” ! die Federal Housing AdministraCalling attention to the fact that j tion in Indiana. Bavs is believed the charges did not come from the to hold a preference with Govoiopposition leaders who would have nor Townsend for the state chairbeen the first to make them had j manship although the governor there been any grounds, Mr. Bavs . j ias no -£ predicted who might be adds: “It is indeed regrettable Jackson’s successor. McConnell

Democratic Fred Bays of McConnell of

2, at 3 p. m. As at the last concert pair of the previous season, the orchestra and the Indianapolis Symphonic choir -whose choral conductor is Elmer Andrew Steffen—will combine under Mr. Sevitzky’s baton to end the season in a “blaze” of musical

“glory.”

Mozart’s famous "Requiem,” which requires not only full symphony orchestra and chorus, but four vocal soloists, will be given its first Indianapolis performance in half a century. Its presentation at this time is considered not only as a great event for lovers of fine music, but particularly appropriate because of the devout nature of the composition, to the season. Solo parts of the Requiem will he sung hy Jeannette Vreeland. soprano; Louise Bernhardt, alto; Howard Harrington, tenor; and David Blair McClosky, baritone. Three On Honor Roll From Delaware Co.

Mr. Willis. Were the election to he held today, Senator Van Nuys would defeat Mr. Willis by even a greater majority in Sullivan

county.”

James J. Fagan of Vigo county took up the “charges” in detail and showed their absurdity, calling aiteirtion to the fact that Vigo county Democrats offered no resistance to the application of Willis for a recount, hut welcomed it. “No Republican candidate in Vigo county filed any contest whatsoever, thereby plainly reveal

ihg the conviction of local Re-jooratic

publican candidates that the election was regular,” said Mr. Fagan. “This is striking when it is recalled that some of the Republican candidates for the city council were deleated hy less than 100 voles. Citizens generally throughout Hie county indignantly resent Hie .slander on this community by the false, but widely circulated propaganda by Hie Republican state committee and Mr. Willis.” Mr. Fagan replied in detail to all the charges made and proved by

the records their falsity.

From Lake county came the same analysis of the charges and

successor,

was a member of the state com mitlee as Second District Democratic chairman during the time Peters was state chairman. He is also verv active in the affairs <jf the American Legion in Indiana.

The - ‘TexpeCtef*

Democratic state chairmanship is not a result of party friction nor opposition to Jackson but merely to fill a vacancy which would be caused by the slate chairman’s resignation after five years of real service to his nartv. The Democratic party of Indiana stands united behind the Presidential candidacy of McNutt who nas served as High Commissioner to the Philippine Islands since his retirement as Governor in 1937. There has been little public comment made by leaders of the party conoerhing next year's Dem-

candidate for governor

but it is believed to date mat Henry Schricker, present lietiten-. ihi governor, has the best chances. Without question, the IT. s. Senatorial candidate for irjd tvij he Sherman . Minion whose present term will exoipe at the close of next vesv. ife js’ a resident of Now Albany in the southern 'part of the state while Schricker would be a gubernatorial candidates from Hie northern section of Indians. Thereby, both the north and south sections of the state would be represented for major offices on the

state ticket.

'Plie Indiana Republicans continue to tussle with a factional fight within their ranks and at present Archie Bobbitt, G. O. P.

"Phan’ge—in- -ebaft faisitg

to retain his leadership since fthev groups arc wanting control of Hip state organization. 'Two rears ago, Ivan Morgan of Austin was forced out of the state chairmanship due to factional disputes between the Ralph Cates and the Ewing Emison groups. Bobbitt was the compromise candidate at ‘that’ time but the same factionalism exists today and pressure is lieing brought to force the ex-state audi-

tor from his post.

The lack of responsibility by Ropublican members of the last ad* journed state legislature has (Continued On Page Four)

Work Is Being Pushed on Muncle’s New

Phone Dial Exchange.

Lafayette, Ind., March 31—

Three students from Delaware „ * « .w

oounty who ore enrol,«i a, Purdue University were among the 430

who gained a place on the "distinguished student” list or honor roll for the last semester, which was announced today. ’Phe enrollment last semester was 6,778. To gain a place on the list means that a student must have an average of “A” or better in the semester’s work. There were 100 freshmen, 93 sophomores, 132 juniors and 105 Seniors on the current list, and each will receive a refund of $30 in fees for the semester, a step taken by the University some years ago to help stimulate interest, in scholastic achievement. The students from Delaware county on the list were as follows: Patrick J. Brennan and James K. Meranda of Muncie, and Vernon I. Hitchcock of Selma.

FACTORY PAY ROLLS GAINS AND EMPLOYMENT RISES

same challenge that the charges were not made hy local Republicans who would have nothing to do with the efforts of Bobbitt and Willis to spread their libels upon their fellow Republicans. "Mr. Willis’ blanket indictments and continued allegation's of vote frauds in Lake county reflect upon Republican party workers, for if the al-j leged fraud existed, it would have been necessary for them to be a party to it,” says Lake County Chairman Robert E. Wilhelm. “As to the charge that enormous funds were spent, the records show that the Republican county committee spent $27,552.29 in Lake county while we went through om campaign with only $18,858.65. Since the Democrats were in con trol of the two largest cities in the t county at the time of the last elec tion, it might be of interest to citi zens of Lake county where this big

Weekly factory pay rolls in Indiana increased 3.4 per cent from mid-January to mid-February while employment expanded 2.8 per cent. Indiana factories employed 251,0«*^ wage earners in February and paid them a total of $6,337,211 weekly. Manufacturing pay rolls were 23.5 per cent higher than a year earlier and employment was 4.7 per cent greater than in February, 1938. Most of the barometers and indexes justify the prediction. Commodity prices, one of the best barometers of conditions, are holding firmly to good levels. oIn spite of war troubles baseball is being enjoyed in Japan.

Installation work on the Indi <nr Bel] Telcnhone Company’s nev dial telephone exhanee in Munch

Republican campaign fund came j js going forward rapidly. The nev

from and what corporations or 1 business helped to make up this huge sum of money. We believe it is poor judgment on his part on one-day to charge his constitutents with unfair play and then on the next day to announce his candi dacy for the high office of United States Senator and expect wholehearted support from Republican workers. On the day after election I received the following telegram from Fred F. Schutz, Lake County Republican chairman, which is in itself an answer to the Willis slanders: ‘Congratulations on your victory. May I compliment you on the manner in which you conduct-

ed your campaign’.”

From Vanderburgh county came this terse statement from Walter Foley, Democratic counjy chairman: “The charges of Mr. Willis are foolish and absurd insofar as they relate to this county.”

system will probably be readv fo’ Service about the first week ir August according to present ind 1 cations. Th’s will be several week

ahead of schedule.

The new building located at Eli' and Jackson streets will housr the central office equipment. EaiT in March installers began the task of assembling the automatic units Power equipment of the latest type, including batteries, genera tors, and ringing machines is he : ng placed in the basement. A! 1 local telephone lines will bf brought into the building in si' cables, each one of them contain ing 1,800 pairs of copper wires enclosed witliiil a space less than three inches in diameter. Inside the office the cable will divide into smaller units for distribution to the automatic switches. Weeks of careful work will be required to

•onnect each of those wires in its trope: - place. Before the new office can be ilaced in service, it will be necessary to complete other rearran.grnents in the telephone plant. The nii' r distance office is being modified to work with the dial a'hange system. The Company’s 'onstruction forces are placing a iow underground conduit run •outlr from Jackson street to JhaGes street. Other seteions of new conduit will be needed, and 'arger size cables required in some if the existing runs. It is also necessary to replace all manual telephones with instrunent suifahel for dial operation This part of the work is being accomplished hv a special crew of 12 men. At this time about half of the instruments have been changed. A cardboard guard placed over the dials serves to remind telephone users that they should not use the dial until the entire system is put in service.