Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 11 March 1938 — Page 18

The Indianapolis Times

ROY W. HOWARD . LUDWELL DENNY MARK FERREE * President . Editor pak Business Manager

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FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 1938.

. UNHAPPY DAYS

HE usually glamorous State of California has been getting some unwelcome headlines lately, First it’ was the San Francisco windstorm, then the Los Angeles floods,’ .. and now Tom Mooney dramatically appears before the California Legislature and tells it that the State has kept him ., in jail as a murderer for 22 years for a crime he did not i commit, iy California cannot ‘do much about windstornis and | floods. But it .can stop the printing of headlines adver7 tising the fact that it keeps an innocent man in jail. All its ; Governor has to do i is to pardon Mooney.

| THE WHITNEY CASE

+ RICHARD WHITNEY, five times president of the New York Stock Exchange, has been indicted as a result of | revelations as shocking as the public has heard in many a day. : € From the testimony of Cashier Rosenthal of the insol-. vent brokerage house of Richard Whitney & Co., it would appear that Whitney took nearly $800,000 of securities belonging to clients of his firm for a purpose that only Whitney can explain.: To hypothecate in loan accounts, the cashier thinks probable. Whitney, himself, has admitted that “certain of my actions have been wrong.” And this is the same Richard Whitney who went to Washington to register loud protests against, stricter Gov‘ernment supervision of the Stock Exchange and its

Gon Johnsen

pref

1

Fair Enough The Hoosier Forum

1

members. Now, by the irony of fate, the Securities and Exchange

. - Commission and a better regulated Stock Exchange must be

given credit for being the first agencies to spot something wrong with the Whitney firm and to call Whitney to

. * account.

Whitney faces criminal prosecution all the more de-

- ‘served because of a background of training and position

that leaves him no shadow of excuse for confusing right with wrong—in this case gross wrong. : Public interest demands that his prosecution be vigorous and his’ punishment—if he is found guilty—ex-

1 emplary.

CAUSES AND CURES

IX major causes roughly classified as light, weather, road, vehicle, driver and traffic caused the 35,000 Indiana motor vehicle accidents reported to the ‘State Highway :Commission Traffic Bureau in 1937, studies made by the Bureau reveal. These studies indicate that traffic accidents do not just happen—they are caused. The Bureau explains that any combination of these conditions may result in an accident—the absence of any one may prevent an accident. Obviously two of these causes—light and” weather— are ungovernable. The individual motorist can ‘do little about two others—road and traffic. But it is those remaining accident cause river and vehicle—with which he can concern himself. nn If he makes certain that both he and his car are in condition and that he is driving carefully, he is eliminating one-third of the causes of traffic accidents. Responsible authorities can do much to eliminate another third.

STOKE POGES—1938

JOSEPH P. KENNEDY, our new Ambassador to the Court © of St. James, has made the hole-in-one-club. He sank his tee shot on the 120-yard second hole of the Stoke Poges Slough course, near London. Stoke Poges? Oh, yes, that is the village where one Thomas Gray wrote a poem called “Elegy in a Country Churchyard,” which has brought him a certain meed of

‘ame. Mr. Gray, dwelling long on the solemn thought that

“the paths of glory lead but to the grave,” toiled over the Elegy for many years before he gave it to the world in 1750. But our Mr. Kennedy, only a few days in England, made-a hole-in-one and got his name into all the papers. ‘This goes to show, we suppose, how times have changed, and it occurs to us as just as well that Mr. Gray cid his writing before they opened up the golf course at ‘Stoke Poges. For certainly he couldn’t have won immortality writing such a quatrain as— - The curfew Tolls the knell of parting day, The gladsome caddies gambol o’er the lea, The golfer homeward wends his happy. way— He holed the pellet from the. second tee.

BOOTLEGGE

AREN'T TAXED

THE House of Representatives has voted to add 25 cents to the presgnt $2-a-gallon tax on whisky. On the supposition that just as much legal liquor will be sold next year as last, this added tax should produce an additional $35,000,000. - Bat what about that supposition? One thing we know from experience is that Americans year in and year out consume all the distilled spirits they want, regardless of taxes and regardless of laws prohibiting liquor traffic. Another thing we know is that many Americans do not care much whether the liquor they consume is legal or illegal. Last year Federal enforcement agents seized some 8,000,000 gallons of illegal spirits, and nobody

knows how many multimillions of oHezal gallons they

failed to seize.

Existing liquor. taxes— Federal and. state excises; alu |

plus the

ready. give ‘hootleggers a |. cor ortable competitive advantage over legal dealers. The added tax will increase the margin. So it is at least pos- | more, that legal dealers | ‘proposing

i that the bectieg gets will

Busi ness Government ‘Going Into Condition Today Similar to One. Confronting

Hoover When Mills' Hopes Always Far Exceeded Actual Tax Receipts.

enormous difference between the profits of 1937 and the profits of 1938. Already salary cutsjhave begun |

By Westbrook ug

Los Angeles’ Will Forgive Their Newspaper as They Do Mr. Wright, It Is Believed.

OS ANGELES, March 11.—Last Nov. 9 Paul Wright asseitedly shot and’ killed his wife and a man described as his best friend in the drawing room of Mr. Wright's home. Mr. Wright reputedly had been drinking and allegedly had Yallen asleep in another room. Reportedly, however, he awakened, and on re-

entering the drawing room was so shocked by the as- .

serted spectacle that describedly he quickly seized his reported gun and while blinded by a reputed white

flame executed capital punishment on the statedly erring swain. The it-is-said slayer was arrested and tried three times, but won his freedom by the best two out of three decisions in the Los Angeles courts. Suspectedly, among the newspaper craft in the southern zone of California and to -a less extent elsewhere these days, it is a release from responsibility for libel - or error in journalism to qualify assertions or suggestions of allege fas win such forms as ‘“‘as- ER = sertedly” and “reportedly.” Supposedly this is a revival Mr. Pegler and an explanation of the old-fashioned and generally discarded journalistic use of the word “alleged” as a fire escape from responsibility, and on being tested in court the whole vocabulary of new immuni-

ties may crash expensively as “alleged” did some

years ago. However, it is thoughtedly, or thinkedly, libel proof to date, and your correspondent is conducting this experiment on an assumedly open and! shut case, high ‘public officials believe. f # ” R. WRIGHT'S defense was two-fold. He was not guilty because he did not do the asserted killing and not guilty. because he was claimedly insane when he did that which he did not do. the first trial the jury rejected his contended innocence and found him guilty of manslaughter. But in the -second trial the same citizens believed his story of the described white flame and vindicated him on the ground of insanity. There followed then a third trial to determine whether this insanity was temporary ‘or

lingering, and the verdict was that the purported:

white flame was but the matter of an instant.

A week ago a Los Angeles paper chronicled his release. Mirrored in the tragic lines of his gaunt face was the terrific ordeal he had passed through. So thankful that he could hardly talk, after almost three months of confinement, he had only this to say: “I want Whe; world to forget me.”

& 8 =

WING to an unfortunate omission or lack of

space, there was no mention of the grim, gray

walls or any intimation of stark tragedy—a plain case .

of short measure on the part of the paper. The citizens of Los Angeles are understanding and tolerant, however, and. will forgive the omissi.n as they forgive Mr. Wright and doubtless will forgive, at a fu(ture date, an unhappy Negro who chargedly shot and killed two law officers who went to his little cabin to

dispossess and evict him for purported default of his,

alleged payments. The ‘defense in this case, it is hopedly, will intioduce a distinct scientific novelty—the black flame— and on a date not far in the future the newspapers predicted will repeat that to understand is to forgive, and report that the black flame slayer walked out of the county jail a free man, police believe.

By John

N= YORK, March 11.—One of the first questions raised in the House on the new tax bill (Revenue Act of 1938) was whether or not it would produce the necessary revenue, The debate, as far as

it- has proceeded, seems to indicate that Congress is | income on which the tax is based smaller than in 1937 and that commodity taxes

preparing for a pretty deficit next year. The champions of the new bill estimate that it will produce as much revenue as the present tax bill. They think it will_produce $5,300,000,000.

But, does anyone supposs thet is going te pay

Uncle Sam's housekeeping bills next year

eras Obes a oF Sean. that cone. :

fronted President Hoover in 1930, 1931 and, 1932. ¥ SS #8

rE the business of the country was thrown into reverse

and all Ogden Mills’ guesses at what his

tax bills would bring in went wrong. The country was | sinking

into depression so fast that Secretary Mills’

hopes always far exceeded his actual receipts in taxes.

Tolerant Sitizes

¥

I wholly disagree with what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.—Voltaire.

‘| CITES ADVANTAGES OF

PUBLIC HOUSING By Daniel J. Zimmerman In a news story about Mayor Boetcher’s meeting with the Council regarding establishment. of a Housing Authority, a statement by a speculative builder terms United States ‘Housing as another “subsidized promotion,” which in part is true. . . .

It was these “subsidized promotions” that during depression years

| gave these gentlemen something to.

do and provided a living for them through the HOLC “mortgage stabilization plan. He stated further that the. housing setup could best be handled by builders, with private capital, all ‘of which shows the individual in ques-

‘| tion has not read the law. Years of

experience show that private individuals, or companies, cannot afford to finance or enter the low-cost housing field profitably. This housing is in the bracket below the $3500 class or home-owning class built by builders: and -are

merely rentals to people earning less.

than $1200 per year bridging the social gap in the social strata between earning ability and decent

living. This has been done in prac- |

tically every country of Europe excepting Spain during the past

; decade.

Acts as Bond House

True, there is a subsidy on the interest for the sale of the bonds connected with the operation of the act and Indianapolis might as well have its share ‘as lose out as it did on PWA funds for the Detention Home,

City Auditorium, etc., by waiting

too long. The U. 8. Housing Authority setup is a first mortgage against the prop-

|erty, the Government acting as the

bond house selling: the bonds for the cities at no charge in place of the usual 10 per cent bond house fee, and making them 30 to 60-year retirement instead of 10 to 15-year, necessary for the operation of private capital. It,, therefore, is clear that a housing project would in no way change the city’s finance or be a debt or obligation to the City in any respect. It is a first mortgage on the property, thereby clearing up and demolishing insanitary houses

and fire hazards in exchange for |

sanitary, good living conditions, making for a better citizenry and ridding our fair city .of any rotten portions. Should we avail our city of this opportunity to put on a “new dress” and not be governed by selfish or political thoughts but take this won-

derful opportunity to boost communly welfare?

T Flynn

and the earnings of small

businessmen ha transformed in many cases to deficits. Great numbers of men are out of work. All this means that the

going lo bring in less Money.

IY other words it eks like a fairly sotnd a guess that

Thus we began to pile | up the ‘deficit we, now have | nece is

under Mr. Hoover in 1

But tots deficit aid . come from spending, from | It came from the | a Inability ‘of the hatin’ neome | to yield sutitlent in-

the distiller's license fee, plus the wholesaler’s license fee, |

very and relief expenditures.

The is n about llect hn now alx co nm

her in a conscious, |

ox fe inflation into which we will drift and which

0! d be calamitous.

second position is defended by many too. But |

honestly at course. But they ought to ognize all its implications. It will end

(Times readers are invited to express their views in these columns, religious controversies excluded. Make your letter short, so all can have a chance. Letters must be signed, but names will be withheld on request.)

LINCOLN’S NOMINATION EXPENSES CITED From the 5t. Louis Post-Dispatch No itemized statement of the McNutt debut has been published, and no demand for such detailed information has been heard. Curiosity seems satisfied with the summary:

present scale of things, there's nothing in that figure to occasion talk, but gazed at in the dim light of his-: torical comparison, it may induce a pause. : The month is May, the year 1860, the place Chicago, and the Republicans have chosen a candidate for President after milling days in that impoverished convention: hall, the “Wigwam.” Carl Sandburg, in The Prairie Years, thus tells it: .. When Judge David Davis was asked what it cost to nominate Lincoln, he replied: “The entire expense of Lincoln's nominstion, including headquarters, telegraphing, music, fare of delegations and other incidentals, was less than $7 The simple life. The Martini had

RENUNCIATION? By FRANCES BURTON

I tried so hard to abandon 2 I thought to leave you to your fate; From mind I meant to cast you out, But now I know I cannot hate.

Too long you dwelt within my heart For me to say I will forget: The ties that bound us: are too strong; ‘My prayers go with you yet.

No matter if I never see you Nor alan your hand again in

My gs, thoughts are always yours, My prayers—for thee and thine.

DAILY THOUGHT)

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, 254 Ye shall have: them ~~Mark

—that is, which flows from the inward necessity ‘of the Soul--Giad

- «answers,—Olshausen.

have been -

is going to be

taxes are | Et IE

inflation or

that the bill totted up $5000. In the}

‘| not yet been invented, hors d'oeuvres +

had never crossed the Alleghenies,

land “5 to 7" was a vesperal period| :

when America ate its supper and got ready to say its prayers and go to bed. : 2 = = FAVORS BURNING OLD AUTOS By B. C. : A movement which started several weeks ago as a Chamber of Commerce stunt—the burning of ancient automobiles—has gained force and is spreading all over the country. It even furnished the germ for a scheme - originating in Detroit to have all automobiles more than five

ernment expense. That would be going farther than most of us care to share tax ex‘pense on, for there are thousands and thousands of cars in th States which have passed their fifth birthdays ‘and are still trundling around in one shape or: another.: But the bonfire ‘idea is something | else. Usually the autos are contributed -by secondhand dealers. or

‘| are bought at sums from $5 to $20.| « | Burning them gets the junk off the |

streets and out of the auto yards. Further than that, it prevents those: rattling deathtraps on four wheels |. from wobbling around the streets where they can’t:-be stopped, started or steered accurately. The more old autos that are burned up at city, dealer or private expense the safer the streets: and

| highways will be hereafter. § ;

Caw el POPULARITY CONTEST ron - POLICEMEN SUGGESTED

By Oliver Let I think there should be a contest] to decide the most popular policeman in town — or say the most cheerful or pleasant, friendly, likable—something along. these lines. : Maybe it would help make- some of the police more ‘pleasant. My choice is the young-Negrog fellow on the corner of Capitol and Ohio Sts: Cm ” # ; BETTER TROLLEY : 2 | SERVICE ASKED = ~~ iid By Disgusted Taxpayer | 4 oX _ Can't. something be: dope: about the oar service on the West Indianapolis: line? Every night: people are

b= EDITOR'S. NOTE — Indianapolis

promising “to tell all” about his former: ciates. ' Even the anarchists are now invited to present their manuscript to magannts, of. Conservative

Railways officials ‘ment. © © :

Accolia to

It Is a ‘Mistake for: the: Radical to Team Lo And Join i ina Common Attack on the Vibert Who 1s in the Middle.

NE YORK, March 11 ~Turn’ to the, ‘Righ ” was the title of - embodying a shift in political position it has proved

even. pore profitable to many persons. seems to be no one £0 humble that he cannot

1f ed by a syndicate or a:.magazine by signed by

‘a successful play. But as a phrase

asso-

years old “glowed under” at Gov-|

United |

| “Hugh : Johnson

left standing on the downtown cor-'} | ners, not being able to ges © on. the {cars around 5 » m. ry EYER: prayer that i really such |

* dediined oop >

| We | tive, thinks the President is rushing the

Says— Despite Threats of BoycoH, Your

Writer Will Condemn the Maritime Situation Wherever He. Sees Fit.

ASHINGTON, March 11 ~3 have teen officially served with a resolution adopted unanimously by the Los Angeles and indorsed by the Seattle C. I. O. councils. It “whereases” that I am in a “cone certed’ conspiracy .-. . to destroy the C. I. O:"maritime unions” because it says that I am “bent ‘pon the deportation of Harry Bridges . . . to prejudice the public against the maritime workers” and tha$ “in his call for violence against Harry Bridges and the maritime unions demanded that all noncitizens be barred from holding union office and . . . from holding jobs Qr securing ree lief.” I am to cease “vilification © under pain of boycott.” ~~ ° I am in conspiracy with nobody. I have upheld C. I.'O. and the maritime unions when I thought they were right. There is no assertion that what I said was not true and hence no “villification.” I have not called for vioe lence against anybody. © Here is the speech I “made Feb. 8 over the radio that il

2 = =n

ARITIME labor under Bridges. has won great advances. It was not properly treated before he came and it had a right to some of the belligerence “that helped it cure abuses. But Bridges has done ‘more harm to American shipping and commerce and ‘the Pacific Coast communities themselves than any single individual. I don’t know or allege.that he is a Communist but I do know that his tactics are ‘pree cisely Communist. I do know that, so long as those tactics are permitted, we can have no merchant marine. « eo 0 “Bridges; was the architect of the San Prantisca

forth this threat:

wn general strike (1934) which I helped to break. By “domineering legitimate labor leaders,

he stopped “transportation and the distribution of necessaries to ‘all the people of that community and threatened to “cut’ off their water, light and gas. The imminent’ use ‘of the armed force of government was all Shay stopped him.

“ S man is an alien—a noncitizen. + ++ This : . alien .problem is one of our worst. It has been said that. if aliens holding jobs or on relief were sent home, half our unemployment relief load would be lifted. What duty is there to this country to sup= port people who do not assume: the obligations of - citizenship—especially to a man like Bridges who conducted some of his sabotage from the relief rplls? “If Harry Bridges cannot be deported under eXiste ing laws, we should make a new law.. So far bs I am concerned it would be fine to Maye it say that no noncitizen could be an officer or ‘répresentative of an American ‘labor union ‘and that no alien wha, 4 doesn’t apply for citizenship a ne Sri

Since saying that; I have: ena pi

| Bridges 1937 membership" card in:

Party under an of 3 wags Tels

Ears

There is no. denying the fact that’ economics how and again makes bedfellows fully as strange assany whom politics has ever checked into the sam ite. A man can't be called upon to abandon a because some ‘rascal has climbed upon the Bana wagon. At the same time, I deplore ‘the: Judgment of a leader who halts his vehicle at a convenient spot in the road and aefually hails hitch-hiking tramps with the invitation; "Haws The time foriyou boys to hop on.” oa Ge i

AT 4 cai

hia

#®. -

there is certainly such & timing. Tet us asuie that Mr. 2 : might even call him F.. D. R, A t.R is proceeding much £00. % .C, a consetvasountzy:along opinion, it is a mistake for the

to:doom. In

: my op | cal to team up with the conservative and "| common a > in the ee th

on the man

- Specifically, 1 thought that C. mistake in criticialug the