Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 4 February 1951 — Page 32

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‘A 'SURIFPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER

_ ROY W HOWARD WALTER LECKRONE HENRY W. MANZ ‘President :

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Business Manager Sunday, Feb, 4, 1951

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Give IAuht ana the People Will Pina I'he Uwn Way oy

‘Sh-h-h-h-h — Don’t Look Now . . .’ SENATE BILL 86 has been rather widely acclaimed as the measure designed to end the hush-hush secrecy about what becomes of the public's welfare money. It may be intended to do that. But as it stands now it doesn't do it. a The pending bill does require that the names and addresses of everyone on 'publie relief, and the amounts each is paid, shall be filed every three months with the Prosecutor, the County Council and the County Auditor. To that extent ., . and to the extent that these offices happen to be occupied at any given moment by ‘persons who have enough initiative and enough time to study them and investigate them in detail . . . it is useful. But it goes on from there to provide $25 to $1000 fines and up to 60 days in jail for anybody who even asks to see such records, or who lets anybody else see- them or who might “acquiesce in the use” or dissemination of sucly in‘formation which might come “either directly or indirectly”

out of such records. : 2 #0 =»

Ld n a ¥ ‘ THAT would forbid any newspaper, under threat of

fine and imprisonment, to publish any information whatever about arfyone on relief or tryihg to get on relief. The legislature has né power to forbid or to regulate

; any publication of any information, a right guaranteed the

‘people under both state and federal Constitutions. : We don't believe it was intended to do that, but that's plainly what it says. We rather have an idea that clause is

intended to keep political workers from trying to organize " reliefers to vote for or against somebody or something. If

go, it would hinder only political workers of the party that was out of office. Every employee of every welfare departmejit, every county council, every county prosecutor and every county auditor already would have that information . .. and quite a lot of them hold those jobs only because

they are political workers. :

\ 3 n o n . ; SECRECY about public relief was not an Indiana idea at all. It originated with the professional uplifters who crowded into Washington in early New Deal days, first as a departmental order, later as a law passed by Congress. The law simply states that in order to get money from the federal government a state plan must “provide safeguards which restrict the use or disclosure of information” about folks who get old-age assistance, aid for dependent children

or wd for the blind.

8 A # THE reason always given for this secrecy is that it might embarrass the people on public relief if everybody

knew about it. All their acquaintances, of course, know

about it anyway. : © The real reason is, and always has been, to keep the

taxpayers who furnish this money from finding out how

it is spent. = Any concealment of any use of any public money is an open invitation to abuses and waste and even fraud. The people of Indiana are entitled to know what is

done with their money.

They are entitled to a better explanation than they.

have had of why more and more people are on relief in

‘the face of the fullest employment Indiana has ever had,

and of steadily growing social security benefits. They are entitled to know why welfare costs go up, and up and up, far above the level of the worst days of the great depression. . Those records should be open to the inspection of any taxpayer who wants to see them. ; :

Senate Bill 86 does not provide any real lifting of the

iron welfare curtain now. Ens It should be amended so it does.

$10 Billion Needed iv (CONGRESS should act quickly on President Truman's request for at least $10 billion a year in additional tax revenue. : This will be history's biggest single tax increase. It will follow other increases, since Korea, of about $8 billion. it will boost the government's income to an estimated annual rate of over $65 billion. But Mr. Truman is right in saying that we can better afford to pay these added taxes than to borrow money for the defense program and further swell the $256 billion national debt. ead : He is right in advocating a ‘“pay-as-we-go’ policy. That is essential, as he says, to keep government finances on a sound footing. The increases he asks are $4 billion from individual incomes, $3 billion from corporation incomes, $3 billion

- from additional selective excise taxes.

It will be necessary, he explains frankly, to tax people with moderate incomes; while the wealthier groups should be taxed heavily. . o ” n 8 =n 2 THE President believes that, “in the light of high’ and rising corporate profits,” corporations can pay the increases he proposes for them and still be generally able to maintain recent dividend and reinvestments policies. (ai? He would concentrate excise-tax increases on less éssential consumer goods and goods which use scarce materials.

And he urges further action to close “loopholes” in

present tax laws through which he contends much revenue now escapes, and to review tax exempt organizations. Even so, however, $10 billion in increased taxes, plus

~ whatever new revenue may come from plugging “loopholes,”

will fall far short of balancing Mr, Truman's proposed $71.6 billion spending budget for the fiscal year beginning next July 1. ; The gap is $6 billion or more. And that gap could be. enlarged if-—as the President hopes—the military-produc-tion program can be speeded: up, since that would mean spending beyond the budget estimates. . So he says he will ask Congress Jater for still another tax increase. ‘ :

Meanwhile, Congress will have opportunity to act on ° * the budget. It should make the most of that opportunity by

cutting every proposed

penditure which cannot be defended as absolutely essential. : > , Oh . ‘ : Za Hi ! yn Te y. ve

e Indianapolis Times

Red Forces Are Suffering — But

alts 5,

CHINA—A STRONG WILL TO WIN . . . By Jim G. Lucas

WASHINGTON, Feb, 3--Indications are that the Chinese Communists are building up for a spring offensive, : » “They haven't changed their minds about. driving us out of Korea,” one top ranking general said today. : ; Thrown back by the Jnited Nations surprise offensive, their ranks riddled by disease, bombs and artillery, the Reds apparently have given up any idea of ending the war quickly. But they have not given up the idea of winning. Well-informed sources here say they have enough in the general area of Karea to drive us back if they are willing to use it. And; apparently they are—even if it bankrupts them militarily. + :

Originally, the Reds planned to use Chinese

ey oi oF

to drive us behind the 38th Parallel and then turn the rest of the job over to the rejuvenated

orth Koreans. The Chinese expected to smash

the Eighth Army so completely it would not be able to fight effectively. That failed when the late Gen. Walton Walker launched his own attack on Nov, 27 and discovered their plans. It failed again when the Marines were pulled back from the Chosin’Réservoir and the Tenth Corps successfully evacuated Hungnam. The Chinese Third Field Army took heavy casualties in that operation. Tih iy After crossing the 38th Parallel and passing through ' Seoul, the Reds learned what they probably already guessed--that the North Koreans weren't strong enough to cargy out their assignment. Ten North Korean divisions and

Greats

. DEAR BOSS . . . By Dan Kidney Brownson Raps ‘1 Package Bill’

- bill system of House Appro-

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3—Freshman Republican Rep. Charles B. Brownson, Indianapolis, will support abolition of the ‘“‘one-package” appropriation bill. He is going to do so on recommendation of Rep. Charles A. Halleck, Republican, Rensselaer, dean of all Hooslers in Congress, and Rep. Earl Wilson, Republican, Bedford. The latter is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, which polled a majority vote against the ‘“onepackage” bill. In doing so they over-rode the vigorous opposition to returning to the old multiple- ~

Committee ChairDD.’ .. Mr. Brownson «+» the ax

priations man Clarence Cannon Mo.). One of the arguments used was that the “one-package” bill, used for the first and only time in the last session: of the Democratic 81st Congress, made the committee chairman a sort of dictator. The 82d Congress also is Democratic, but Mr. Halleck, ‘who was majority leader in the Republican 80th, predicted that the multiple bill system which they used then will be adopted again. He credited that method with the balanced budget which the GOP achieved for the first time in 20 years. The three Congressmen all addressed themselves to the subject on Mr. Brownson's weekly broadcast.

‘Just a Scheme’

SPEAKING as a minority member of the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Wilson said that the omnibus appropriation bill was “nothing more than a scheme to cover up funds for financing pet socialistic fancies.” “It is a bill for spenders and not for savers,” he declared. “A compilation of the separate subcommittee hearings on the one-package bill in the last Congress would make a stack of paper 30 feet tall, if it was all piled together.” Mr. Halleck assured Mr. Brownson that the way to keep his “no extravagance” pledge to Marion County voters is to help abolish the onepackage. plan. Hé promised to do so. In a statement earlier this week, Mr. Hal-

Picture an Artist Can Paint

leck called “the will to economize” the only way to-achieve budget cuts. “Whether it's a one-package bill; or a thou-sand-package bill, we will never have economy unless the people and their elected representatives are sincere in their demands to slash costs,” he said. “There is no magic formula.”

‘Hardly a Nod’

THE omnibus bill, calling for $36,153;000,000 cleared Congress last Aug. 28. There wasn't time to examine this giant and thus the 81st Congress became the “greatest spender in peacetime history” Mr. Halleck maintained.

Whole sections were passed over with “hard-

ly a nod,” Mr. Halleck declared.

“It was absolutely impossible for members of the House generally to make any real study of the gigantic. volume of héarings or of the complex details of the bill, presented, as it was, in a single packagé” he said. “When we had the bills coming in one at a time we were able to start consideration early in the session. There was adequate time for debate and members generally could examine the various items and submit recommendations for further cuts. : “Sound economy requires careful consideration of the many items, if we are going to find places where cuts can be made. Only by putting the spotlight of congressional and public examination on the items involved can we wring the water out of appropriations. You can’t get that spotlight into the dark corners of a onepackage bill.” :

8arbse—

MOST men soon learn that a marriage lcense isn’t a driver’s license. . WHEN the wife begins to describe the vacation to neighbors, hubby begins to wonder where he was all that time. > A MAINE poet was married—so now for some odes to canned food! a: EVERYBODY knows exactly how to raise children except the folks who live on either side of you. GIVE some people a couple of inches and they want to be the ruler. A TENNESSEE boy set fire to a school house twice because he didn't want to attend. And he passed—right into the reformatory.

MATTER OF INCENTIVE . .

Where Do We Stop on This Taxing Spree?

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3—With President Truman asking $10 billion more in taxes—and still more yet to come—again comes

the question:

happen. But there is no agreement on where, President Truman, as he stated in his tax message, be. lieves that the tax burden is nowhere near the danger point. But Republicans such as Rep. ‘Noah Mason of Illinois, vet-

ing House Ways and Means Committee, says: taxes are rapidly nearing the point where ‘the country can't stand them.”

n » ” HOW HIGH are taxes now in rélation to the total national output? A¥™resent rates (not counting the proposed $10 billion increase), total federal, state and local taxes are taking between 25 and 26 cents out of the average dollar earned. If Congress approves the $10 billion increase in federal taxes, the total tax™‘take”: out - of guary dollar would. go Wp to

eran member of the’ tax-writ-

3 * ~ . . [ ¥

one brigade were unable to dislodge one American division at Wonju. Meanwhile, round-the-clock air blows plus an outbreak of typhus riddled their ranks. The Red offensive halted abruptly a few miles south of Seoul dnd turned into a retreat when-Lt. Gen. Matthew Ridgway, new Eighth Army commander, took the offensive. ; Actually, it was learned today, the Reds are suffering as much from cold as from typhus. The number of deaths from trench foot and frostbite mounts daily on the other side of the line. Reports here are that Red commanders have to drive the men to battle. Even when “they do, troops begin to wilt after a few hours. One general pointed to the rescue this week of a 4000-man regimental combat team which had been surrounded by the Reds.. Had that happened during the summer, he said, the regiment probably would have been destroyed. As it was, the Chinese were too weak to push an obvious advantage. Bodo

APPARENTLY China has so overextended “her supply lines that she has been able to get few doctors and medical supplies into South Korea. In the past, the Chinese have avoided winter fighting. In Manchuria, it: is customary for soldiers to hole up in the winter and wait for spring. The fact the Chinese are fighting in Korea in sub-zero tempefatures indicates that Moscow. has put pressure on Peiping to meet

HOOSIER FORUM—

Our Fringe Areas

They're Not Defeated

Tra

a pre-determined deadline, well-informed sources “Back in Manchuria, they can sit it out with tew losses” one general said. “They could do that when they first crossed into North Korea, But we've burned all their huts and villages and they have no place to go. If they try to huddle together for warmth in ravines and .caves, lice spread typhus and that gets them. That cotton-padded uniform is ideal for that. There's no doubt they're hurting.” » eS

MATTERS probably will get worse. before they get better as far as the Reds are concerned. They can expect to lose more men when prespring thaws set in. But those who know aren't: kidding themselves that the Reds are through. They expect them to mass more troops back of the Yalu River and throw them into battle next spring. Pp Roorts that the Reds are shifting Gen. Pen Teh-hui's First Field Army from Sinkiang Province in Northwest China to Manchuria support this theory. So far, the movement has been on a small scale, indicating that the Reds do not plan to use these troops immediately. But, it was pointed out, they will be in position to cross the Yalu just as warm wefither sets in, That's one of the reasons we’ shing 15,

000 reinforcements monthly to Gen. MacArthur

and planning to build his divisions to authorized strength.

Need Our Help

“I do not agree with a vord that you say, but | will defend to the death your right to say it."

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following letter is one of two dealing with the pros and cons of extending municipal services to county residential areas outside the city limits and the ereation of metropolitan governmental units. N ship trustee, will provide an, answer. MR. EDITOR: ; The term, city-county consolidation, is not descriptive of the solution to the growing pains of Metropolitan Indianapolis. Its use causes .some people to freeze up, and to hinder an objective search for solutions. 3 The picture in the minds of our suburban neighbors is ‘that Indianapolis wants to gobble them up and destroy the good things. That is not true. Politicians have distorted the facts, Governmental reorganization, and extension of municipal services c¢an be achieved to. make life better for people as a whole. Let's take a look at the problem, and examine possible solutions. ; Metropolitan Indianapolis has grown, somewhat faster than most northern industrial cities in the past 12 years. The official boundaries of the city have remained almost static in that time.

Mr. Book

«oo lot's act now

Almost 100,000 people now live in the county, -

outside the city, as city dwellers. Only about 20,000 people in Marion County live on farms.

NATURALLY a tremendous suburban development has taken place. The trend will continue. Life in the suburban portion of. the county is more attractive td many people than city life. But this development has accentuated basic problems for our whole community. Primary problem is sanitation. Many of the 100,000 persons living in the small suburban area of the county, are exposed to disease dangers because of overflowing septic tanks. The soil in many Marion County areas is impervious and not cenducive to septic tank operation. It is a recognized fact that there is a need for sewer connections and adequate treatment of sewage for the whole metropolitan area. The city plans to build relief sewers to end flooded basements from backed up sewers; serve areas not now served; enlarge existing sewage treatment plants, and eventually build another sewage treatment plant. : If this planning can be done now for the whole metropolitan area it will save money and provide better sewerage and sewage systems for us all. : X Sd b

THE CITY drive to provide additional offstreet parking and speed up tfaffic should also embrace the whole area. Thoroughfares that end at the city limits only half complete a job. Certainly 100,000 suburban neighbors of Indianapolis would like to have better fire and crime protection. Volunteer fire departm nts, deputy sheriffs or state police can only give limited aid. An integrated protection system would enhance the entire area’s fight against fire, crime and traffic accidents: The cost is another item of consideration. Some of the township tax rates are almost as

high as the city tax rate. and provide only for *

schools, a small degree of county government, no garbage and trash removal, no protection against disease and no street cleaning or repairs. City taxpayers get all this besides their schools. Let’s look at possible solutions, We can drift along as we have been. The pressures for seryfces will be-met in some way. Speedway and Meridian Hills will. doubtless build sewage treatment plants. They have been ordered to by the state. Will the neighbors like it when the plants empty their effluent into Eagle Creek and White River? Opposition of the Eagle

Creek and Tibbs Avenue Civic League against .

the Speedway plant in courts and the Legislature are sufficient testimony. So BH oi PERHAPS some areas will find it necessary to incorporate as small towns. But they might end up with the highest tax rate in the county as did the little town of Homecroft—$4.81 per 100. Does anyone want to see Indianapolis ringed with small towns pyramiding these problems?

By Earl Richert

ext week, Nelson Swift, Perry Town-

idly, new plants and ‘industries

Wouldn't it be better. to approach some solution step by. step as conditions indicate? Urban and suburban residents don’t want the - farm population to pay for municipal services they don’t want or need. : The other possibility is the gradual solution of our problems. It is clear that thickly populated suburban areas should be annexed to the city soon, They urgently need these services. It is impossible to give these .ervices before annexation takes place. The history of every American city shows that annexation takes place as the need becomes evident and then services are extended as the population requires. Obviously every department of the- city should be planning extension of services to these areas. ' These residential areas won't pay their way in taxes collected. Few, if any, ever do. Commercial and industrial properties of the city make up the difference. But they will pay their way, in the long run, by being part of an integrated city in which life and property of all are adequately protected. , : * > 9 : PROBABLY. some metropolitan government system should be established to provide some of the services which the remainder of the suburban area needs. Local civic, health and welfare agencies propose a city-county health and hospital governmental unit. They believe .the health problem is county wide. City government cannot extend services to suburban areas on a basis of each one paying for just what it received. - The state constitution does not permit this method of levying municipal taxes. They must be equally ot against all portions of a municipality. Two steps that seem most logical under today's conditions are annexation where real economic: need is proved and some extension of other needed services on a metropolitan government basis. ! Indianapolis continues to grow, faster than its citizens can meet the problems of growth, We must study these problems now and determine upon steps to be taken. There is now a proposal before the House of Representatives for a study commission to start work on these problems. If the people serving on this commission are sincere I have no doubt we shall make progress, now 12 years over-due. ~William H. Book, executive vice president Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce.

FOSTER’S FOLLIES . « . By Ben Foster Rule of Thumb Leaves Us Numb

SOUTH BEND—A local policeman charged a woman driver with biting off the end of his thumb after he had arrested her. Once Little Jack Horner had much smarter ways, According to Old Mother Goose. For, like a hitch-hiker, Jack spent all his days Just putting his thumb to good use. But out in South Bend there's a far different trend, This poor’ cop got nary a crumb. An end Mr. Horner’ would not recommend, And yet, it was still—going thumb! : < 3 BUT, in one way, who could blame the lady? After all, it was the cop’s idea to put the finger on her. Besides, maybe she had mistaken him for one of those female arms of the law. Most everyone likes lady fingers. ' Meantime, New York's Traffic Commissioner

* has recommended an ordinance designed to give

pedestrians an even break. Not much new about that. The pedestrian has been getting the breaks for years, Arms, legs and skulls. And the drivers never seem to have a brake. Or know how to use it! ec 9 / AUNTY COMMY says: “Maybe we could sit down-and make a deal with Mao and Joe, if we really put our minds to it. And made certain to bring our own deck of cards. Well marked ™ : : all, | THE REDS are still trying to get the Dalai Lama to return-to Lhasa in Tibet, assuring him he will be in no danger. But the Lama has decided to bide his time. Sort of a dilly-Dalai

_ deal.

‘Of which we've had a few of our own in this country in recent months!’

lion a year. They say the gov-

How high can taxes go before they cause people to lose incentive, and thus halt the productive growth of our country? Everyone agrees there is some point at which this

about 28 cents. This is just about the same rate as in ‘World War II when the total national "output reached an annual peak of $215 billion, $85 billion Jess than the current $300 billion rate. And if Congress should raise taxes later on to balance the President's $71.6 billion budget, the total tax ‘“take”

would mount to 30 cents out .

of every dollar,

Experience of the last few years has forced discard of ,the old rule of thumb that the country couldn't stand it when taxes took more than 25 cents out of every dollar.

#8 MR. TRUMAN -took note of this by saying in his message: “During recent years we have taxed ourselves at high levels—and during those years our economy has bounded forward, incomes have risen rap- . i= “

have sprung up, and the standard of living of our peoplé has increased steadily.” He said that the growth in our economic: strength which has occurred under these tax Tr ves us confidence that we can

mated expendit for the next fiscal year out of taxes.” ¥ 8a 8 3

SEN. ROBERT ‘A. TA¥T (R. 0.) is concerned about what he sees ahead. He says the President's budget provides contract authorizations which would send federal spending during the following fiscal years up to $80 or $90 billion a year, Some tax experts think the

administration would have a

hard time actually spending the proposed $71.6 billion during the ‘coming fiscal year, which starts July 1. They point out that total federal spending in January— seven months after the outbreak of war in Korea — amounted to only $3.8 billion—

ar an annual rate of $45.6 bil- ..

ernment would have to go some to increase that rate by $25 billion that quickly, unless there is total war. : Government spending is still running behind last year and the government for the fiscal year gince last July was actually “in the black” at the end of January.

MY BOY

MY boy, no doubt your daddy seems . . . like someone Par {Bpaat i « +» from all the pla

things ‘closp to your own heart . . Lor I know that I felt the same . . . about my ‘daddy too because he

didn't see my way . . . in all I'd like to do... but now that I've reached manhood . . . and have you, som, to gpise + « + I look back to that dad of mine . . . and only can I praise

+ + « the lessons that he taught

me . .. the same I hand to you . . . so you may have a son some day . . . and make him good and true. «By Ben Burroughs

ul things you do . . -.°

Mir Pol De

—

WAS and’ wage Dem along ab ators an Stabilizat no pressi At tl ~~ One when the applicant. on.” An nation as heard of 1 Califor Headquart Sen. Pat } appointme; . Many and lawy governme officials h qualified. Co-direc named fo price, con . (Puerto F which ha work for World Wat of Best Ft ‘selected, Ir split to cz “faithful.” Thompson, Georgia. C Meighan, Gadsden, 4 promise to dent Trun for preside Lame d forcement N. Y, Is Congressm: Tauriello; mer Mayo of Buffalo. Enforcen Minnesotawas unsu for govern ‘last fall, Note: F prominent lawyer and Bridges, Ww succeed Ad of ESA er $5000 to I - Committee

Hoist E;

EYEBRO Washingtor announcem _ new law fi and Borkla bert A. Be Sept. 30 a Departmen! vision. With am ‘small ear A. Bergson sence whil eral counse €ense Mot Wr. Bergso! aut pay, | money fron card was ODM appoi after annot ordered. A see how handle ar ODM.”

ESA ‘Mi

GOVERN controllers they have 1 powers. Law dray fall limits information turning it partment f{ partment w ESA says wants Att) McGrath te tion of civil lem is being levels.” E Congress t law by givi over busine

. Prices F - REMEMI watch price “freeze.” Official “flexibility. II, it was “ trols then was rationi up 15 per ce apt to rise ibility.” NOTE: frozen at levels—as mer-—cons béen save then’

Backs ‘I

DESPIT eral Reser port Treas Snyder's ‘“‘e Nothing el ‘that Presi sided = with point out, Board me agree Ww policy, In Congress, ¢ farther in in time of « Snyder rates kept costs of debt. Fed member M this make “an engine it would more inter the brakes

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