Indianapolis Times, Volume 46, Number 211, Indianapolis, Marion County, 12 January 1935 — Page 6

PAGE 6

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SATURDAY JANURY 12. 1335

DO IT RIGHT MAYOR JOHN W KERN is enthusiastic over the prospects of placing the Indianapolis police department under civil service. He has the reports of Corporation Counsel James E. Decry and Chief Mike Morrissey, who spent two days in Milwaukee inspecting the civil service-controlled department there which has made the city one of the nation's outstanding examples for real law enforcement. If the matter is going to be handled in Indianapolis it should be done properly. If a law is paised by this session of the Indiana Legislature there should be an absolute pledge on the part of the city administration that it be followed to the letter. Indianapolis has tried civil service before. Ir. the instances of previous trial, civil service failed, first, because there was no real law to support it and, second, because it was ignored by the department heads upon whom enforcement depended. Mayor Kern already has started his administration with merit. The fact that he Is interested sufficiently in the future of the city’s law enforcement agency to attempt placing it on an honest, non-political basis shows that he means business. Men capable of passing civil service tests also should be policemen of high enough standing that the citizens of Marion County and Indiana and visitors will not have to put up with the side-of-the-mouth “Where the hell do yu think you're goin?” that we so often see and hear. The proposal is a step in the right direction. But unless civil service, when it becomes law, really is enforced and not bartered about as a political trade-in, it will accomplish nothing. If it's going to be done, l3t's do it, right. WIDOWS AND ORPHANS PRESIDENT ROOSEVENT'S release of a Federal Power Commission stud./ debunking the “widows and orphans” plea of public utility spokesmen was timely. At the moment there was beginning a campaign to muster the • millions of honest, thrifty individuals, many of whom put their meager savings into these securities,” into a lobby to stop the New Deal power program. The President has presented to the bond and preferred-stockholders the facts of the situation. He announced his power policy before his election and launched the program in 1933 when the Tennessee Valley Authority was created. Yet f wo years after his election, the value of bonds in utility operating companies had climbed. Quotations on 121 issues on which figures were available showed they stood at 99 4 in September. 1929, before the stock market crash, and at 106 in November, 1934. They had gained 6.6 points. “In view of the above facts,” the power commission concludes, “it is clear that holders of life insurance policies and depositors in savings banks have no cause for concern. . . The same is true of widows and orphans and small individual investors. For the most part they were sold operating company bonds or preferred stocks during customer-owner-ship campaigns. Their holdings, repiesentmg real values and investments, are not endangered unless, as has happened in the Tennessee valley, they block Government acquisition of existing facilities and force establishment of competitive lines. The people who are endangered by the Roosevelt program are those owners of holding company stocks which never represented real values, but were issued against write-ups and inflated valuations. They are about to lose the one thing their stock represented back in the heyday of high finance—the privilege of exploiting the rate payers. If the New Deal power policy squeezes them out of the utility picture it not only will not harm holders of operating company securities —it wiU benefit them by making forever unprofitable what the Federal Trade Commission has described as "greedy'' financing. LETS RE POIND WISE TWO of the finest achievements of the last Congress were the truth-in-securities law and the stock exchanges control law. But such complicated statutes are not selfenforcing. A trained enforcement personnel is needed to insure to investors a fair run for their money and to see to it that buyers and sellers of securities have honest markets. The House yesterday corrected, in part, a mistake which an appropriations subcommittee had made in cutting too deeply into the appropriation for the Securities and Exchange Commission. But the House erred, we believe, in not restoring the full amount allowed by the budget bureau. The commission had done a splendid job. But it has not had the money to reach out after the blue-sky promoters, who flit from city to city. These promoters mulct investors of hundreds of millions annually—savings which we. as a Nation, can ill afford to have diverted from productive enterprises that create jobs and new wealth. So that the good work of the last Congress will not be partially undone, this Congress should provide adequate funds for the commission's operation. That responsibility of Congress is as great as the responsibility of President Roosevelt to choose as a successor to the retiring commissioner. Mr. Pecora. some one equally zealous of the public interest. AL AND BILL TWO Governors with national reputations ara passing from the public scene. Both knew the heady delight of popularity and the pleasant buzzing of the presidential bee. Both

entered office hailed as liberals, but go out repudiated by the people for their conservatism—so rapid has been the leftward shift in popular political thought. Albert C. Ritchie of Maryland slips quietly out of the executive mansion, which he occupied 16 years, to re-enter the private practice of law. He gave Maryland a good government, and he gave the Nation an example of political fortitude of fighting for prohibition repeal when it took courage to do so. William H. Murray of Oklahoma strides out of office as he entered —across the front pages. This grass-roots philosopher, who knew the West of sturdy pioneers, sees signs of social decay that will destroy the republic in another hundred years, and admits the people will not heed his warnings. “Alfalfa Bill” also was. in his way, a good Governor. He used the state militia often and effectivley, but always to protect, never to oppress. He visited his fierce wrath alike—and too often at the same time—upon bankers, public utility men, oil men, farmers, laborers and other minority groups he suspected of taking unfair advantage of “the people.” And he made his irascibility complete by scorning both the hosannas and the hisses of “the people.” Life will be less interesting in Oklahoma. MOVIE COMPETITION 'T'HE Government says the big producers -*• have been building up monopolistic chains of movie houses, and have been freezing out independents by refusing to sell them suitable pictures. The Government adds that such practices violate our anti-trust laws, and has prepared evidence for a test case in St. Louis. Laymen find it hard to understand the laws their Legislators write and their judges rewrite, and do not know always whether the acts alleged are illegal. But they do know that such discrimination if proved, is unethical and unfair. Under our system it was natural that large movie producers should organize chains of exhibition houses as an assured outlet for their films. Such a combination has many obvious advantages, but should not be allowed to use its power to starve out small competitors by refusing pictures to them. DRIVING OUT CRIME THINK back a little. Chicago hasn't been in the news with spectacular crime for some time, has it? Rememoer a few years back when there were St, Valentine's Day massacres, and flower shop killings, and A1 Capones, and the roar of shotguns through the streets in bloody beer wars? Yet the racket killings and spectacular crime of the last two or three years seem to have been elsewhere, if you think back a little. Chicago declares that's true. It contends that its cattle against organized crime has achieved so much success that Chicago now is rated as “one of the safest of cities in which to live, work and do business.” It is now 16 years since the Crime Commission started its war on organized crime in Chicago, determined that the city should wipe the stain from her name. And now Col. Henry Barrett Chamberlin, one of the men who gave their time and energy to the work of the commission, says he believes “Chicago is now the Newgate instead of the Mecca for criminals.” In other words, he believes Chicago has become a place professional criminals want to avoid, rather than a sort of green pasture for their activities. Whether these reports are over-optimistic, only time and a careful investigation could tell. But the fact is plain that much progress has been made. How was it done? First of all, there was the Crime Commission, made up of men who were interested enough in the fair name of their city to give their time and effort to doing something about it. Without such men, no city can get far in the fight on organized crime. Chief Justice Prystalski, roused by a particularly vicious escape from a Chicago courtroom by an armed prisoner, called judges back from fishing trips and ordered them to go to work. Rorgaining with criminals to plead guilty in exchange for short sentences was stopped. The 199-year penalty was devised to prevent parole of murderers (a prisoner must serve one-third of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole). Repeal took away much of the "big money” from beer racketeers, making them far less influential in “fixing” cases against them. Speedy justice squelched the kidnaping racket. Prosecutors and judges attacked piled-up dockets. Last October there were 1145 cases. A week ago, 375. Nearly half the crime cases now come to trial within 30 days. Chicago seems to be pointing the way. No other city had a worse crime problem. If Chicago can make this sort of progress, so can any city. UNFINISHED BUSINESS nPHE deliberative Senate does not often act A act speedily or unanimously, but surely no Senator will raise his voice against the Nve resolution granting SIOO,OOO to continue the munitions investigation. This committee has accomplished much. A major part of the work assigned to it, however, remains to be done. It has not yet tapped the international banking angle of war, or the profits and practices of steel manufacturers and shipbuilders, or the relations of the Army and Navy to the war supply business. Many other obscure features need to be clarified before the committee drafts legislation. Some of the committee members plan to makes speeches, reporting to the Senate on the committee's findings to date. We hope their speeches will not provoke opposition from other Senators who may favor half-way profitcontrol measures. It will be unwise to define issues and shape policies until after the committee has completed its investigation. When night baseball is played in Cincinnati. grandmothers will have a better chance of living. That panhandler makes the best living whose story is the most touching. That heavy fog which blanketed a large part of the United States recently isn't *he same one the country has beer, in the last few years. The best lovers are flatheads, says a midwest doctor. So say their rivals, too.

Liberal Viewpoint —BY DR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

MATTHEW WOLL seems to be up to his old tricks again. A malicious campaign has been started against liberal teachers. Such teachers are almost invariably the ones who support labor unionism in their teachings and public statements. They are also those most inclined to favor the unionization of teachers. It would have seemed that Mr. Woll as vice president of the American Federation of Labor, would have been one of the first valiantly to array himself on the side of the teachers now under fire. Instead, he has thrown himself heartily into the heresy hunt. For this he is “called'’ in cogent and timely fashion by Dr. Henry Lincille of the Teachers’ Union in the following letter to William Green, president of the American Federation of Labor: a a a “■pvEAR Sir and Brother: U “I am writing to you to enter a formal protest against the participation of Matthew Woll, a vice president of the American Federation of Labor, in the “heresy-hunting” activities of the Hearst newspapers, which are being directed against liberal college teachers in some of the great universities. “It is true, Mr. Woll now speaks as acting president of the National Civic Federation, an organization that was active in the state of New? York in support of the infamous Lusk school laws, which organized labor itself helped to abolish in 1923. “However, it is because of Mr. Woll's responsibility as a leader in the labor movement that organized union teachers are forced to bear the brunt of the discredit of his stand in opposition to the spirit of academic freedom in the schools and colleges of this country. “For several years teachers’ unions have been trying to further the organization of the college teachers who are friendly to organized labor. We are obliged to state frankly at this time that the most serious obstcle we have met in this endeavor is the current belief among educators that Mr. Woll represents a reactionary and fascist spirit: and because of his frequent public utterances of the character such spirit tends to be charged against all labor leadership, no matter how progressive it may actually be. "Since Mr. Woll appears to be indifferent to the need of protecting academic freedom in the colleges even in behalf of the interests of organized labor, we believe that-it is incumbent on enlightened labor leadership, of which your own attitude toward intolerant Fascism is a wellknown example, to protect the labor movement from discredit in this emergency. “I bespeak your deep concern in this matter of making it known to the liberal and progressive elements throughout the country that organized labor stands for freedom of conscience, freedom of inquiry, and freedom of speech, not only for the workers in industry, but also for the “white collar” workers in educational institutions without whose trained intelligence, scholarship, and friendly co-operation organization labor may not be- able to make effective headway against the social forces aligned in opposition to our movement.” “Fraternally yours, HENRY R. LINVILLE, President of the Teachers’ Union of New York. a a a IT is to be hoped that President Green will let this “sink in,” for the benefit of education and labor alike. Teachers can enjoy no real freedom, independence or initiative unless they can present a united front against the heresy hunters through organization. Labor can not afford to reject the affiliation of the intellectuals. And if it continues to allow the Matt Woll’s to speak for it and to direct its policy, it will deserve the charge of Benjamin Stolberg that its program is “bankrupt” and its leadership is “impotent.” Pay no attention to those youngsters you see necking in a parked car. Probably the car’s just equipped with the automatic clutch. Scientists call the great African stork the Shoebill. Husbands have long called him the Doctor's Bill. Your tax bills are one kind that you can always be sure are absolutely on the up and up.

Capital Capers BY GEORGE ABELL,

GASS,” as they call him —or, to be U more specific—Percy Lee Gassaway, Oklahoma Representative and former cowboy district judge, the other day stole some of the spotlight from Huey Long, by arriving in Congress wearing a black sombrero, black string tie and high tan boots. When the Missouri delegation stopped “Old Gass,” they decided immediately that he was a good old hickory Democrat, and they asked him to go to Springfield, Mo., to deliver the Jackson Day speech. “Sure,” replied the plain-spoken Mr. Gassaway. A few hours later, he was speeding across country toward Springfield. Reporters waylaid him in a corridor of the House. "May we have copies of your speech, Mr. Gassaway?” Have you already written your speech?” Waving his hand negligently, “Old Gass,” replied: “I give everything extemporaneously.” Last summer he floored a correspondent who asked him: “Are you wearing boots?” by replying simply: “It doesn't look as if I’m barefooted, does it?” The Texas-born son of a Methodist preacher, Representative Gassaway is noted for his sharp wit and his habit of saying exactly what he thinks on any and every occasion. He is a political disciple of Andrew Jackson. Among the family heirlooms is a splinter from the floor of Old Hickory's home, a flower from his grave and ivy from his fireplace chimney. In some trepidation, political opponents of Old Gass wait to hear what he has to say. They recall what he once said about vitriolic Judge George Crump during a political combat. “I sent him word that if he would quit lying about me, I'd quit telling the truth about him.” a a a NOTE: With the doughty cowboy jurist came his attractive, dark-haired wife, Lillian, daughter of a pioneer Coalgate lawyei, and their three children, Berry Joe, Peggy Ann and Jim, a a a AMIABLE Senator Arthur Capper of Kansas, although he sent out cheerful Christmas cards, occas'onally feels a little bit wistful about conditions today. The Republican publisher sadly gazed at the depleted ranks of his party and remarked to an acquaintance: “It's not like the old days.” “But,” said the other, “I thought you enjoyed Washington.” "I love it,” said Capper, “but I sometimes wish I could see a few more Republicans around.” nun SENATOR GORE. Oklahoma's blind legislator. is slowly but carefully selecting books about money. They come to him from t'arious sources and are tabulated according to their merits. As each book arrives Senator Gore has it read to him and dictates notes. Gore takes the conservative side of the money problem, and is known as a “gold standard” man. On the contrary Senator Elmer Thomas of Oklahoma is regarded as an expert on inflation. His views and those of his blind colleague are diametrically opposed. Yesterday Gore was asked by a friend: “What do you think about this money question. Senator?” Replied conservative, shrewd Mr. Gore: “Well, I am glad to see that one of the Senators from my state is on the right side of the money question.”

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

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(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns. Make your letters short, so all can have a chance. Limit them to 250 words or less.) tt n SUPPORTS PENSION PLAN AND LINDBERGH STORIES. N ' By a Subscriber. In answer to Watt, Einstein and Pegler, in regard to the old-age pension, they all must be soreheads, envious and jealous to the extreme. I can't see how it would effect them in the least if the S2OO pension should be passed. As for whiners, I think Pegler is the one who is doing the whining. As for young people working, it doesn't hurt any one to work if they are able. It just creates happiness. I know from experience. I am a. woman 61 years old, have reared a relative’s boy from 3 years old to manhood and took care of my mother in the world for 25 years. I not only worked days, but often late into the night to make both ends meet. And I am alone, getting help from the trustee, and my health is broken. If I had S2OO a month, I might take a few trips before I am too feeble to enjoy a thing of that kind. I have scarcely been out of the state. I am not thinking I am the only one in this position, for there are thousands of worthy people situated as I am. I know a number myself. Mr. Watt becomes spasmodically unselfish when he speaks of people shortening their lives by drinking themselves to death. No doubt he has a good position. Those are the only kind of people who don’t want any one else to have anything. I can not conceive of the person who begrudges the Lindberghs the sympathy and publicity they receive in their great sorrow. No two persons could have been more modest than they have been. How such extreme envy and jealousy can exist in any human being is more than I can imagine. 9 tt tt By Xettie Cook. As I am a Townsend fan and was challenged by Einstein Jr. to figure out something about the Townsend plan which got misplaced before I thought of answering it, however I am not an authority on figures but have a bookkeeper and accountant that I will turn it over to if he will give the figures again. I am in the manufacturing business and I had all kinds of criticism when I started four years ago. but I had been inspired by God. just as Dr. Townsend has been, and I had faith in it and worked hard for I know’ that when vou take God in as a partner and trust in Him that the project will work. When I started my business I had to borrow the money to start on and my husband was out of work and my son had to quit college. Our margin of profit is small but we have a volume of business. My competitors said everything about me and worked against me but I went on just the same and today these same competitors are out of the game for my product is being called for every where just like the Townsend plan is being called for. and we have built a small factory and my son can go back to college tbut does not want to go, as he finds this work too interesting) and my husband is also employed in our business and we give all the credit to God. I don’t care for sarcasm in any form and your letter would have 1

Scores Prohibition Plea

By L. O. Allen. _ L. E. York of the Anti-Saloon League forgets the average citizen of today has a high school education and reads the newspapers. No longer are we beguiled by oratory and good cigars. We, too, read of the immense total Indiana citizens spend on liquor annually and we know that Mr. York’s oft-repeated assertion that “this money is taken from legitimate business and from needy homes” mot an exact quotation) can not, in a very large per cent, be true. Mr. York a few years ago exhorted the ci'.zens and legislators to enact stricter laws for enforcement of prohibition. He can not deny that bootlegging was a big business. The United States Department of Justice says it wa£, but no longer is, a big business. Criminals have been forced into other channels of crime by repeal. We know, by the papers, the Government is waging a successful war on crime with the absence of bootleg profits aiding criminals. Indiana did spend money for bootleg liquor, so our present expenditures could not be all from legitimate business as he pictures it. How much did we pay the bootleggers? A national survey in 1931 disclosed we paid $2,848,000,000 for bootleg liquor. Last year we paid slightly over $3,000,000,000 for legal liquor. You can see how

impressed me much more if it had been without it. However if you or any one else has a better plan than Dr. Town; end why don’t you take it to Washington and present it to the House and see if it stirs the Nation like his plan has done. Dr. Townsend was inspired to write this plan after sie had doctored charity patients for years and had seen how their afflictions were brought on them from being depressed in spirit. He has so much faith in his plan that he has given up his practice of medicine to go to Washington and pay all his expenses of taking offices there to try to put his plan through, which is the proper thing to do for faith without works is dead. It is true that there are lots of old folks that have been lazy and would not work if they had a job, also lots of them too lazy to keep themselves clean, but is not the same thing true of lots of younger folks? There are folks that don’t deserve to be helped 'young and old) but because of these must we let the deserving ones perish? Does not it rain on the just and unjust alike? Who are we that we may judge them? God bless their old souls, I would help more of them than I do if I were able. I have helped as many as five families in one forenoon and this place is called “The House of Accommodations” by my neighbors. I wish that I could tell how happy this plan has made millions of poor old men and women and many of the younger folks too. It has given them hope when they thought all hope was gone, and I pray to God that they will not be disappointed. a a a OBJECTS TO LETTERS AGAINST PENSIONS Bv Mrs. P. D. L. It makes my blood boil when I read such articles as a Mr. Katz and Joseph L. Watt have written.

CUT IT!

wholly disapprove of what you say and ivill^ [defend to the death your right to say it. — Voltaire. J

surprisingly little of the total came from the sources Mr. York mentions. There is little change in our liquor bill, but there are other startling changes in our favor. A new r legitimate business created to replace our greatest crime. Thousands of men employed directly and hundreds of thousands, indirectly. Tens of millions of dollars saved yearly on law enforcement. Hundreds of millions added to the annual Treasury income, not counting state incomes from liquor taxes. The state of Indiana pocketed more than $5,000,000 last year from this source. What a pleasant contrast to Capone gang rule. How’ever, I do realize Mr. York has a job to perform and he must take advantage of every opportunity, but we’re not fooled so easily, any more. I do agree with Mr. York that we must have stricter legislation to control liquor and those who imbibe. Our only caution is to avoid extremes. Extremes are necessary, however, to show us the middle path. The Anti-Saloon League represents one extreme of the question. Conditions as they are now represent the other extreme —almost: it could be worse! Our bath now must be the middle path. We have tried both extremes and found them unsatisfactory. We must insist on saner legislation on liquor control, but. what could be sillier, Mr. York, than to try prohibition again.

Why do they have to harp on these pensioners drinking themselves to death, as if each dollar they receive will be squandered. They needn’t worry about the pensioners and the liquor traffic, but look after the younger generation. Also, we are not a pack of doddering idiots, as some would infer. I suppose if the pension is granted, the next thing some of these “croakers” will want to be appointed guardians. The majority of the eligible ones have lived long enough and have sense enough to know how to handle a few dollars, and don’t need the advice of a few upstarts. Not one of ten of the eligible ones want S2OO a month and haven't even asked for that much, so why, Mr. Watt and Mr. Katz, cross bridges before you come to them. It seems very disrespectful for Mr. Watt to speak of older folks in such a manner. Has he a father and mother living? An application of the Golden Rule would be beneficial. a a a STAMP OUT BOOTLEGGERS, PLEA OF TIMES READER By Sankev Francis. I saw in your Message Center Dee. 31 where Mr. Subscriber says we ought to have prohibition again. We had the law about 15 years, but we did not have prohibition. It cost the Government millions of dollars which had to come from

Daily Thought

Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness—Ecclesiastes ii. 13. WISDOM is the talent of buying virtuous pleasures at the cheapest rate.—Fielding.

JAN. 12. 1935

taxation, while the A1 Capones got rich. Mr. Roosevelt, when he spoke on the Circle, said that if he were elected there would be about $150,000,000 going into the United States Treasury instead of the pockets of the racketeers, and that is what I voted for. t not only gave prohibition a rap, but, like thousands of others, gave it a black eye. I did not vote to get liquor back; I only voted to have it legalized, for it was still here. I have six brothers and three sons and liquor dbesn’t bother any of us because we don’t bother it. The state of Indiana already has taken in more than $5,000,000 revenue and more than $3,000,000 has been needed to pay the school teachers, according to our paper. During prohibition I could hardly go on a visit without running into a booze party. I don’t drink or use tobacco in any form, but if people are determined to drink, let’s legalize it and try at least to eliminate the bootlegger. The sensible preacher knew we had the law, but we did not have prohibition. I am proud to sign my name.

So They Say

Contract is really a fascinating game, and I am sure that if you found time to take it up you would eventually derive tremendous enjoyment from it. —P. Hal Sims, j bridge expert, to Ely Culbertson, | another. If you try to solve a verv deep scientific question, you must know that j your probability of finding out anything is very small. You must work and not despair—Prof. Albert Einstein. A year ago, when I retired to have my baby, I was sure there was nothing more important in the world. I’m still sure.—Clara Bow. I am an actress. I came here to work, to study, not to give a monkey exhibition. —Anna Sten. I used to be a reformer—until I reformed.—Edward A. Filene, Boston merchant.

TRIBUTE

BY ELIZABETH CLARK Wrapped in impenetrable silence. The innumerable host of the dead, i Lie in sleep inviolate t Within their narrow bed. i They care not for our sorrow j Our tributes or our tears, j For theirs it is to know God's peace, j Thoughout unnumbered years! We honor those who lie asleep, And tribute to their memory give, When we have borne the load of one, Who longer had no wish to live. : Then let us think of the living dead! j Those dead to hope, to fears a prev. Whose spirit crushed by want and care, Discouraged, dreads to face the day. Tis they who need our kindly help, A friendly word, ’tis not th deed, And God must censure morbid tears The while our living cry for bread 1