Indianapolis Times, Volume 39, Number 152, Indianapolis, Marion County, 3 November 1927 — Page 6

PAGE 6

The Indianapolis Times (A SCKIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER) Owned and published daily (except Sunday) by The Indianapolis Times Publishing; Cos., 214-320 W. Maryland Street. Indianapolis. Ind. Price In Marion County. 2 cents —lO cents a week; elsewhere, 3 cents—l 2 cents a week. BOYD GURLEY. ROY W. HOWARD. W. A. MAYBORN. Editor. President. Business Manager. PHONE—MAIN 3500. THURSDAY. NOV. 3. 1927. Member of United Press. Scripps-Howard Newspaper Alliance, Newspaper Enterprise Association. Newspaper Information Service and Audit Bureau of Circulations. “Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way.”— Dante.

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SC*iPPS~MOWAAJ>

Its Only Chance There is only one reason for the members of the city council to escape naming as mayor one of the men who are today to be named by the representatives of the civic organizations. That chance lies in their discovery of a man who so far outclasses in public confidence the men who will be picked by the citizens as these men will undoubtedly outclass the names of the politicians who have been suggested as the recipients of their favor. The members of the council must understand that their actions are subject to the widest suspicion. Their own acts have made anything they do suspicious. If there were only the handling of the impeachment of John Duvall, there would be plenty of ground to look with some scrutiny upon any selection they may make. There are rumors, grave rumors, that their threats to impeach Duvall had a sinister purple. 9 The people know from the record that the threat-of impeachment was always followed by granting of jobs to relatives. They acted as horse traders and not as decent directors of the city’s affairs. They have handled other public matters in a most aggravating manner and that puts it mildly. The way in which they have reversed the decisions of the zoning board which they finally abolished did not make for any public confidence. The granting of permits for filling stations on corners where they had been banned by this board which tried to protect real estate values of neighboring property smacked of collusion and worse. They must know that the people have no confidence in them and will insist that they now take advice in this emergency from citizens whose motives are above suspicion. They just realize that they have had their share in the humiliation and disgrace of this city and that they contributed to the shame placed upon this city by Duvall. They must, or should be forced. Even their advisers will tell them that they are in bad, very* very bad. It is indicative of their state of mind that they are now conferring with discredited politicians and only with those who seek power in politics and government. It is indicative of their lack of vision that they are turning from one boss to another in this matter which should be too serious to be left to political bosses. They alone in this city do not seem to realize that the time has come when politics must be abandoned for patriotism and selfishness be deposed by service. Indianapolis deserves not only a good man, but the very best man. Indianapolis must be advertised to itself and to the Nation as having asserted its conscience and its civic spirit. Indianapolis needs a good advertisement. The selection of a great outstanding citizen who invites confidence at home and admiration elsewhere can furnish that. Instead of consulting with the Dodsons and the Coffins and the minor bosses of a discredited machine, these councilmen, if ttyey were wise, would be praying for an inspiration that would lead them to someone even better than the organized civic bodies could suggest. Os course, they are not wise. They will not, in all probability, try to compete in this field. But it is their only chance.

CORRECTION! Through an error the name of Clarence L. Kirk, general manager of the Citizens’ Gas Company, was printed as Charles Kirk in an editorial on Tuesday.

Mellon and the Democrats There appears to be a strong probability that the Democrats in Congress will play into the hands of the Republicans in the matter of tax legislation. From a political standpoint, Secretary Mellon has presented a tax program on which his party can hardly lose. It is a pretty good program—aside from his proposal to destroy the Federal inheritance tax. Mellon estimates $225,000,000 as the largest reduction in total taxes that can be made with safety, and he offers his suggestions on that basis. The greater part of this reduction he would achieve by reducing the corporation income tax from 1312 per cent to 12 per cent. This seems a reasonable proposal. In time of peace 13% per cent looks like an improper portion of a corporation’s earning for the Government to take—even though it cannot be doubted that many corporations are quite able to pass this on to the consumer. But some of the Democratic leaders, some of the loudest of them at any rate, are crying for a greater reduction. How would they achieve it? Not by reducing the taxes of small taxpayers. Nobody with a really small income pays any income tax now. Something could be done for what is called the middle group—those paying taxes on incomes between SIO,OOO and s9o,ooo—but Mellon’s plan includes a reduction in the fates for these. No, these Democratic leaders would reduce the corporation income tax still more than Mellon proposes. Why? Well, the last time the Democratic leaden sought to outdo Mellon, it was openly asserted that the purpose; was to win the love of the

corporation taxpayers. A campaign was coming and contributions were desired. Another'campaign is approaching. Do these Democrats hope to gather campaign contributions by proving themselves kinder to the corporations than the Republicans? That is how it looks at this stage. But do they imagine that any corporation in this country can conceive of a public official more friendly to its interests than Mellon? And, supposing they do cut taxes further than Mellon proposes, is it their idea that they will get credit for doing so when campaign time comes? They have only to remember 1924 to answer that question. But, say these Democrats, Mellon purposely underestimates the coming surplus, Is it reasonable that Mellon would do this in the face of the campaign? No more reasonable than to suppose he would keep the corporation incolhe tax at 12 per cent if he thought he could get away safely with a reduction to 10 per cent. Carried away with the idea of winning corporation favor, the Democrats may outdo Mellon again. is that if they do they will be reW&raed to exactly the same extent as they were in 1924. And our guess is that Mellon understands this perfectly. The Coward Strain Wilhelm the second, the man who talked co big, who loved to rattle the sabre and bully Europe and who ran away when he had brought his country to ruin and defeat, comes by his cowardice naturally. It’s in the blood. It’s been in the strain for three generations. \ Emil Ludwig, the famous German biographer, in his book on Bismarck, reveals this to the full. The present runaway ex-Kaiser used to talk fondly of his grandfather as "Wilhelm the Great.” Well, Ludwig shows how, when Bismarck made his famous speech about blood and iron, “Wilhelm the Great” burst into tears and said: “I see well enough how all this will end. In the Opernplatz, under my window, they will cut your head off—and a little later, mine.” He talked of abdication and wanted Crown Prince Frederick to take the throne. But that Hohenzollem also had cold feet. He refused not only earnestly, but violently. For three generations, whenever a Hohenzollem has been up against the wrath of an outraged people, he has shown the shaky hand, the throbbing heart, the trembling nerves. A Bad Dam Suggestion Interesting literature comes in the morning mail from the Joint committee of national utility associations, the organization formed two months ago by the hydro-electric companies to combat legislation they consider detrimental to their interests. I Their newest offering to the press is a copy of an editorial in the Los Angeles Times. This editorial gives the authors of the SwingJohnson bill for construction of Boulder dam, a little advice. The bill at present says construction of Boulder dam shall not be started until the Government has obtained signed contracts for sale of all power to be generated there, for amounts sufficient to repay the whole cost of the dam. Let us amend this bill, says the Times, to provide that if the Government can’t get these signed contracts, it shall go ahead and build a low dam in the river anyhow, and not generate any power. The mor§ one considers this suggestion the more interesting it becomes. Under the present bill, the Government plans to sell much of the Boulder dam power to private power companies for distribution. If the power companies did not bid for this power, construction of the dam could not be started. In that case, the Government would, under t't* Times plan, do. exactly what the power companies—and the Times—have advocated for years; namel; \ build a low dam in the river that would generate r.o power at all. Is it very hard to guess what would happen if the suggestion were adopted? Won’t Be the Goat There is a pleasing sincerity in the announcement by Senator Charles Curtis of his candidacy for the Republican nomination for President. He is ready to be a candidate, he says, if his State, Kansas, is really desirous of having him elected. He does not choose to be a favorite son. A favorite son, in presidential politics, is not exactly what it sounds like. It sounds fine. The words conjure up a personality for whom the home folks have an abiding affection. Os all our sons, the State seems to say, here is the one we love best; we’re for him, first, last and all the time. Sometimes that is just the way it is—but not often. Usually a favorite son candidate is only a name for which the delegation has agreed to vote until the State’s political managers have decided where the best deal can be made. It is a means of keeping the delegation lined up solidly during the preliminary ballots in the national convention. When the time seems ripe for casting the delegation’s lot with one of the real candidates, the favorite son can be sacrificed without regard for his feelings. Senator Curtis knows all about this. He has taken parW in many a convention. And he is not willing to be the sacrificial goat. His flat declaration to that effect is truly refreshing.

Law and Justice By Dexter M. Keezer

Five boys were expelled from a high school on the charge that they had brought some intoxicating cider to a school yitertainment. Four of the boys were subsequently reinstated, but the fifth was not. He sued the school directors for damages, contending that his expulsion was the result of malice on their part for which they were liable. The school directors denied the alleged malice, but also said that, regardless of their motives, they were not liable to the boy for xpelling him. They based this contention on the fact that they had acted in a judicial capacity in expelling him, and said that on the same principle that judges are immune from civil liability for their decisions, they were free from liability for their decision to expel the boy. HOW WOULD YOU DECIDE THIS CASE? The actual decision: The Supreme Court of New Hampshire decided that the school directdrs were immune from liability for expelling the boy, regardless of their motives. The court said they were entitled to an immunity from civil liability similar to that accorded to judges.

THE IN DIAJS APOLlfc) TIMES

M. E. TRACY SAYS: Trcnble With Juries, Either Through Tampering or Report of Loose Talk, Has Become Rather Fashionable in This Country When Rick Men Go to Court.

Rejuvenated by one of those mysterious operations which one hears about but seldom sees, and looking 30, though the record shows she should be credited with twice that number of years, a sister of the former Kaiser brings her romantic career to a smashing climax by winning the love of a Russian ne’er-do-well from a Parisian mannequin. You can depend on water to find its level. * * ♦ Papers Conduct Classes Schools having been closed in Lexington, Ky., to prevent a threatened epidemic of infantile paralysis, the children are learning their daily lessons through the two newspapers of that city. This is a splendid example of how newspapers can help, and how willing they are to help, when a community finds itself in trouble. * * # Five-Year Marriages A Los Angeles jurist recommends that marriage be contracted on a five-year basis, with option of renewal. This sounds shocking, but it is little more so than what actually goes on. The fact that we have a law which pretends to put marriage on a permanent basis blinds us not only to the prevalence of divorce, but to the manner in which it is granted. Asa matter of record, most divorces occur through mutual consent, though to satisfy legal , requirements, one party must appear to fight the other. • * * Highest Living Standard According to the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the aggregate income of this country for 1926 was $90,000,000,000. That is $750 for each man, woman and child. As the bureau points out, this represents a standard of living never before attained in the history of the human race. This causes us to stand forth as the, best fed. best housed, best clothed and best paid people in the world. It inspires millions with the longing to come here and other millions with resentment and envy. We shall do wrong if we fail to recognize the element of danger it involves or the element of responsibility it imposes. • * * Enough to Satsify Ail With such vast wealth at our disposal we are not only under increased obligations to be considerate toward the rest of the world, but to be decent among ourselves. In view of our comfortable circumstances, such scandals as those growing out of Teapot Dome, the Pennsylvania primary and the Indiana situation do not look well. If there is enough to satisfy the needs of average people in this country, as average people are constantly reminded, there ought to be enough to satisfy the rich, without such crookedness and corruption as these scandals imply. • • • Oil Trial Scandal s Termination of the Fall-Sin-clair trial under circumstances with stench of money demand that the lid be taken off and that Government authorities pause at nothing to punish those who are directly and indirectly responsible. The loose talk of young Kidwell, who is charged with having said he expected “a car as long as this block” if Sinclair were acquitted, represents nothing but a shadowy indication of what really took place. To clear up this mess, to bring the right people to book, to satisfy the public that it has the power to handle'such cases, the Government must find out what was behind Kidwell’s loose talk, if he made it; who paid those Burns operatives, and why. Trouble with juries, either through tampering or reports of loose talk, has become rather fashionable in this country when rich men go to court. Josiah Kirby landed in jail because he tried a little “fixing,” and the Ford-Sapiro farce broke up because a woman juror expressed herself too freely. An amazing feature of this latest episode is that Judge Siddons did not forestall it by placing the jury under such restraint as would haVe prevented what occurred, and what ordinary common sense should have suggested as likely to occur. * * Destroys Law Respect It is such useless and apparently ' avoidable interruptions that cause people to doubt the efficiency' of the law. Realizing how all other activities have improved, especially in the matter of expedition, they can not understand why our system of justice has grown so slow, so clumsy and so incapable of getting things done in a reasonable length of time. It is the one institution which has failed to show improvement during the last century. We have learned how to travel and communicate with each other faster than our grandfathers ever dreamed was possible. We have learned how to manufacture and distribute all kinds of products with a precision and dispatch they never imagined, but when it comes to finishing up a case in court we are way behind them, and the average man wonders why.

Better Build One That Will Float, Boys

(Owrn Leader) The political situation in Indiana, with its scandais and rumors of scandals, is one that demands a lot of serious consideration on the part of the Republican party. The situation is serious—not only to the party, but to the L onsiao gtate of Anc j it is the State the Gov- anc j its welfare that prompts this sugernorship gestion. Indiana is entitled to the best in its officials and to this end we want to place before the Indiana voters the name of Homer Elliott of Indianapolis for Governor. He is a native Hoosier, born in Morgan County about 49 years ago. Reared on a farm, he later entered the law. He came to Spencer twenty-seven years ago and began law practice. He succeeded from the start, As deputy prosecutor he made a fine record in the prosecution of liquor violations and other criminal cases. In 1918 he moved to Martinsville where his law practice continued to grow. He left there to take up his duties as Federal District Attorney, and in that office he made a record not equalled in any State. If we are not wrongly informed, he never in his three years as. Federal prosecutor, brought an indictment that failed to convict. This record speaks well for Mr. Elliott. But back of this record is the man himself. Down here in Owen County we know him intimately. We know him for his unshakable honesty and integrity: we know him for a fine Christian gentleman. He is characterized by common sense and a gift of insight that shows him the straight, direct line of reasoning through any given problem—call it intuition, or what you will. Knowing him as we do here in Owen County—intimately—we have no hesitancy in urging -a consideration of him at this time. What Indiana needs is old-fashioned common sense and common honesty in politics and the high places of the State, and we present for your consideration Homer Elliott. (Richmond Palladium) (Independent) To say that Indianapolis needs a few more mayors would be unkind to a city whose political factions have made a comic opera out of a critical situation. What Indianapolis needs more than Indianap- anything else is an aroused public conscience that will bring about good ' \ municipal government. That city has Mayors lacked a moral sense in appraising its municipal candidates, and as a result of the indifference and neglect its politicians have brought the city into disrepute. Whenever an individual begins to wander from the path of rectitude and honor he usually brings reproach on his name or ends his career behind the prison bars. Whenever a city winks and connives at crooked practices, or ascribes them to “politics,” it is paving the way for wholesale corruption. The remedy in Indianapolis, and in other cities, too, lies with the people themselves. Let public opinion speak, and the dishonest public official will quail before the blast. So long as the citizens are apathetic to the point of letting political bosses misrule them and corrupt their government, they may expect con-

You can get an answer to any question of fact or Information by writing to The Indianapolis Times Washington Bureau, 1322 New York Ave., Washington, D. C., inclosing 2 cents In stamps for reply. Medical, legal and marital advice cannot be given nor can extended research be undertaken. AU other questions will receive a personal reply. Unsigned requests cannot be answered. All letters are confidential.—Editor. Is it correct to say “Are you working harder than I am?” That is correct but the “am” is not necessary. It is understood. What do the names Chrystal and Christopher mean? The name Chrystal Is from the Gaelic and means “Christ-bearer.” It lias the same meaning as Christopher, which however, is from the Greek. What is meant by “loaming” in gold mining? Loaming is a method of prospecting for gold, in which the earth is washed from the hillside in the direction indicated by the increasing gold particles until the vein is located. The term comes from Australia. W’here can one obtain a list of all the leading cartoonists in the country with their addresses? The August 27, 1927 issue of “Editor and Publisher” contains such a list. The price is 10 cents plus postage, and the address is Room 1,700, Times Bldg., New York. Can airplanes travel faster than the fastest birds? The. fastest birds known are the large Swifts of Central America. They fly faster than the Lanner Gier Falcon of England, which, according to speed tests made with airplanes, travel at the rate of 110 miles per hour. Airplanes have made

What Other Editors Think

Questions and Answers

more than 200 miles per hour. There is no record of a bird equaling that speed. How many Irish and Scotch persons were admitted vo the United States in 1926? There were 42,475 Irish and 27,298 Scotch. What Is the meaning of the word “titanic”? Great in size, gigantic. What is the smallest gold coin ever issued in the United States? The gold dollar is the smallest gold coin ever issued by the United States government, according to official report of the director of the mint. There were some gold quarter dollars issued in California by private parties in the pioneer days of the west. Such coinage is now being prohibited by law. Are the Dort automobiles still being made? Tlieir manufacture ceased in 1924. What does “Hinkey-Dinkey parley vous” mean? It is the title of a World War comic song and means “Do you speak “Hinkey-Dinkey.” The words “parley vous” are French. Is Yellowstone National Park located mostly in Idaho? It is located in northwestern Wyoming encroaching slightly upon Montana £fnd Idaho. In Idaho there are thirty-six square miles or 23,040 acres of the park. What are “Bitter Aloes?” Aloes is an intensely bitter resinous substance consisting of the inspissated juice of the leaves of sev-

ditions to revert to the pitiful situation which exists in Indianapolis. If they quietly submit-to the yoke, they must expect to pull the load in the form of unfavorable publicity, lack of confidence in the community, and other evils. Indianapolis should not look primarily to the mayor’s office but to their entire municipal structure. The attitude of the voters must be changed to an aggressive demand for civic righteousness everywhere that will exalt the community. All of them must get behind a program for good government. The plight of Indianapolis illustrates the ease with which a city may retrograde once its citizens have lost a pugnacious spirit for clean government. If its citizenship had sought fitness for office as the cardinal virtue of its candidates for office, it would not be wondering how to get rid of incompetents. Very few citizens in that community seemed to believe that the business of government requires trained and honorable men. Conditions there will change just as soon as the citizens take a correct attitude toward their municipal government. (Kokomo Dispatch) (Democratic) It seems to us that it is about time that the national Democratic party analyze its position and undertake to function for those whom it is ideally constituted to function—namely, the great The East common masses of people of America. and the For some time past> there has been n , too much of a tendency on the part of Democrats the Democratic leaders to attempt to capture the East. In all of the elections since 1892. with the single exception when the fight was three-cornered, only one Eastern State has gone Democratic. When Democrats catered to the East by the nomination of Parker, in 1904, and Davis in 1924—both New Yorkers—they did not carry a single Eastern State. Right now, the big economic problem is the rehabilitation of agriculture. This nation needs leadership that is not blinded by petty provincialism that can not see beyond the Alleghanies and overestimates the importance of the fabricating industries and financial institutions of their own section. The real prosperity of the masses must of necessity come from the farming business which is the great basic industry of America involving seventy per cent of our total wealth. If the people of the Mid-West and West would become cognizant of their common cause they would forget partisanship and unite behind a party" whicll would develop a sound program of economic reform. The problems of the South are almost identical with those cf the Mid-West and West. Taking the South with its 165 electoral votes, it should not be an impossible task for the right sort of candidates backed by the right sort of a Democratic platform to win 101 electoral votes in the Mid-West and West—thus insuring a national victory. We believe that when the Democrats forget about trying to compromise principles in a fruitless endeavor to capture the East, and dedicate their party entirely to the wholly worthy common cause as/conceived by Thomas Jefferson, they will be well on the road to success at the polls.

eral species of the aloe plant. Medicinally it is a cathartic. It is usually put up in powdered form. Are the chimpanzees and gorallas both apes? How do they differ in appearance? The chimpanzee is a West African aboreal anthropoid ape about five feet in height with darker hair than the gorilla, very large ears and distinct eyebrows, eyelashes and whiskers. In the length of its arms and its dentition its approximates man. The gorilla is a simiine anthropoid ape of western central Africa about five feet and a half In height with massive body and limbs, relatively small ears and very prominent supraorbital ridges. It is the largest of the known apes and is ferocious when brought to bay. The male is very powerful with formidable bone development, abnormally long arms and massive jaws furnished with tusk-like canines. The female is much smaller than the male. What is the official title of the American diplomatic representative in Canada? His official title is envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary. The leaves of my rubber plant are getting brown spots on the under side; what can I do to remedy this? Possibly the plant is getting too much water. Water it thoroughly and then do not water it again until the soil shows dry on top. The trouble may also be due to some kind of a scale insect. In that case wash the stalks and leaves thoroughly with mild soapsuds until the trouble is removed. _

INOV. 3, la#

Times Readers Voice Views

The name and addreaa must accompany every .'L? 1 on request will not be published. Letters not exceeding 200 words wIU receive preference. To the Editor: Next Tuesday someone Is to bd selected as mayor of Indianapolis. The people who are truly concerned about the welfare of the city are urged to get together and help select a high grade, public spirited, leader in the city, to step into the breach in this emergency. Therefore, I would like to present the name of a man, who, I believe, would be the ideal man for mayor. This *nan is a high grade, - -blio spirited man, who has the welfare of the city at heart at all times. He is fair and square, non-partisan, and non-political, and he would carry on the city affairs as they should be. This man is no Other man than John F. White, president of the Indianapolis Federation of Community Civic Clubs. Mr. White’s in civic affairs is sincere and untiring and I believe the above mentioned facts are enough to prove him an outstanding ctiizen and qualifies him for the place of mayor of the city of Indianapolis. FOR EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT, To the Editor: The proposed move of the nety owners of the Indianapolis American Association Baseball Club to erect anew ball park in the east end of town is another proposition Indianapolis should Jump to help with all its power. The old park is a relic and not suitable for a city of this size. East side residents should be back of the movement unanimously. The proposed location is vacant, and to be quite truthful, a blot on the onetime well-known Indianapolis slogan —“The City Beautiful.” Anew park, such as the one planned, undoubtedly would develop more and better fans of America’s national pastime. It’s one of the best ideas for improvement around this town. Let’s help push it over! A REAL FAN. To the Editor: It is pleasing to note that at a time when much of Indianapolis was mad and all dressed up on Halloween night that many citizens found time to hear the Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra of New York with Mengelberg. The Murat was not filled but nearly so and yet with an attraction of this magnitude, I feel that only a capacity house should have heard this concert. Other cities with their orchestras have in the last year faced the problem of giving up their orchestras or financing them with subscriptions sufficient to carry them on for 8. number of years. That has been necessary in Chicago, St. Louis and Minneapolis in the last year. With Mrs. Ona B. Talbot giving Indianapolis only three great orchestral concerts a year, it is evident that capacity should greet every concert. And yet it is a compliment to the growing orchestral appreciation of this city that hundreds of our citizens can easily forget the Halloween goings on to support and enjoy magnificient music. I have attended these concerts for years and in a small way as a buyer of seats can appreciate the battle that Mrs. Talbot has carried on to give us an orchestral season annually. It is time that the Chamber of Commerce and civic organizations make more out of these orchestral concerts as such a series is a citywide enterprise and not just the business of the person presenting it. A city can grow with music and greater the musical appreciation of a city the better is the city. Those who have supported these concerts for years deserve praise. But the sad fact was that there were many $2 scats, I noticed, that were not sold. Let us boost these orchestral concerts into capacity. A MUSIC LOVING CITIZEN.

Mr. Fixit Opening of E. Michigan St. Is Held Up Until All Assessments Are Paid In.

Let Mr. Fixlt, The Times’ representative at city hall, present your troubles to city officials, write Mr. Fixlt at Tha Times. Names and addresses which must be given, will not be published. A complaint that money has been collected for the opening of E. Michigan St., and no work has been done was received today by Mr, Fixit from an Irvington reader. Dear Mr. Fixit: Four years ago this month I paid into the treasurer's office assessments of s2l a lot for the opening of E. Michigan St. from Campbell to Arlington Ave. Can you find out what became of this money? Who got the interest? And why E. Michigan St. has never been opened. A good many others paid assessments on this, and some explanation would be appreciated. E. A. M. Chief Clerk Orville R. Scott of the assessment bureau advised Mr. Fixit that all assessments against property had not been paid in. Work cannot be started until assessments arc paid. The city gets whatever interest accumulates. Law provides no way for the city to give such interest to the property owner. Dear Mr. Fixit: Would like for you to use your influence with tha proper officials and see if you could possibly get the railroad and street car crossing repaired at Indian* Ave. and canal. I crossed there Halloween night and I’d almost swear that someone had removed every other crossing plank. Yours from now on. HARDING ST. MOTORIST. City Engineer Paul R. Brown promised Mr. Fixit to write the street car company a letter relative to the crossing. ■*