Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 22 February 1951 — Page 27

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fr A SCRIPPS-HOWARD NEWSPAPER

: ROY W. HOWARD. WALTER LECKRONE HENRY W, MANZ President

Editor PAGE 28

Business Manager

Thursday, Feb. 22, 1051

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County. § cents a copy for dally and 10¢ ror’ Beaty: doared by eatrier dally and Sunday. 35¢c a week, dally ily. Me, Bunday on ¥ ane Mall rates in indiana | 00 a year oo 5 Bo. a yg AR 8. possessicns. Canada and

Wmica daily $110 a month. Sunday. 100 & copy Telephone R! ley 5551 Give light ¢nd the People Will Fina Ther Own Way

$5.00 a year,

Deep-Freeze in Alaska pit,

HW would you like to live in a one-room, tar-paper shack with a wife and three children, in zero weather? A shack without plumbing—no wash basin or kifghen sink. A’ pump that freezes and sends you three miles for water, A community toilet 50 yards from the house; a poorly heated shower room somgtimes without water? And pay $85 to $100 a month for rent, plus an average of $50 more for heat? This is 1951 and hundreds of Aaerican families—how many can’t be revealed—are doing it. In Alaska. They're American servicemen drafted, or enlisted, to fight for their country—but they can’t fight the maze of red tape that’s tied up their housing for years on end. They're in a pitiful state. How pitiful is told in an article today in The Times by Scripps-Howard Staff Writer Andrew Tully, who is viting our servicemen’s dreary communities in Alaska. Other articles by Mr. Tully will follow, And read Jim Lucas’ story elsewhere in today’s paper on how our governemnt has been dawdling along, with ambitious plans but little or no achievements. i What's happened to the millions we've laid out, or talked about, for Alaska housing since World War 11? Wranglings and disagreements have roadblocked a lot of it. ,a sleeping bureaucracy has slept on, because Alaska is 3000 miles from Washington in a deep-freeze of neglect.

Mt. Truman's Dilemma PES JENT TRUMAN has unusual cause to know the angers of divided authority and responsibility in a giant undertaking such as the defense mobilization program. As Sen. Truman, he headed a committee which investi« gated and did much to correct the costly wastes, delays and confusions arising from scattered authority and responsibility in World War II. : * Memories of that useful service doubtless helped to shape his wise decision to concentrate authority and responsibility for directing the defense mobilization program in the hands of one able man. :

» . » 8 ” ” THE MAN Mr. Truman chose, Charles E. Wilson, came from big business. He worked up from bottom to top in the General Electric Co. He had a major, and highly successful part, in the war production program. He has great energy, drive and singleness of purpose. The President apparently felt, as do we, that he could have selected no ‘man better qualified by experience and ability for the immensely difficult job. ipBut Mr. Truman now faces an unhappy dilemma because officials of powerful labor unions demand for labor a share in directing the program—a share, that is, of Mr. Wilson's authority. The union officials say that labor is dissatisfied with many ph of the program under Mr. Wilson. They ries of concessions to their viewpoint. And lainly, to say that the granting of these cone price of labor's future co-operation in the

Mr. Truman has a natural political desire for the union ers’ continued support. He has gone to great lengths tag please them. He knows that refusal by them to coate in the defense mobilization program could have

Ave consequences. » » n

» s » YET HE ALSO must know that dividing Mr. Wilson's ority with the union leaders—and then, no doubt, geting demands for its further division with leaders of SS ieuiure and other groups— would wreck the sound péinciple he has tried to establish. ‘ ¥ Of course labor's rights and needs and interests should considered fully and fairly. Of course the advice and help of union leaders should be welcomed and sought. Of se their suggestions should be weighed and adopted en they prove sound and practicable. . Of course the

logram needs the full-time services of able men from the i por movement. : i But the program cannot be directed successfully by a committee of delegates from special-interest groups with the delegate from any group constantly threatening to walk out unless his ideas prevail. &

in Able Watchdog ON after the war started in Korea, Sen. Lyndon John- : son of Texas warned that this country stood in great peril, and added: “Our armed strength looks better in terms of bookkeeping than it does in performance.” # Not long afterward he was named chairman of a Senate paredness Subcommittee to watchdog our rearming prom. He's been hard at work ever since to shake the dust ofit of the mobilization effort. %.-His hard-hitting reports and wake-up speeches have served as reliable guideposts to an effective, intelligent and unwasteful preparedness. Sen. Johnson's fact-digging has covered a broad field. He has gone deeply into such subjects as the supply and development of weapons, stockpiling of critical materials, whether the 40-hour week should be lengthened, universal military service and training. He has uncovered gross carelessness and complacency in- disposal of surplus property and war plants. : » 2

“ua ” : FORTUNATELY, he often gets results. For example, his attack on the Munitions Board for. “slowing down instead of speeding: up rubber stockpiling” was credited with bringing the resignation of the board's chairman. Now he has put the finger on the Air Force for hoarding manpower by crowding an excessive 30,000 men into a Texas airbase in a deliberate. effort to enlist too great a gre of the best of the nation’s youths. As a result, the ie: Force has canceled plans to call up 60,000 enlisted reservists. : Sen. Johnson's findings have never been tempered by ssrtisan or political consideration. All along the line he swung a sledgehammer at sleeping bureaucracy and denounced business-as-usual policies whether fostered by ‘the administration or by mere departmental chiefs. It is reassuring to know that our preparedness program - is under constant scrutiny by a man who takes that attitude, 1 + Ar 6 ty a ; 2

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Owned an bifshed dally by indianapolis Times Publish- , ing Co. ew Maryland St. 9 Member of

Hoosier Forum=— ¥

Letter Writers Want To Hear Both Sides

Of Marion County Public Welfare Story

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

‘Outrageous Charges’ MR. EDITOR: : Resolution

The CIO Indianapolis Industrial Union Council is gravely concerned with a dangerous situation that has developed in Indianapolis in recent weeks, Not one of the three large papers has given an opportunity for the State and County Welfare Departments to answer in full the outrageous charges made against them by the Indianapolis Star, (Since this resolution was passed and before it was made public, we are

‘One Lum

CY RY

LABOR AND THE HOUSE .

Economist Gabs

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22—The official stenographer in the gold-draped sanctum of the House Ways and Means Committee was scribbling furiously. The statesmen on the walnut ‘bench were listenfhig open-mouthed to the

witness. They're the gen- % tlemen who are faced “ with the unhappy task of boosting taxes on rich and poor alike. Russ Nixon, the economist of the United Electric, Radio, and Machinists Union, was going great guns, proving that most Americans today are too poor to pay the taxes already charged against him.

Mr. Nixon was a persuasive fellow—for the first half hour. He was a youngish man with a small bald spot, a faultlessly tailored suit of gray shepherd's plaid, light horn-rim eyeglasses, and a genuine gift of gab. He said that the average workingman today earns so little in terms of what inflated dollars will buy that he can afferd a new automobile every 17 years and a new kitchen stove every 100 years. He and his family barely get enough to eat, Mr. Nixon continued, and now the administration is proposing to inflict upon him new poverty taxes. “It is a monstrous misrepresentation to contend that workers have excess purchasing power, which must be drained off to prevent inflation,” .he cried.

It was here that Rep. Burr P. Harrison (D.

p or Two?

gratified to see that The Indianapolis Times is giving pple space to the other side of the picture.) The campaign against the welfare departments is actually aimed at crippling the welfare programs that provide an essential humanitarian service to needy individuals and families. The intent .of this campaign is quite clear, The campaign is succeeding in putting doubt and suspicion in thé minds of the people in the community as to the efficiency of the administra-

By Talburt

. . By Frederick C. Othman

On and On—

Va.) used his Southern accent gently to lewer the boom. 5 “You're a neighbor. of mine in Arlington County, Mr. Nixon,” he began. “And are you here representing workers, or some foreign power?” “The workers, of course,” snapped Mr. Nixon. “I mean are you a member of the Communist Party?” demanded .Rep. Harrison. “No, sir,” said Mr. Nixon. “Have you ever been?” Mr. Nixon refused to answer that. He said he was talking about taxes: not testifying before the Un-American Activities Committee. “But your union was excluded from the CIO because it was Communist dominated,” Rep. Harrison insisted. “We got out of the CIO,” Mr. Nixon replied. “If this man is a Communist, I don’t want i hea him,” interjected Rep. Thomas Jenkins {R. O.). “Do you work for a Communist?” asked Rep. Richard M. Simpson (R. Pa.).

A Big Mistake

“I WORK for a union,” retorted Mr. Nixon. “Well, would you work for a union, some of whose officers were Communists?” Mr. Simpson queried. Mr. Nixon said that wouldn't matter to him, if the union, itself, was loyal. The ancient’ chairman, Reép. Robert L. Doughton (D. N.C.) asked if he was through. Mr. Nixon said ‘no, he was not; he had more to say about taxing the people into poverty. . This seemed to be a mistake. Mr. Doughton told him to go ahead. He did. He talked to Congressmen now who were paying no attention. Rep. Doughton chatted with his neighbor on the Republican side. The reporters. stopped taking notes. And the statement of Mr. Nixon that began so eloquently wound like a Hollywood face on the cutting room floor.

SURPRISE . . . By Fred Perkins Eric Johnston's No Cream Puff

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22—Eric Johnston, urbane Director of Economic Stabilization, is turning out to be a tough guy, according to union leaders fighting for a bigger part in mobilzation, “Tougher than Wilson,” said one high union leader — meaning Charles E. Wilson, the former president of General Electric, who is now national boss of mobilization. The significance of this is that somes management men ex- 3 pected Mr. Johnston EE

union They recalled his record as a peacemaker between management and labor, and his frequent statements

in favor of union or- Mr. Johnston ganizations. ’

Stabilizer John- °° + immortal words

ston, former head of the U, 8. Chamber of Commerce and recently of the Motion Picture Association of America, is now wrestling with the problem of how to stabilize the stabilization program by regaining labor support for it. It was badly rocked last week when the three labor members withdrew from the wage stabilization board, amid angry threats to pull out of other emergency agencies.” Labor leaders’ barefisted atthcks dn Mobilizer Wilson as an alleged front for big busines didn't restore balance. It was stiil uncertain yesterday whether the United Labor Policy Committee, which speaks for nearly all important union bodies, will settle for-less than its. original demands. ‘These

include & liberal wage formula to replace the -

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“freeze,” top representation in defense agencies and other important concessions. Mr. Johnston once wrote a book, “We're All In It,” on how democracy could counter the Soviet system. In it, he sald: “Representatives of labor should be folded into our job of world leadership on the same basis as all other Americans.” He also sald: “American labor has men we need, and just at the hour when we need them most, ‘they're here and ready for the job.” William C, Doherty, an AFL vice president, dug out and cited these quotations. He added, “I trust the great statesman from the motionpicture industry, whom I hold in high esteem will not forget those immortal words.” :

The Third Wheel

MR. JOHNSON resumed yesterday afternoon what amounted to a clinic over the two remain-

ing wheels-—the public and management—of the

wage board. The problem is how to get the

third wheel, labor, back in place. Known to the technicians as a tripartite board, the wage group can't move without all three wheels. Everything, Mr. Johnston says, is subsidiary to figuring out how to regain labor support for the wage board. The stabilizer insists that a tripartite board is essential ‘to regulate wages in a democracy. He says one-man administration of wages “wouldn’t last” and. opposes having an allpublic board with arbitrary powers. Cyrus 8. Ching. chairman of the Wage

Board and. its public member, said about: the’

same thing just after the labor members departed last Friday in a huff over a compromise between their formula and that of the board's management members. The formula is still on Mr.. Johnston's desk. He must approve or disapprove it. »

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tion of welfare programs; people thus begin to distrust duly elected and selected public officlals. A lot of smoke is artificially produced to cash in on the old adage of “where there is smoke there must be fire.” We in the CIO firmly believe in the freedom of the press. That right must not be degraded to mean the right to print defamatory and untruthful articles and statements. The newspapers have a real responsibility to readers in printing in full the other side of a public controversy, giving it equal space and prominence on front pages. The newspapers in Indianapolis are failing in that responsibility. The CIO Indianapolfs Industrial Union Council is opposed to Indiana Senate Bill 86 which wantonly provides for public disclosure of the names and addresses of blind people, unfortus nate children and old folks who subsist on the inadequate Indiana Welfare Program. It was stated by the newspapers and the authors of the bill that it is not their intention of embarrassing needy people. Those statements of inntion are very convincing. The proposed bill amefully violates the most essential idea of democracy: The dignity and right of the individual. Be it therefore resolved: That the CIO Indianapolis Industrial Union Council is opposed to the Indiana Senate Bill 86 which was passed by the Senate and urged the Indiana House of Representatives to defeat the bill or any other legislation intended to discredit or cripple the Indiana Welfare Program. That the CIO Indianapolis Industrial Union Council go on record, on the face of the evidence presented, that Mr. John C. Mueller, director of Marion County Department of Public Welfare, the Marion County Welfare Board, and the State Welfare Department nave been unfairly attacked by the Indianapolis Star. That the CIO Indianapolis Industrial Union Council do everything possible to see that the CIO locals and members have an opportunity to hear the reply of the Marion County Welfare Board defending its department of the newspaper's charges made against them. That the CIO Indiana Industrial Union Council be informed of this action and that it be requested to send copies of this statement and resolution to all CIO Councils of Indiana. ~Melvin Brandenburg; president, IUC, CIO.

‘Thanks for Consideration’ MR. EDITOR:

Please allow me to thank Miss Mikels and The. Indianapolis Times for the kind consideration you have shown for Mrs. X and her two boys with the help of Dr. Grover Hartman. I am sure the good Lord will bless you all. Why so much noise from the News and Star

~ trying to make it tough on what few old people

article in The Times giving the facts regarding. one of the cases in which the facts have been: distorted by another local newspaper. a

‘Now We Get Facts’

MR. EDITOR: , We

I wish to congratulate Miss Mikels on her

The surprising thing about this is that the.’ other newspaper could have found the facts.

. simply by asking for them. I have read thisi®

newspaper regularly for the past 15 years. and it seems to be its tendency to more and more write without knowing the facts, and to condemn destructively by pure insinuation. "It is hoped that you will continue these ' articles until. all the people in’ Indianapolis and Marion County know the facts. b Pp ed For IT WAS my intention in this letter to pointe out another phase of this program which took = place some two or three years ago. In reading * the Indianapolis Star, ‘however, I found they... received a letter from Leo M. Rappaport which I am sure more ably describes the thing I had... in mind than I am able to do myself, It, of: course, was buried in fine print in the Start’ under the section entitled “The People Speak.” .. It seems to me that the substance in this letter: could and should be published in a manner so that more people would be reminded of what... most of us know who have been in Indianapolis:*: through the last five years. » SE just finished reading your article and i I hope you will keep them up until all the" people realize how irresponsible, the Indianapolis...

Star can be. —FE. R. McDaniel, City

ot

‘Honest Journalism’ od MR. EDITOR: “we I don’t agree with a word you say on this welfare bill, but I can’t refrain from writing to” express my appreciation of the way you have. printed all sides of the arg nt, including the part that doesn’t agree with you. : The way to decide this question, or any: other question. is to ‘isten to all sides of it and then make up our minds. You have already. done that, it would seem, but you have not puts an iron curtain in front of the rest of us who want to know the facts too and make up our own minds about it. As just one reader you have never met, I appreciate that kind of honest

journalism. 7 —J. R. K,, City.

‘Blame the GOP’

MR. EDITOR: 2» I have been a Republican for the past 45 years and I have heard it said that the Republican Party was a rich man’s party, catering ’ to the wealthy while the Democratic Party catered to the poor or common man. The way they have acted about the welfare bill it appears

there are left, mostly all helpless. I think they” that such might be the ‘case.

should start praying. All the old people I know don’t get any too much to live on and how they could buy a home, a car, and too much to drink, I don’t know. The hardest time in a man’s life is 45 if he is not iucky enough to-have a good steady job. I have been turned down for jobs for 15 years, I try to manage myself with bad health. ! : 0b ve THE farmers are getting subsidies, and everyone is making more money than ever before. The prices are going up but still us older people are trying to get by on'a whale of a lot less than $100 a month. I have been admitted to TB hospitals six times besides other hospitals over a dozen times that I can remember. Last time I think they gave me 6 pints of blood. My wife and I signed our home over in order to get help from the Welfare Department, . > PD -$ : I AM like lots of other older people. I ran an ad in the paper for a week to try to get some work to help out but didn't get one call. The Welfare Department is better than nothing and we are thankful for whatever we get. I will soon be 71. If I can I am going to try and do some work this summer. I think I am lucky anyway. My checkups with the Health Board havé been negative, :

I have done plenty of work in my day, but

I can’t now. —Another X, Noblesville.

‘Great Strides Made’

MR. EDITOR:

During the past two and one-half years the Marion County Department of Welfare has tried sincerely to bring its operation up to standards. It has made great strides—it still has much to accomplish which will require full public backing including adequate appropriations for staff and services from the County Council. Throughout the development of the county program the State Department of Welfare has been most helpful. It has co-operated closely, both with the county department and with local community groups since as the Health and Welfare Council. We wish to express our highest regard for the sincerity, integrity and performance of Mr. John Mueller, Mr. Maurice Hunt and the members of both county and state welfare boards.

—Mrs. Boyd I. Miller, president of Health. and Welfare Council of Indianapolis and Marion County,

‘Thanks for the Truth’

MR. EDITOR:

I want to say I appreciate the truth you bring out. If the husband of the lady in your welfare story had paid $10 a week and the §68 a month, it would all add up to $1336 a year. Many people make around $100 a week and don’t get along. Some get less and some get more, but don’t expect the poor to get along on $1336 a year, especially a sick woman and tne children. Let's not be selfish in what we ve. : It's not taxes that is the trouble. It is that we want too much. We are living in modern times and it hurts. Does higher wages and higher prices help anyone, especially the poor? No. We who have more can give more to help them. We are working together, Let's not lose sight of our aim. —Just a Reader, City.

‘We OK Welfare Here’

MR. EDITOR:

I am co-chairman of the Joint Citizens for Health and Welfare Legislation in Indiana. Our committee was asked to investigate the laws concerning health and welfare, the administration of those laws including the personnel and to estimate their effectiveness. We think we know more on these subjects than any group of citizens in the state. We have made a two-year study and we have indorsed the administration of John Mueller

and the policies of the Marion County Welfare

Department and. of, Maurice Hunt and the Indiana State Welfare Department,

~Mrs. Donald Jameson, City

‘A Public Service’

" MR. EDITOR:

I want to commend The Times for its efforts to give the public the truth about the welfare in Marion County. In view of the many distertions abroad, The Times fs performing a public service to the. citizens In presenting the “other side.” No public agency should be attacked without having a chance to answer and present the facts on its side.

The Times is ‘providing atruly American

service in giving’ the Welfare Department a chance to present facts. ¥

~Mrs. Merton Good, Indianapolis District

Secretary Christian, Social Relations,

_ WSCS, Methodist Church,

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I have also heard it said that it is no disgrace to be poor but those two-by-four Republicans would not only make it a disgrace but a crime to be poor. The next thing one of them will suggest will be to publish the names of all the welfare recipients in the leading papers, - Sd Sb BECAUSE, maybe less than a fraction of 1 per cent may be chiseling, they wish to make it hard and embarrassing on the deserving by letting every Tom, Dick and Harry examine the public welfare records. Shall the whole public start witch hunting or just delegate the task to Mr. L. H. The Congressmeén could really pass some laws if they desired to reduce a lot of the relief load by making stricter penalties for the “run=. a-way pappies” who have left their babies to. starve or be cared for by the state, . « In the face of loosing $18 million dollars from the Federal Treasury, they vote to load that much more on the taxpayers of Indiana, eS . TO MY knowledge, I have no relatives on relief, but sometime any one of us could be needing aid and I just try to put myself in the other fellow’s place. ‘ : Poor folks and your friends, there is another

+ election coming up some day and then is the

time to disregard politics and send those Republicans back to oblivion from whence they : came. A lot of us Republicans will help you put over that very thing. iw ; —Hoosier Republican, Frankfort

‘Excellent Job’ MR. EDITOR: I have implicit confidence in the local wel-. fare board. I think it is above reproach as am administrative agency- of our community, I think it has done an excellent job. It is surprising how well it has done under the cirs cumstances, Take into consideration that there are some 12,000 to 14,000 people to be taken care of and some 124 people to investigate. You can't keep out all the chiselers. The question is, is the board intelligently and honestly administering the taxpayers money? I think it is. Robert L. Brokenburr, former State Senator.

‘It's Our Money’ MR. EDITOR: ; Referring to “Chiseling Couple” by Donna Mikels, -Miss Mikels quotes a mythical “visitor” as ‘By the same token anyone who knows ar suspects someone is getting welfare assistance.

.they are not entitled to, has an obligation to

pass the informationon tous...” Wonderful, but how is one to know or suspect if they do not know who is obtaining relief? No person obtaining financial relief from money raised by taxpayers should object to the: people who pay- knowing all about it. Yes; after all, it is bur money being spent. * —A.. W. Smith, City.

‘Obligation to Readers’ MR. EDITOR: y I should like to commend The Indianapolis Times for Sunday's article by Donna Mikels entitled “$68 a Month for Family of Three Chiseling?” It is encouraging to observe that your paper fulfills its journalistic obligation to give its. readers the’ facts, even though they do not conform to the “Tempest in the Tea Pot” stirred up by certain persons interested in extensive publicity. ‘ : i ji ~James E. Noland, Jacobs and Noland, Attorneys at Law, City.

‘Facts and Warmth’ MR. EDITOR: . The stand you have taken on the welfare issue leads me to express my admiration for your newspaper. A warm attitude combined with facts'is going to do the community a lot more good than any amount of mere denunciation. Your lack of catering to the “big” is refreshing. From your editorials it appears that you have the welfare—if you'll pardon the expression—of the nation as a whole at heart. —Donovan W, Peters, City.

‘Give 'Em Support’ MR. EDITOR: i T feel we have the finest welfare department we've ever had, that Mr. Mueller is a fine director and that they need and deserve support

. Instead of condemnation. s

~Mis. George Home, 4011 Ruckle St., Member of the Advisory Committee, Marion County Welfare Department.

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‘Continue the Work’.

MR. EDITOR: a I want to express my appreciation for Miss Milkels’ thoughtful, well-written articles about the welfare récipients. I hope that The Times will continue to report with accuracy what you learn about the welfare program. ho .

Merritt Gilman, Oity:

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