Indianapolis Times, Volume 36, Number 243, Indianapolis, Marion County, 20 February 1925 — Page 4

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The Indianapolis Times ROY W. HOWARD, President. FELIX F. BRUNER, Editor. . WM. A. MAYBORN, Bn*. Mgr. Member of the Serippe-Howard Newspaper Alliance * * • Client S! the United Pre*s and the NBA Service • • * Member of the Audit oreau of Circulation*. *> Published dally except Sunday by. Indianapolis Times Publishing Cos,, 214-220 W. Maryland St. Indianapolis • • • Subscription Rate*: Indianapolis—Ten Cents a week. Elsewhere —Twelve Cent* a Week. • * • PHONE—MA in 3500.

The poor useth entreaties, but the rich answereth roughly.—Prov. 18:23. Poverty often deprives a man of all spirit and virtue.— Benjamin Franklin. PETITIONS SGOOD indication of the political nature of the Shank movement for a oommission form of cfity government is contained in the mayor’s statement that if Ralph Lemcke, his particular favorite at this time and his formerpolitical enemy, announces his candidacy for mayor he will not permit the commission petitions to be circulated. In other words, the mayor seems to be using the commission petitioD'i, not for the purpose of obtaining anew form of government for Indianapolis, hut for the purpose of influencing the candidacy of certain individuals in the primary. But the mayor has made another statement since he made his reference to Lemcke. He told the Indianapolis real estate board yesterday afternoon that as soon as city manager petitions are circulated he will withdraw his commissiqn petitions. It is now assured that city manager petitions will be circulated. , Their circulation will start Saturday through the real estate board and through numerous other agencies. Friends of the city manager form feel confident that sufficient signatures to obtain a referendum in May can be obtained in a short time. But can Mayor Shank be depended on to withdraw his commission. petitions. He has repeatedly declared he is for the city manager form of government, while at the same time using the police and fire departments—established for the protection of the city—in the distribution of commission petitions. At least twice before he has insisted that he would withdraw the commission petitions, bnt the petitions have not been withdrawn. Only time will tell whether he means business after his third promise.

PROTECTING THE JOB P"1 RESS reports tell us that a thorough investigation of every phase of our national defense may result from the row in Washington over aircraft. Fine! This paper has been fighting for years to awaken the country and Congress to the need of that very thing. If it ,comes now as a resjilt of the hullabaloo raised by Assistant .Chief Mitchell of the Army Air Service, then his —well, let us 4 say highly colored —statements and charges will not have been in vain. Instead of stopping with a mere report on that controversy and the relative merit of airplanes versus battleship, it is pro’pos 3d that Congress should undertake a complete examination into the shortcomings and needs of the Army, Navy and air foree by a special committee, independent commission or some such authorized board. Congress and the country cannot know too much about this uost important single function of the National Government. National defense means nothing less than the protection of your ife and the lives of those dear to you, from foreign foes. It neans the protection of your hearth and home from invasion and the undisturbed ehjoyment of the well known job and the fruits thereof. Oddly enough, though self-preservation is the first law of nature, it is the one thing that Congress and the people seem to forget first. We have averaged a major war every twenty years since we became a nation, yet after each one we have always somehow taken it for granted that there would never be another. A fire department may be absolutely bang-up in every respect, but if the city tries to cut expenses by waiting until there’s a fire before buying spark plugs or filling the tanks with gas, that department will not be worth much when the crisis comes. The taxpayers’ money is wasted. Our national defense machinery is our protection against the conflagration of war. The machinery may be modern to the minute, save for this or that small detail, yet fail us when the crisis comes—thanks to the missing details. If our national defense system lacks any of those details, let’s fL*d them. But let's find them all. Congress adjourns on March 3. It will not meet again for months. Why not in the meantime make a full and complete study of the whole situation, take testimony, examine witnesses —-everybody who can throw the slightest light on the subject -and THEN report? v • In this way when Congress meets again in the-fall it and —what is quite as important—the people of this country will be in a position to discuss the problem intelligently, stress the importance of this or that branch of the national defense, and do efficiently what we have discovered has to be done.

Will France Pay?

BY M. E. TRACY The question Is on too many lips and Is causing unnecessary excitement. France will pay, but not until her politicians have done about so much shadow boxing.. Our politicians would be doing the same thing if we were In the same kind of a pickle. The Frenoh people are not only tired, but they have been gloriously deceived. They have been promised the Impossible not only from their enemies, but from their friends. They came out of the war believing that Germany could and would foot most of their bi.'lii. As that hope t>egan to wane, the politicians supplied anew one by hinting that America might cancel the French debt, or, at all eventa, a good port of it. It took the French people several years to realize that Germany wouldn’t pay, beo&use she couldn’t. They are not more exacting, or obstinate than other people, but they bad been lied to by those who were supposed to know." *• . , It may not take as long, but It will take some time, for the French people t£ find out that there .yas

nothing but political hot air In those hints of debt cancellation. Some politicians are likely to have a hard time of It when they do, but beyond that nothing of serious Importance will occur. When the French people understand the facts of the oase they will do the right thing, Just as they would have done long before this, If they had not been misled. The United States Is not overcharging them, or asking unreasonable terms of settlement. In fact, the United States Is prepared to accept most any kind of terms that comprehend a definite settlement. The United States Is not Insisting on a definite settlement because it needs the money, but because Irregularities, or even cancellation, would establish a dangerous precedent. The United States indulged In no haggling over the French claims when they were presented, but paid promptly and liberally. The United States realizes perfectly well that France ought not to be pushed at this time, but she also realizes that postponement of definite action, especially sines It Is brought about by useles-' political quibbling, does neither nation any *OO<L r-A.ys-r j

OIL COMPANIES OPPOSE CONTINUATION OF TAX PROBE

Drillers of Wells Aided by Charges of 'Discovery Depletion,’ Timet Waahinaton Bureau. 18tl New York Jivenue. rrrrj ASHINGTON, Feb. 20.—UnVU less the Ben&te authorizes the ’’ special tax committee headjd by Senator Couzens of Michigan to continue Its investigations, the committee will die on the adjournment of the Sixty-Eighth Congress on March 4. The committee was instructed one year ago to make a thorough study of the bureau of internal revenue, and to report to the Senate on improvements and changes which should be made in the mc'hods of collecting income and corporation taxes. OMng to the immensity of the task assigned it and the difficulties placed In its way, the committee has not completed its work. It has now adopted a resolution asking the Senate to continue Its life. This request has been taken under advisement t. the Senate Finance Committee. Before this committee the advocates of an extension of time have pleaded that the Couzens committee be given a chance to complete its study. An equally eloquent plea has been made —In secret session—by those who wish to have the investigation brought to an abrupt end. There’s a Reason And now It Is revealed thaf the most insistent opponents to continuation of the investigation are th* country’s big oil companies. This is the reason: During '.he war period, when the Government was anxious to promote oil production, Congress passed a bill calculated to encourage “wlld-Catting’’ b.v oil drillers. It provided that a "discovery depletion” was to be allowed drillers who, In seeking gushers, first drilled dry holes in the ground. The terms of this provision, which Is still on the Statute books, were so loosely drawn that oil companies have been able to offset great partr of their annual earnings by "discovery depletion” charges. Members of the Couzens committee now estimate that between 135,000,000 and $40,000,000 in corporation taxes are lost to the oountry every year through the "stretching” of depletion charges that has been indulged In by oil companies. If the facts concerning the misuse of the "discovery depletion” allowances are fully established Senator Couzens and his colleagues on the special committee believe few men will dare stand up in either house of Congress and oppose the repeal ol this law. The oil companies are of the same opinion, and It is for this reason that they want no further expose to be made. Authority May Be Taken From a legislative standpoint the situation is a hazardous one for the Couzens committee. If the majority of the Finance Committee who oppose further investigation can simply delay the matter another ten days or so the investigators will be without authority to continue. Fearing that a pigeon-hole in the Finance Committee rooms is now the selected destination for their request for a longer' life. Senators Couzens, King (Utah) and Jones (N. M.) are preparing to ask the Senate to discharge the committee from further consideration of the request and to take up the matter in open session of the Senate proper. If this expedient is resorted to, the opponents of the Couzens committee have been assured that during the open debate a major scandal will be exposed and that certain prominent persons, both in and out of public life, will have “their spots knocked off.’ ’

Ask The Times You c*n get an answer to any quMtiooof fact or Information by writing to The Indlanariollg Time* Washington Bureau, 1322 New York Ave., Washington. D. C. lnclojrinr 2 oenta In •stamp* for reply. Medical. legal and marital advice cannot be riven, nor can extended research be undertaken. All other questions will receive a personal reply UAHigned requests cannot be All letter* are confldenWaß Christopher Columbus the first European to vlelt the shores of the western continent? No. There are records of a dozen or so pre-Columbian voyages across the Atlantic by Arabian*;, Japanese, Welchmen, Irishmen and Frenchmen; besides the visits of Eric, “The Hed,” and Leif, “The Lucky,” famous Norsemen. Denmark being a sea-faring couiftry undoubtedly sent out expeditions along with Other countries, for thero are records of the Norsemen’s coming to the western shoreß an early ad the 1000 and, beyond a doubt, It lfc probable that a Dane was here as early as 1460.* What was the original name of the Hawaiian Islands, and why was the group to which they belong called the “Sandwich Islands?” * The original name was "Owyhee.” The group was named'by Captain Cook In honor of Lord Sandwich of the British admiralty. Were any medals awarded to nurses In the Spanish-American War? Not at that time. Since the war, however, awards have been Instituted which are retroactive, and the old files have been reviewed for the names of persons deserving these medals. What is tlie 'lrcumferenee of the earth In nautical miles at the sixtieth parallel? It Is 10,839.8 miles. How many ribs have men and women? Twenty-four each. What does "AuM Lang Syne” mean? This Is Scottish for **old long since,” or "days gone by.” What does the German prefix "Von” mean? “Os.” This dates from the days when a man was designated by the house or family to which he belonged. Hence, Von Hindenhurg means “of the house of Hlndenburg."

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

RIGHT HERE JN INDIANA

By GAYLORD NELSON

Crowding

mHE' State Industrial Board has warned school authorities against overcrowding gymnasiums and auditoriums at basketball games. Particular emphasis Is placed on the blocking of aisles and steps which would hinder speedy egress. The warning is needed. With the Hoosier basketball season frothing I I Hi frenz y every night v out the population NELSON of a small town. Os oourse many structures ito crowded are presumed to be fire-proof and thus safe from catejsthophe. But no building, whatever its construction, is panic-proof. Panic is not in the building but is inherent in the crowd. Every disaster in a packed auditorium—and the list is appalling—proves that no building is safer than its exists. These must be convenient and Unless aisles and passageways are kept clear a trifling mishap may precipitate panic and catastrophe. Turning away customers from a gymnasium, while there is yet room inside for a sardine, may be a financial sacrifice. But It’s better for basketball to have the result of a game announced by the referee rather than by a coroner's inquest. Regulation mHE board of safety Tuesday ordered one-way traffic on Meridian Bt. and Capitol Ave. all day. Hot protests Immediately exploded all over the place. Wednesday the rule was modified to apply only to two hours morning and evening. That assuaged the shooting pains of business men along the streets who greeted one-way traffic with strident anguish—but the modified order hasn’t stilled the tumult. The board acted without reference to the city council, and the latter body clamors for vengeance. Probably before the fratricidal strife ends the English language will get trounced. “I object to the board of safety usurping the authority of the common council," declared one councilman emphatically. "From now on I am against one-wway traffic streets in Indianapolis.” Sooner or later Indianapolis will have one-way streets, despite his opposition. Other cities have adopted the plan successfully. The logic of events will make it Imperative here —for traffic continually grows denser without any increase in available thoroughfares. But the epi*,->de is an illuminating example of how not to make traffic regulations. Rules promulgated on Snap judgments without studying the situation get nowhere except into trouble. It’s immaterial whether the authority for making regulations Is vested In council or board—but a squabble in city hall won’t relieve a traffic Jam.

Tom Sims Says Making love Is about like learning to drive an auto. Tou never will learn Just by watching someone else. Working for what you get is more Important than getting what you work for. Keep too many Irons In the fire and one of them will burn you. The lazy man’s ambition ?s a coal and Ice business. As on Ice man be could loaf in winter and as a coal man he could loaf summers. All work and no bootleg makes Jack a rich boy. Many a good argument is knocked down and run over by progress. Being poor is sometimes more of a habit than anything else. Money talks, and time will tell, but they don’t always say what we like to hear. Be good. If you get sent to Jail for three months now you will be there during April and May. Copyright, 1925, NEA Service, Inc.) Jes’ Settin’ By HAL COCHRAN mES’ settin’ and flshln’, and flshin’ and settin’—lt’s fun, whether luck comee or not. Jes’ frettln* and wlshln’, and wishin' and frettln’, o’er what you will get, or have got. The call of the stream kinda makes living seem a thing that’s worth while, after all. And wise Is the man who Just does and who can bustle out there and answer the call. Just who must we thank that there’s always a bank where a fellow can 101 lat hie ease? Just think what it means when you loaf mid the scenes where there’* water and grasses and trees. A cricket may "crick" In & voice that Is thick, but It sounds Uks a lullaby tune. And even the waves any fellow enslaves for you’ll bow to their charms pretty soon. Go on, little world, run along while we’re curled on a bank as an open-air guest We’re as happy and frd| as & fellow can be—Jes’ seatin' fjgd flshin’, at rest

Badges

EWO firemen at each fire station in the city will be given police powers and regular police badges—and will become, in effect, emergency peace officers. The plan—approved by both chiefs —seems to have real merit. It will increase the number of policemen without additional expense. Also it will provide a policeman subject to call in any section at all times. A citizen who is being murdered or held up can’t spare the time, at that interesting moment, to hunt for a cop. It would greatly relieve his distress if he knew he could summon help from the nearest fire station. The first impulse in any neighbor hood emergency is to call the fire department. With a fireman holding police power always on duty each station can answer any emergency of whatever nature. However, the plan may develop weaknesses not now perceptible. The firemen wearing badges might be called upon so frequently as to take much of their time. They would become both policemen and firemen—sort of amphibious creatures. B§th fire fighting and law enforcing are best practiced by specialists. A jack-of-all-trades is no more efficient in those vocations than elsewhere. So while reasonable co-ordi-nation of the two departments is desirable haphazard amalgamation is not. Static / R r ~~J EPRESENTAT IVE FARRELL, of Hartford City, in- - troduced a bill yesterday requiring companies producing electrical energy to maintain inspection departments for detection and elimination of current leaks on their carrier lines. The bill should have the support of the radio-fan lpbby. It would suppress, and remove from the landscape, that incorrigible Imp—-static. Perhaps static seems an inconsequential subject for consideration by the General Assembly. However, it’s as vital to public welfare a* cosmetology. It's as great a question of State as some others with which giant legislative intellects wrestle. , To preserve unsullied Hoosier family life static must be eliminated. It unsettles the citizen, expecting a pleasant evening with KDKA or PDG, to have his eardrums shattered by a load of bricks or the lost soul of a boiler factory. He Is likely to become homicidal as a result . Probably no other measure introduced during this session more clearly exemplifies the material progress of the age. A radio bill five years ago would have been howled out of the Statehouse. Since then radio has grown from nothing to a household necessity. It demonstrates the world moves at an accelerating pace. Perhaps in the Eightieth General Assembly a bill dealing with static will be as out of date as a proposal to regulate stage coaches would be today.

Income Tax

When by reason of Illness or absence from home, additional time for filing an Income tax return Is required, the taxpayer should address to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Washington, D. C., a request for an extension. Collectors of Internal revenue are not, as under preceding acts, permitted to grant such extensions. The request must be made before the return Is due—March 15, 1925, If made on the calendar year basis—and mußt contain a full recital of the causes for the delay. An extension of tirpe for filing the return does not extend the time for payment of the tax or any installment thereof, unless so specified In the extension. Asa condition of granting the extension, the commissioner may require the submission of a tentative return and estimate of the amount of the tax, and the payment of at least one-fourth of the estimated amount. A tentative return should be made on the usual return form, plainly marked "tentative” at the top, contain a statement of the estimated amount of tax believed to be due, and be properly executed. No other data need be given. Tentative returns will not be accepted, unless permission Is obtained previous to filing. A copy of the authority to file the tentative return must be attached thereto. When a taxpayer files a tentative return and falls to file a complete return within the period of the extension granted him, the complete return when filed le subject to the penalties prescribed for delinquency. Except In the case of a taxpayer who Is abroad, no extension will be granted for more than six months.

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If He Could Only Sift the Gold From the Dross

’

FOOD FROM LIFELESS MATTER

BY HERBERT QUICK fl yJ E are animals. Whether we \)y are anything more than that - or not Is the great mystery of existence; but so far as that life Is concerned upon which everything spiritual depends, all will agree that we are merely animals. We exist only by taking food, Just as do the other animals, from the amoeba to man. Most of our food we obtain from other organisms which possess life. Plants do the work, In the main, of changing the dead matter of the earth into forms which our bodies can use. Some of it we eat In the form of vegetable food. Much of our sustenance, however, we must have further changed over by plant-eat-lng animals into forms of meat-food better adapted to our uses. We begin life on milk, which is food partly maae over in the maternal body. And man has always been a carnivorous animal, eating the bodies of other animals. The cycle of food Is, from earth to plant, from plant to flesh, and much of It from flesh to other flesh—and to nerve, brain, family, society and all that is comprised in human history. Food From Elements Science has the vision of cutting out the whole cycle and making food directly from the elements. It has done little In that direction, hut give science a fulcrum on which to rest its lever and it Is quite likely to move the world. It Is getting the point of Its lever under the great weight of making raw matter Into food. A scientist has succeeded In making sugar by using just what the cane or sugar-beet usee—carbon, water and light. He made only a little and It was found mixed with a lot of other things which were made at the same time—but he made It. He made a very important food from things found everywhere. I do not remember anything more startling In all my observations of what science is doing or has done. It surpasses In significance the achievement of a few years ago when science made Indigo, which up to that time had always been made by a plant. It short-circuits the round-about cycle and creates something from raw elements for ths human diet. Made tn Laboratories We may expect more of these things as time passes. If science is given a society in which It can freely think and work. We may expect that the time will come when the burden of grubbing most of our foods from the earth will cease. Food will be a laboratory product, clothing also. Will this make Ilfs easier for the masses? It should, any one' would say; but it must he remembered that this triumph of making food and clothing from the earth under our feet, the air abtoit us, and the water which falls from heaven. Is only carrying further the magnificent work science has already done, by giving us ma-

chlnery making one day’s labor as productive as were ten a century or so ago. But it has been said, and I think It is true, that all this wonderful new productiveness has probably not lightened the burden of labor In the least. The reason Is that through the control of. natural opportunities some men have been able to take without labor this multiplication of the productiveness of all men. Unless we recognize the truth that the face of nature belongs of right to. all men, the production of food directly from the raw elements can not emancipate man from the old burden of working for food. Some men would monopolize the food through their monopoly of the sites where it could be produced. They have done it with richer Boil whenever it has been found. They have done it with oil. They have done It as to access to the very sea which bathes the world. If the sky could

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be reaped of harvests of food by thi use of airplanes, the monopoly of tin earth’s surface from which the ai planes must start would give ttu same result. Poor Pay , The Government itself, througl an Investigation commission, has an nounced that (2,200 is the minimum salary on which a man with a fam lly can live. Yet this same Govern ment pays Its postal employes i maximum of SI,BOO. —Rep. Almot (D.J, Alabama. War’s Aftermath A great many tax cases whicl arose out of the business prosperitj of the war era have furnished are still furnishing quite a volume oi tax litigation. These cases involv* not only large sums of money but extremely impbrtant principles.—Rs | port of the Attorney General.

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