Indianapolis Times, Volume 39, Number 217, Indianapolis, Marion County, 18 January 1928 — Page 4

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Demand a Special Session While the gesture of six city councilmen looking toward the ouster of Mayor Slack may be highly complimentary to that official and serve to hring more confidence to his administration, it does suggest a situation that is intolerable. As long as these city councilmen, some of whom are under indictment, remain in power, there is sure to be confusion and turmoil. The record they made as members of the council and their bickerings and bargainings with Duvall completely destroyed their usefulness because it left them without a shred of public confidence or respect. That they should now attempt to get rid of Slack, whom they elected so brief a time ago. is in perfect keeping with their records. That they wish to get rid of him and get back some legatee of the Duvall regime is understandable. "Whenever and wherever they have been kept away from the power and profits of their own private enterprises they have revolted. They clung to Duvall as long as they had Ihc hope of taking from him the perquisites that go with appointments to minor jobs. The only surprise is that they waited so long for some henchman of the old machine to point to a way in which they might embarrass the city. If it were merely the question of whether Slack should be mayor, it would not be serious. But this movement, the sure precursor to others, is well calculated to throw the whole city government into turmoil and confusion and create a situation of distrust and unrest as to make all government chaotic. There is, fortunately, a quick and easy way to get rid of these councilmen and the last memory of the Duvall administration and all that it stood for. That is by giving the people at once the form of government for which they have already voted by a large majority. The people are entitled to the city manager system, not in 1930 but this year. The people have voted for it and shown tiiat they desire it. All that stands in the way is the vicious law passed by the last Legislature which attempted in vain to keep Duvall in office and which extended the time under which city manager changes could be made to the end of the elective terms of mayors then in office. A special session of the Legislature, meeting for a single day, could repeal that amendment and permit the will of the people to be carried out.

The expense of such a session would be trivial when compared to the constant expense and burden that is created by permitting the city council to remain in power and threaten with disruption and chaos. There should be a demand today upon Governor Jackson that he call the Legislature into session immediately for this purpose. The friends of the city manager movement, the friends of good government, all men and women who are tired of this constant threat to the stability of government, should join in a demand to the Governor that he act and act at once. It is a travesty and tragedy that men under indictment for misuse of power should be permitted to menace the welfare and prosperity of the city. Pussyfoot Platforms —A Remedy Two Democratic leaders within the last few days have issued statements which, read together, sum up vital weaknesses of their party’s policies during the last eight years. Senator Ferris of Michigan said: “Both parties are totally lacking in courage and are a blank as to principles. The old demarcation on the basis of Hamiltonian and Jeffersonian political philosophy has vanished. If I were to write the principles of each party on separate pieces of paper, shuffle them and pick one out, I could not tell which party it represented.” Governor Smith in his letter to the Jackson Day gathering hit the same note and offered a constructive solution when he said: “I believe we have erred in the past by waiting for the national convention to undertake the entire task of preparing a platform. Party platforms of recent years have been too general in their terms and important questions have been neglected by platform builders, in the spirit of compromise with great principles. We can not carry water on both shoulders. The national committee could render a great service to the party and to the country as well by the formulation far in advance of the national convention of a definite party policy.” Since the positive days of Woodrow Wilson, plat-form-making in the Democratic party has been a job of pussyfooting. Issues have not been met squarely, and until they are, the Democratic party has scant chance for victory. The system to which Governor Smith objects, of waiting until convention time before a statement of principles is prepared, is one of the chief reasons for the negative character of recent Democratic platforms. The word-carpenters of the convention have been too prone to construct a platform merely to suit tho candidate. They have worked in haste. They have backed, and filled, and dodged and ducked. The result has been a document that said everything, and nothing—a document that comes from politicians

The Indianapolis Times (A SCRIPPS-EOWAED NEWSPAPER) Owned and published dally (except Sunday) by The Indianapolis Times Publishing Cos.. 214-220 W. Maryland Street. Indianapolis, ind. Price in Marlon County. 2 cents —lO cents a week: elsewhere. 3 cents—l 2 cents a week. BOYD GURLEY. ROY W. HOWARD. FRANK G. MORRISON. Editor. President. Business Manager. PHONE—MAIN 3500. WEDNESDAY. JAN. 18, 1928. Member ol United Press. Scrlpps-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.

only,, in which the great mass of the public has no part and for which the public has little respect. A statement of party principles issued in ample time before the convention actually assembles, as suggested by Governor Smith, would be a refreshing and an enlightening thing. If issued at all it would have to be positive. Otherwise it would fall flat between the time of issuance and convention time. Such a statement would invite preliminary discussion by the public and the press. It would permit a crystallization of opinion. The Democratic national committee, to which Governor Smith's proposal is directed, will perform an act of real statesmanship if it will follow his suggestion. And, incidentally, Governor Smith's criticism applies equally to the platform making system of the Republican party. America, Not Armenia The day after Senator Johnson of California introduced his resolution calling for an investigation of conditions in the coal fields of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, Senator James E. Watson predicted no action could be taken for at least six weeks—if at all. Watson is chairman of the Interstate Commerce Committee, to which the resolution was referred. The committee, Watson explained, was exceedingly busy on other matters. He had not at that time read Senator Johnson's resolution. The committee doubtless is rushed, and that's one side of the picture. The other is corditions in these coal fields, where it is charged there has been a wholesale destruction of the constitutional rights of striking miners, and where thousands of men, women and children are said to be ip actual want. We wonder if Senator Watson happened to read the letter of a dispassionate observer, one Ida L. Allen, who wrote to Senator Copeland from Pittsburgh describing conditions. Said she: “The Young Women's Bible Class of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Beechview, Pittsburgh, made investigation on Dec. 2, in mines Nos. 2 and 3 at Castleshannon and mine No. 8 at Coverdale. We found large families of bright childvcn without shoes and stockings and not sufficient food or clothing. Conditions almost unbelievable could exist in America. “We found a newborn babe without any clothing, the first one born in the barracks of Coverdale. We immediately opened a receiving station in Beechview, and we were the first organization to extend relief to these destitute women and children in the mines. It seemed the heavens opened, and in less than three weeks we distributed 1.000 pairs of shoes and stockings, 500 well filled baskets of groceries, and a lovely Christmas treat for 1,200 children. This is to say the sympathy of the people is expressed in greater degree than upon any previous demand. “We were happy to provide ample clothing even for this very portion of the area in distress. The use of coal being a public service, surely the Government will come to the rescue of these people who are honest and industrious and must not be allowed to perish. We are not concerned in the controversy, but from a humanitarian standpoint, we arc urging you to use all the power at your command. The barracks in which they are forced to live you could insert a lead pencil between the boards.”

Meaningless Figures The committee on public relations of the Eastern railroads issues a very useful weekly publication called Railroad. Data, which is a combination of information and propaganda in favor of the ‘railroad managers. This week's issue contains statistics, conspicuously presented, to show that railroad taxes since 1920 have been higher than railroad dividends. “For the past seven years,” the publication states, “the railroads have had to pay more in taxes, with the possible exception of 1921 and 1926, th£n they were able to pay in cash dividends to their stockholders.” The figures may be assumed to be correct, but what, we'd like to know, do they prove? Do they prove that the taxes on the railroads are too high, that both the taxes and dividends of railroads are too high, too low, or what? The country is being flooded Vith statistics showing that taxes on various enterprises are higher than dividends. The design apparently is to convey to the public the idea that taxes are outrageously high. Back figures don’t prove it. In fact, they don’t seem to prove anything. Governor A1 Smith’s message to the New York Legislature required 30,000 words, but the people “ain’t seen nothing yet.” Wait until A1 gets in full swing. —Hartford City News. Eight out of ten pianos, says a speaker at a national meeting of piano tuners, are out of tune all of the time. This leaves two pianos, probably in storage—Anderson Herald. Some Congressman may rise up and grow eloquent for a bigger Navy with which to hunt the fools that try to fly across the oceans.—Elwood Call. If force of logic can't settle a question, no other kind of force has a look-in.—Brazil Times. Yet a square peg in a round hole can fit in with complete success if it will develop in the right way. —Rushville Republican. Guns are commonly used, but the best way to protect the honor of the home is to many the right kind of a woman.—Linton Citizen. Our philosophy is that the w r orld ends every night and starts out new again every morning.—Kokomo Dispatch. The fancier kitchens are made, .the shorter time women spend there.—Elkhart Truth. It is feared that too many bachelors get all the credit for not marrying.—Mishawaka Enterprise. Trouble with having a grouchy look is you seldom get a pleasant one.-r-Lafayette Courier. You can’t get on your feet by sitting around.— Jeffersonville News.

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

BRIDGE ME ANOTHER (Copyright. 1927, by The Ready Reference Publishing Company.) BY W. W. WENTWORTH

(Abbreviations: A—ace; K—king; Q Sueen; J—jack: X—any card lower than 0.) 1. When holding: hearts—Q J X X X; diamonds—A X; clubs—A X; spades—X XXX, what should you bid? 2—Should you take out partner’s no-trump into major when holding any seven of a major? 3. Why is it dangerous to take your partner out of a no-trump with major weakness? The Answers 1. One heart. 2. Yes. 3. He may re-bid no-trump relying on your strength.

Times Readers Voice Views

The name and address of the author must accompany every contribution, but on request will not be published. Letters not exceeding 200 words will receive preference. To the Editor: It is to be hoped that when the Indianapolis park board and board of zoning appeals makes their decision in the baseball park site question, relative to the building of a modern home for the Indians across from the State fairground, that the boards will have some consideration both for the city of Indianapolis and the thousands of fans. For years this town has gone along with a dilapitated, sagging ball piark and now that the new owners of the club want to put our city in the up and going class, let's not apply the brakes. The truth is that we have only too few men in this community who are willing to do big things and when one of this few proposes a real proposition the thousands of baseball fans as well as the public spirited citizens should get behind Mr. Perry with such impetus as to make no mistake about the public mind. The site across from the State fairground is the most logical in town. The ground is “vacant and has been since the beginning of the city and probably will remain so. It isn't very likely that anyone would want to build a residence in keeping with the price asked for the lots because of the fact that the site already faces perhaps the largest amusement and exhibition center in the State, with the additional detriment of a railroad main line and a railroad depot adjacent to the property. The ball park in that spot, if anything would lend beauty to the boulevard since the owners of the club are on record for erecting a splendid stadium inclosed with an ornamental wall of concrete and intend to plan beautification of the outside as well as the inside. If the park is permitted there we would have a much desired addition’ to the city's achievements as well as a baseball park where mothers, wives, sisters and sweethearts and the thousands of baseball loving citizens could enjoy the cleanest and best sport in the land. Therefore 'it is to be hoped that the boards will consider the best interests of the city and its 400.000 inhabitants, issue the permit and allow the work of construction to begin at once. H. H. MARTIN. To the Editor:

It was unfortunate that your pen dropped a word while writing the splendid editorial on Louis F. Post, for the writer is fully convinced it was an unintentional statement, that. Henry George advocated a tax on land, for. if we tax the acreage or area, heaven knows that would finish the farmer and he would need no further “relief.” The single tax as proposed by Mr. George w’ould consider “the sacred right of property” as produced by man and would leave it altogether free from taxation, but it would tax land values which are created by good government and the community as a w’hole. Farm land being the least valuable, would not pay as much tax as at present. The single tax would result in destroying land speculating, land monopoly and monopoly of natural resources. It would logically bring into existence and establish in reality that grand old democratic motto of “Equal rights to all and special privileges to none.” It would mean, as Thomas Jefferson declared, that “the earth belongs in usufruct to the living,” also “applied Christianity” by writing it into our statutes. It has its opponents in those who contribute nothing to the wealth oi the country and who will fight its enactment in every way. For fifty years it has been taught to the enlightenment of the people by such men as Louis F. Post and Tom L. Johnson, one time mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, who, while a millionaire, was so convinced of the justice of the movement that he predicted before his death that, “The single tax is coming and when it does come, it will come with power!” Democrats! What you need is not only good men, but sound issues with which to. go before the people; issues founded on truth and justice; issues that will appeal to the common people of whom you claim to be champions and you will win and remain in power for many years. Let your slogan be: “Free trade, free land and free men,” and the masses will rally to your standard. CHAS. H. KRAUSE, SR., 674 E. Drive, Woodruff PI.

Questions and Answers

You can get an answer to any answerable question of fact or information by writing to Frederick M. Kerby, Question Editor, The Indianapolis Times, Washington Bureau, 1322 New York Ave., Washington, D. C., enclosing two cents in stamps for reply. Medical and Jugal advice cannot be given, nor can extended research be made. All other auestions will receive a personal reply nsigned requests cannot be answered. A1 Betters are confidential. You are cordially Invited to make use of this free service as often as you please. EDITOR. Are the eggs of female fish fertilized by the male? Yes, after they are laid. How wide is the Irish Sea between Ireland and England? Has it been swum? It is 140 miles across at its widest pojnt and never has been swum.

A Big Handicap If You Expect Much of a Crop!

THE STORY OF CIVILIZATION Caesar Reshapes the Destiny of Rome Written for The Times by Will Durant

DURING these troubles among the leaders of Rome, several of the provinces in Asia had rebelled, seeing now an opportunity to win their freedom. Caesar, who loved order more than liberty, marched up the Mediterranean Coast, where Egyptian armies had passed so many times before, and where Napoleon was to meet one of his most decisive defeats, encountered the rebel army, conquered it, and sent back home a terse report: “Veni, Vidi, Vici,” — “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Now he returned to Italy, hoping that at last he might enjoy a period of peace. But the Senate had raised syil another army in Africa, and was training it under Metellus Scipio for Caesar’s overthrow; Caesar knew that he could not safely give himself to the restoration of Rome until this danger had been met. And yet his troops were weary of war; they had begun to ask when tney would be rewarded for their many victories. ,'lfr was a crucial moment, but Caesar faced it with characteristic self-control. . Assembling the leaders of his army, he told them that any of them who wished to leave might do so without fear and without reproach. Affected by his unselfishness, they renewed their pledges of loyalty to him, and returning to their troops, filled them with a desire to see the great adventure through. And so Caesar crossed again to Africa, defeated his enemies at

Pilot i Kppublican) Republicans seem to be much pleased over the action of the State committee this week in choosing anew State chairman. They are pleased for two reasons: First, because the committee went at its job with a free and open mind, anxious only to serve the party in the best possible way; and second, because in their final decision they seem to have chosen a man who is “ace high” in all respects, and one who appeals to the citizenship as being the right kind for the place. It has been feared that the choice would be governed almost entirely by personal desires on the part of Senator Watson, or some other leader in the party and that the committee, in a factional contest, would lose sight of the general party good. That they did not do so is a commendable thing on the part of the committee and also on the part of Senator Watson. The Senator has risen very much in the estimation of his friends and of the State by his wise action in this matter of the new State chairman. Asa result of the committee’s action tne party has taken on a new spirit of hope and will look forward eagerly to the spring primary and the State convention, set for May 23-24. The Nation Charles Shambaugh, garage keeper of Lafayette, Ind., goes down on our 1928 list of Americans we like. In the end he may do more to make the Nation laugh at the pompous flubdubs we call admirals than a dozen congressional investigations. Mr. Shambaugh, bored with selling cars, read about Admiral Brumby’s efforts to raise the S-4, and —out of “pure, idle curiosity,” as he put it afterward —wired the admiral that he was interested and wanted a conference. The good admiral, who was so busy he could not stop to tell newspaper men whether the S-4 prisoners were still alive, wired back a long reply “so downright warm and friendly” that Shambaugh drove to Indianapolis and took the next train for Boston. He had never* seen a submarine or a diver or been on anything but a. river boat, but the commandant of the Charlestown navyyard put him on the naval tug Mojave and sent him to Provincetown. There he dined with Admiral Brumby, spent the night in officers quarters on the mine sweeper Bushnell, inspected—and approved—the diving operations, and re-

Thapsus (46 B. C.), and remained long enough on the scene to give administrative orders which became the basis of the reconstruction of the Roman Empire south of the Mediterranean. Then he recrossed the sea to Spain, met the last Senatorial force, defeated it, and, broken in health, and almost weary of life, returned at last to Rome. a tt tt CAESAR FIRST IN ROME IT is the custom of his critics to inquire why Caesar fought so many battles after crossing the Rubicon, and gave so little time to the administrative needs of the State. It is an ungenerous complaint; for obviously these battles were forced upon him, and he more than anyone else longed for peace. From the day when he crossed the Rubicon to the clay of his assassination he was permitted to spend hardly more than a year in Rome. And yet it was in those fifteen months that he laid the foundations of the greatest empire in history, and established a system of order that was to hold Greco-Roman civilization together for almost four hundred years. He found the city and indeed all Italy in chaos and distress: trade languishing under insecurity and debt, and people starving through the disorganization of the food supply. Assuming the powers of a dictator he decreed the cancellation of all

What Other Editors Think

| turned to Boston aboard a de- | stroyer. Later 'that evening Boston j newspapers were notified that “a ; civilian expert on salvage operations who has spent all day watching the work of raising the s-4,” was returning, and would deign to talk to reporters. A flock of newspaper men rushed to the navyyard. Enter Garage Keeper Shambaugh, escorted by a captain of marines and an orderly. A group of gold-braided officers followed to hear the news. “The Navy is doing everything possible,” he announced. “I’ve been watching them all day. Say, do you realize those divers have to go a hundred feet down? Gosh, I think I'd be pretty good if I just got down on my feet, witn all

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The Rules

1. The idea of letter golf is to change one word to another and do it in par, a given number of strokes. Thus to change COW to HEN, in three strokes, COW, HOW, HEW, HEN. 2. You can change only one letter at a time. 3. You must have a complete word of common usage for each jump. Slang words and abbreviations don’t count. 4. The order of letters can not be changed.

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rents below a certain figure, for one year; he put an end to profiteering in food; and, to restore some health to the agricultural basis of Roman life, he ruled that the number of slaves on the great estates should be at once reduced, and that at least one-third of the workers on these farms should be free men. The people hailed him as the destroyer of the tyranny which wealth had established since the days when the republic had become a ruthless empire, and all Italy dreamt of a Utopia that would be ushered in by his genius. The citizens of Rome, gathered again in assembly, were glad to make him consel for ten years, and later to make him consul for life. They were not offended by his assumption of supreme power; it had been the custom of Rome to appoint a dictator in cases of emergency far less extreme than this. But Caesar did not wish to destroy the old forms; he reconstructed the Senate and assembly, making them equal in power; and he kept his promise by admitting provincials to Roman citizenship and membership in the Senate. As an evidence of his pacific intentions, and again with small regard for his personal safety, he disbanded his army, and distributed lands among his troops, hoping that they would fomi the nucleus of a reestablished agricultural life. (Copyright, 1928, by Will Durant.) (To Be Continued)

those weights and heavy shoes, to say nothing of getting up.” Then the reporters started in: Within five minutes they had learned what Admiral Brumby had not suspected in a day—that Charles Shambaugh had been on a boat just once before in his life, and knew nothing whatever about submarines, diving or salvage. “When I saw his two suitcases filled almost to the bursting point I thought they contained data on salvage,” Rear Admiral Philip Andrews, commandant of the navyyard, told reporters afterward. That, and Admiral Brumby’s welcome, seem about typical. What a navy!

Mr. Fixit Request for Better Lighting on Pierson Ave. Is Made.

Let Mr. Fixit, The Times’ representative at city haU. present your troubles to city officials. Write Mr. Fixit at The Times. Names and addresses which must be given will not be published. Request for more light along Pierson Ave., between Fall Creek Blvd. and Twenty-Fourth St., was made to Mr. Fixit today. Dear Mr. Fixit: Pierson Ave. is poorly lighted at best, but at present the gas light at corner of alley between Twenty-Fourth St. and Fail Creek Blvd., west side of the street, has a poor mantle and the light does not illuminate more than a five-foot radius I wonder if you can do anything about the situation. W. H. F. City Engineer A. H. Moore ordered the light put in condition. Dear Mr. Fixit: What is the trouble with our police that they can’t do anything with these gambling machines better known as slot machines? Every level-headed person knows it is gambling in the worst form. Not a chance in the world to win. We all know these slugs are good for trade. Let’s see what can be done. It is not hard to get evidence that these slugs are turned in for trade if they try. READER. Fred Connell, safety board president, declared the police have been making every effort to enforce the law as it applies^'to gambling. Every effort to gather evidence of violations is made by police, he declared. Police are temporarily restrained from interference by a court order. Who Is the director of the Yerkes observatory? Prof. Edwin B. Frost, f

.JAN. 18, 1928

M. E. TRACY SAYS: “Even in This Twentieth Century the Normal Boy Thinks of Fighting and the Normal Girl Admires Him for It.”

Life has a lot of better things to offer than the quarreling, contention and scandal that form such a large part of news and conversation. One no longer has to smell blooa to get a kick. The beauty of civilization is than it teaches men how to find adventure and success without hurting each other. tt Two Paths of Glory Two fields of action have offered glory since the dawn of consciousness—first, that in which men have struggled to overcome each other; second, that in which they have struggled to overcome their ignorance and limitations. As we progress, the latter becomes more and more important. The cavemen sought fame by killing a she-bear or his neighbor, because life held few other doors open. To the twentieth century man, a thousand other doors open. He can sit in a laboratory and win the undying praise of posterity, or he can fly like Lindbergh. The use of brains has made bruto force a second-rate stepping stona. # # V’.-iOry Without Defeat Lindbergh never has killed anyone, yet he is a better man than Richtofen. His name will not only be remembered longer, but with more gratitude Those who cl. nb by riding down, or over, their ’eilow men may; reach great heights, but they can never rise above the shadow of what their success cost others Their title to pre-eminence can ne’er be made quite clear without excuses and explanations. Those who rise by virtue of their own achievement can not only reach just as great heights, but enjoy a fame which is undimmed by any such handicap. Their’s is a victory which needs no man’s defeat to reveal it.

Competition Not Strife Competition is not only the life of trade, but of achievement. We learn how to do things by matching our strength and wits against each other. But competition is not strife. You cm prove your superiority just as well in a foot race as in a fight. You can prove it even more conclusively by doing something worth while a little better than any one else. tt a u Cortez and Columbus Cortez and Columbus represent the two basic careers of mankind. One was a conqueror, the other a discoverer. One challenges our admiration, the other our respect. Putting that aside, which of them did more good? We could have had a Cortez without the new v/orld, but not the new world without a Columbus. Those men who seek sir cess by doing something new, something different and something better not only enjoy a clear title to their reward, but the realization of having done their fellow beings a good, instead of a bad turn. Nor do they lose anything by way of adventure and interest. What w’arrior ever lived a more thrilling life than Edison? What conqueror ever experienced a more satisfying triumph than Fulton, Bell or Marconi? tt # a Brute Hang-Over In primitive times, human existence was just one fight after another. Man was born to physical combat. Not only the animal world, but his own breed was against him. His power to survive was measured by his ability to beat down and overcome his natural enemies. There was no time to dream of intellectual adventures in the jungle* much less to pursue them, no tinja for science, for art, for culture. The brute hang-over of those early, hectic days still is with us. The call to battle still runs burning through our blood. Except as we take time to consider and realize how definitely conditions have changed, we still feel it as the allimportant call. Even in this twentieth century the normal boy thinks cf fighting and the normal girl admires him for | it. nun Triumphs of Science The great task of education is to overcome the force of primitive traits and traditions, to open the eyes cf young people to the oppori tunities that modern life makes i possible, to create in them an unI derstanding that not only success, | but satisfaction, can be found in \ pursuing a thousand careers which j involve no conflict with their fellowbeings. It no longer is necessary to prove one’s strength by knocking another man down, or look for thrills in the field of blood and bruised flesh. The triumphs of science today not only overshadow those of the battlefield of yesterday, but they promise much more by way of progress. What is even better than that, they promise no less by way of interest, enjoyment and satisfaction. What is the national wealth of tha United States? For 1925 it was computed at $320,803.862,000. not including undeveloped resources. Where is Colgate University? At Hamilton, N. Y. Who was the mother of David, the King of Israel? He was the son of Jesse, but tha name of his mother is nowhera given. He was the great grandson of Ruth, the Moabitess.’